De muzen aan het woord

About De muzen aan het woord

‘’ The aim of art is not to represent the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance. That is the true reality’’, Aristotle

Annemijn Birnie and Mirjam Dirkx are the faces behind ‘De Muzen aan het Woord’. As a visual artist and musician by background, they have subsequently trained in personal, leadership, and organizational development. They love to talk about the muses. Because art is their source of inspiration, and they passionately convey that to others. They have developed a number of lectures, which you can read more about below. Additionally, their creativity and knowledge can be hired for a tailored lecture.

An artwork as a metaphor adds a different, creative dimension to a lecture. Listeners become inspired, think outside the box, and make their own connections to daily functioning. For example, a multi-voiced polyphonic composition by Bach can provide important insights into leadership, and the photo collages of Jan Dibbets can serve as a metaphor for the many aspects of collaboration. Mirjam and Annemijn specialize in finding a suitable artwork for every event.

‘De Muzen aan het Woord’ is named after the nine talented goddesses from ancient Greece. They are associated with inner growth. Through the ‘sweet-tasting dew drops’ they distribute with their arts, the muses stimulate a gentle inward gaze. But the muses can also proclaim ‘the truth’ in no uncertain terms. Thus, they inspire and enliven not only artists but everyone who listens to and observes art. The muses provoke a different way of looking at or listening to familiar themes.

‘De Muzen aan het Woord’ was founded by Annemijn Birnie and Mirjam Dirkx. They give lectures at symposia, conferences, and companies where they use art as a metaphor. Additionally, they train experienced coaches, therapists, and trainers in working with art.

Both Annemijn and Mirjam have extensive experience in developing and offering programs and processes around (personal) leadership and team development, and they are also available for hire in this area.

Examples:

Inspiration in the Workplace: we can learn from art and artists how it is to work inspired. Inspiration literally means inhalation. Beauty, ugliness, and even boredom can be a source of work enthusiasm for artists, provided they are fully inhaled. In this lecture, we show how ‘inhalation’ transforms any work environment into an inspired workplace.

Resonant Leadership: the elements that make up a musical composition can be compared to an organization. Some elements can be influenced, others hardly at all. You have personal influence over sentence structure and phrasing, while you can only surrender to the movement of the beat. Thus, as a leader, you can both ‘lead’ and be ‘led’. By values, by what you believe in. This creates ‘resonant leadership’.

Artful Change: the expressive power of the muses extends beyond the world of cognition. It touches your entire being. Therefore, involving art in change is essential. This way, not only the mind participates, but the experience is central. We are experts in finding and translating an image or composition as a metaphor for a change process in organizations.

Tailored: we are happy to use our creativity to align with the themes of a symposium, conference, or training. We search for a suitable artwork and find the right language in contact. So that a connecting framework is created, where others can also hang their coats.

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