Meet Esther Boesche

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Esther Boesche. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Esther below.

Esther, looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?

Thank you for connecting. I love that you are doing this series, it is so important to talk about and to remind people of their own inherent power! My work ethic and my success developed out of passion, having many live and work different experiences, and a lot of curiosity. New York City is a very driven and fast paced place. Being involved in many projects at the same time while keeping my love ones closed, it is important to have good time management and good values. It requires a lot of positive energy, resilience and good organization, especially in your building and learning years.

Passion is very important and consistency. But sometimes you just have to keep going through a string of challenges until you succeed. I find it helpful not to look too much on what could go wrong but more towards what I want to achieve. Most innovators including myself, have a record of a few failed projects that turned into learning experiences, before then eventually one if their ideas or projects took off. There was a lot of sacrifice, and late nights on the laptop and on my art to get to what I am living now. Over time things become a little more manageable and you are experienced and far along enough to relax a little more, but it takes a few years for most people to get there. Knowing that, it is crucial to choose something that is promising enough and worth the sacrifice and the energy needed to push through the resistance and transformation pain, that everyone who builds something truly innovative or new will experience before things start to flow more easily.

I work a lot with young people and it concerns me that many of them look at influencers with seemingly easy lives and rented villas and rented sports cars, that make them believe money and success comes easy and without having to develop skills and excellence. While maybe that works for one in five million, most people have to work a lot for their fortune. Beyond that, being skilled and knowledgeable enough to understand the different aspects of your business and market is crucial for success. It gives you more confidence about your direction, and you are more likely to be able to find and weed out mistakes and inefficiencies. You need some wisdom to fall back on when things don’t go easy or when the blueprint suddenly doesn’t work as expected. Because of digital advancements, we have surrendered much our own intelligence to template based cultures. There is a blueprint and a cookie cutter memo for everything. While some of these maybe helpful they are temporary and changeful. Many of them are based on risk management, compliance and efficiency and and not designed to help and elevate humanity. So you need a little more knowledge and skills if you want to stick your head out of the crowd and keep it there.

The work and the dreams build by people who had to show a lot of resilience and push against the status quo is usually very insightful. They are evolutional and groundbreaking people, who had to overcome something to get to where they are and who have experienced challenges or loss, or had to rebuild from scratch,. They pick up a lot of wisdom on their way up, and are usually are very intelligent, humble and well-versed. If you aim to build something that is truly your own idea or business, it’s important to learn to prioritize and to be very aware how you use your time. Also to be able to take calculated risks when you seem to be at crossroads. If you don’t trust that things will work out if you make a leap, you have to ask yourself why. Maybe you or your product or idea isn’t completely ready yet. Or it could mean there is something that you have to change or improve in your strategy or product or work out some of your limiting believes and behaviors, that are holding you back.

My personal mantra for my work is, is there is enough time, there is enough money, there is enough love. I learned many productive strategies and professional skills much later in life. Many of them because of moving to New York City in 2013. The US is a very professional country. German culture is known for excellence and for good morals and values, including accuracy, efficiency, kindness and consideration. Choosing to combine my German experience with an American education turned out perfect for developing the creativity and resilience to chase dreams and opportunities that would come my way later. German art schools teach you excellence, philosophy and quality, American schools teach you business skills, being self reliant and innovative.

With my free spirited nature, I didn’t easily fit in into my culture of origin. I was such a misfit for any ‘normal’ or given path, that I had to choose to either carve out my own way or stay small and feel boxed in for the rest of my life. This is still an issue in my live, but it pushes me forward and makes me innovative. What I can say is if something is meant for you, nothing can hold you back, not any of your negative believes, circumstances or limitations. These kind of driven and innovative people, and I am counting myself in, will always find a way to reach their dreams or to put a new product or a new piece of art into the world. Things might happen a little slower than for people who seem to have it all, from a superficial perspective, and are not limited by the lack of time, money, space or resources – as many artists feel they are. Being unconventional is not a bad thing, and if you are passionate, curious, open to change and critique and consistent things will fall into place eventually. And work ethic becomes something enjoyable because you get to see the results of the work you put in and its impact on the world and others.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

My work is built on societal and spiritual observations and delves into emotions, patterns of human life and social systems. Currently, I explore human emotions, relationships, isolation, and the increasing impact of technology and AI on our lives. I am interested in the tension between our social and conditioned roles, the anxiety based and ego driven behaviors people adopt under stress and competition versus our true selves at a soul level. I exhibit my work internationally and am part of several artist based initiatives and artistic communities. Additionally I teach transformative art based classes and I lead a bi-weekly workshop for artists and creatives in New York City, where artists and creatives come together to sketch out action plans for their creative and personal goals.

Beyond that, I just recently published a new book, called Tacos for Breakfast, that is more an art work it selves than ‘just’ a book about my art. This is because the book is meant to invite people to reconnect with themselves. I used some of my photographs and graphics, blending them together to enjoyable and dreamlike, pictures that are rich in detail, to invite people to slow down and rediscover the joy of looking and having awareness for their surroundings. There’s a German expression, “taking off your Scheuklappen”, Which is little blinders for horses to make them less afraid of their environment, so they can run fast without anxiety or stopping. I want to encourage people to see beyond their Scheuklappen and anxiety, be more present, and appreciate the world around them. After all, if we’re lucky enough to be here, and there must be some reason for this. So why rush through your life as if it is some kind of hyper competitive video game where everyone is out for their own tribe only? You might risk to completely miss out on what you came for.

