Learning to do something just for me: that was his best medicine.

Peter Orsag, Amsterdam

Makes you happy: life with bright colours

Rocking the financial industry as a project manager! That was Peter's goal - until a burn-out threw him completely off track. So the Simpsons helped him get back on track.

Since Brexit, Amsterdam has become the number one financial centre in Europe. Not least because of this, it is one of the most exciting places to work in finance. As a project manager, Peter really got to work on major initiatives with a lot of impact. However, this also meant that he was responsible for everything: "If something starts going wrong, it's up to me". At some point, the pressure of the fast-paced environment got to me. His life increasingly felt like screaming into a void.

One morning, the ambitious achiever was unable to get out of bed. In a very literal sense, he was simply physically unable to do so. Diagnosis: burn-out. The trigger: permanent stress. Peter had to act. He took time out, went for medical treatment and consulted a professional coach. He advised him to find an offline activity to help him regain his inner balance. To do something that he does only for himself.

Peter's story

As a project manager in the financial sector, Peter experienced burnout. Here in the video he tells how time out and a creative hobby helped him get back on track.

You can find our acrylic markers here

Painting as a therapy

Painting scenes from the Simpsons wasn’t something Peter had to think about too much. He remembers exactly when the show launched in Czech Republic. When he paints, everything around him just disappears. It’s a form of meditation for him. "This helps me to disassociate from other people's problems and focus on the things I can influence and enjoy," Peter describes the feeling when he works with the acrylic markers.

Once he stopped trying to please other people, the rest just happened. One day one of his sketches went viral, someone even had it tattooed! Yet he doesn't think of himself as anyone special – just a guy who paints characters from his favourite show. So what would he like to pass on to other creators? "If you think you can do this, well, yes, you can. You just have to start!"