IN LOVE with Anne Wolthaus

Anne and I met in May 2019, and it is thanks to her that I could first present Wearable Poetry to the public in Berlin Mitte, in an amazing space - that for two magical months became “the space.” A place where the H&M starting house provided location and visibility for young local brands and artists.

Anne (and the whole starting house team) not only provided the space, but she also thought about ways how to best present the pieces. How to fill the walls with colorful pictures, for which she then also modeled. I loved to go there each morning - to be part of a team that proves everyone wrong who says: leave your 9-5 and become a freelancer.

Time passed. The space turned into an H&M store. The whole team moved to a new location in Oranienburger Straße. Anne became the Lead of Innovation for H&M beyond. One of her most recent projects is H&M’s wearable love spot, where she had been project lead for. See this poetic spot here.

In September 2019, Anne and I became neighbors in Friedrichshain - and some weeks later, we became neighbors again in Prenzlauer Berg. The first 2020 lockdown came, and the park behind the Planetarium became “our” park. We saw it turning green and blossom on our lunch break walks and talks - while our friendship grew deeper. We learnt about where we both come from, we went to Ikea together when it reopened, we went sober-daytime-dancing in summer.

I’m grateful for all of our moments, and for our friendship. It has been catalyzed by lockdown. So when it comes to Anne, I am also grateful for the lockdown - because I am grateful to have her in my life.

Anne on Instagram

H&M beyond profile on LinkedIN

H&M beyond’s website

1 _ _ _ _
Imagine that from this moment on, the verb "to love" does not exist anymore. How do you express yourself when you feel love? In words, actions?
I see you in your beauty with all of your wounds and I will comfort you and care for you forever.

2 LOVE
You have lived one month without the word love. Then, it suddenly re-appears, but in the dictionaries it is without definition. You are the person to write it.
love (noun) / l∧v /Describes any forms of relationships that are shaped by compassion, care, tenderness, admiration, development and freedom.

3 Out of LOVE: This would be situations when I criticize myself harshly for my actions or personality traits instead of being compassionate towards myself and acknowledge that we all are human fuck ups from time to time.

4 Returning into LOVE
When you have been out of Love, how do you help yourself to re-enter?
 By reminding me that I am maybe not the best friend I have ever had but at least the one whom with I will end up on the dead bed. So I will give myself a big hug, whispering „I‘ll stay on your side to the very end, even if I don’t like you sometimes or I felt betrayed by you. I know that you are doing your very best and I can rely on you forever.“

>> Ask me a question about LOVE: What is the most revealing thing you learned about love?

Mirjam: that it is always there. I used to believe that love is only accessible via another person. However I came to realize, that other people are rather the portal to love - than the love itself. Love itself is existing regardless if you are with someone or not.
If I compare what I felt for the three important men in my life, the feeling of love was the same. It is strangely the same feeling that I have, when my writing flows or when I watch something beautiful, like clouds. So the core of love is independent of others and things.

5 Almost Lovers
Let me start by saying what an almost lover is for me. An almost lover is a person, with whom you feel SO yourself, SO creative, SO in love that you feel - this is my life partner. However, an almost lover does not want to be with you. Did you have an experience like this? And if so - did your almost love story lead to important inner and outer transformations in your life that you are now grateful for? Which are your favorite two ones?
When I was young I spent so much time to figure out how I should be to be liked by the other, that I forgot who I was as a person and also completely overlooked what I was searching for in others. Failing in this attempt to be the perfect version of a Vision the other may or may not have had lead me to the conclusion that this behavior was not only unfair to myself but also unfair to the other person. (Who may have liked me if she had the chance to actually meet me - who knows.)

6 On Leaving
What happens to (your) LOVE when a partner/ crush/ lover - someone you have been in love with - leaves you?
The Love without the target it is directed on must transform as it is an active verb and therefore manifests itself in actions. This overwhelming energy that can’t get directed into actions of love leaves me restless and powerless at the same time as there is nothing I can do about it. So it turns into grief and best case into self-compassion by channeling the energy in the direction of healing.

7 LOVE Quotes
There are many love-quotes out there. Which is your favorite one on true romantic love - and why?
This would be yours „an open hearts is bulletproof“ as for me it point up in one sentence one of the biggest challenges and truths about life.

>> Ask a question that you have always wanted to be asked: How does life feel for you today?