Especially in New York City, the majority of people right now looks stressed, anxious, disempowered, tired and easily angered. It’s been like that for some years now. America has always been a very attention seeking and at the same time socially more separated and individualistic, cautious of strangers culture compared to other economically thriving nations. Its observable that in New York City, deep human connection is something that people look for, but it is also awkward and uncanny for many people, which is no wonder with all that’s going on and how much people have to work to just satisfy their most basic needs. It’s a time and social phenomenon where people are increasingly too busy and stressed out to connect and to be considerate of other people, or notice what is beautiful and worthwhile around them. That is very puzzling to me, considering with how much abundance and technological advancement we life, compared to other times and places.

Based on these energies, I’m currently very focused on human alienation and anxiety-driven behaviors that dominate modern life especially in urban cities. I’m exploring new artistic ways to that increase awareness and connection to self and others in people. I use touch and sound, photography and typography to inspire people and encourage people to adopt healthier, more considerate and conscious ways of living, and step out of the competitive me first, survival based mindset. We have a lot of people coming to the city who what to make it here – and its great to follow your dreams but if you wreck yourself and run everyone else over and are in constant anxiety to miss the subway and to not be fast enough so that someone else could get what you believe is meant for you— what kind of live is that?

Most things and people can wait a minute or two. Otherwise, what kind of culture are we building for ourselves and for our children. As a matter for fact stress, depression anxiety and hopelessness in American youth is skyrocketing and are not sufficiently addressed. Through my work I am advocating for a return to more hopefulness, peace and community awareness. The fact that this may sound a little too who-who or like a naive utopian call to some, only shows how far we have drifted from what is important about having the gift of a human life and what truly makes humanity great.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

One: If you want to get noticed and succeed in your game, be prepared for some sacrifices and discomfort especially in your early years. You have to be wiling to be a little uncomfortable. You’ll need to tackle tasks you might not enjoy and learn a lot about the different areas and aspects of your business or idea. Building anything is a transformative process, like breaking a habit or struggling to get good at a new skill. Anyone who starts something off the beaten path or outside of their familiar environment will always face some resistance. So pick something that you are passionate and curious about enough to push through and stay on track. To succeed, especially if you fall into the self-made tribe, you need to be willing to investigate into your self imposed limitations, like self destructive habits or negative believes, and fears that are holding you back. Understand that transformation comes with growth pains, in all areas of your personal and professional life. Make a good plan. Revise it if necessary and break everything down into manageable action steps, Stay on track. The keys to success really are grace, passion, good organization, commitment, consistency and self believe.

Two: Invest time and energy in true friends and building or joining supportive communities. Be authentic, generous, and set the right boundaries. There is plenty of places and opportunities to work and connect with people that are on the same path. The right community can be incredibly fulfilling and supportive. The US is a melting pot of individuality and ambition. There is so much talent and ambition, that people with ten years of professional experiences are offered unpaid twelve month internships. Nobody is waiting to open the door for you and many talented people come here to build a career. While you’ll meet great people and some of the most intelligent and interesting people of the whole world, you’ll also likely to encounter some egoistic or abusive and ruthless structures and people. The US is a very individualistic, and driven culture, and opportunities are often tied to money and status. Statistically the US is the hardest western country to overcome your social and financial tiers. Surround yourself with people who are on the same path or have done what you want to achieve. With the right mindset and community support your chances to reach your goals improve dramatically.

Three: In my work and in my personal life, I follow a “fit, fight, or flee” approach: either I feel that I fit in or can adapt to fit, if not I try to change it, or leave. The universe rewards those who trust themselves and make bold heart based choices. Many things will be unclear at the start, but effort and bravery attract the help and knowledge you need. There is always enough space for something that is good and authentic and that is made in a way that it touches and inspires other people. Always try to make everything as well as you possibly can. If you follow your heart and take risks, you’ll have fewer regrets. Life is very short, so when you come of a certain age, it is important to ask yourself what you are here for. How do you want to use your voice skills and talents during your lifetime? Are you gonna buy a lot of swag and short entertainment and risk staying small and avoid your potential, or are you going to invest into your own voice, your creativity, and in adventure and community? What are your goals and values, are you a consumer or a builder?

Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?

As a spiritually-minded conceptual artist, I believe in grace — a benevolent force in the universe. Grace often works through the people around us: our parents, friends, community, and even strangers. The most impactful help comes freely, without expectation, and from a place of generosity, connection and believe in abundance and community. While the culture in the US is more individualistic, and ego-driven compared to Europe, I have still met some of the most remarkable, intelligent, interesting and supportive people here. Ultimately, though, the most helpful force has been my inner voice. As Einstein said, you have to decide whether you believe in a friendly or hostile universe. This resonates deeply with me because our mindset profoundly shapes our outcomes. I see it in my students—their belief in their ability to achieve their dreams directly impacts the quality and passion of their work. Those who trust in a supportive universe and try to connect with likeminded people and ask for opportunities, tend to thrive, while doubt holds others back from trying. Success is a lot about your mindset and the energy with which you approach your life and your dreams, I have a work of art with a quote of Wayne Dyer over my work desk that I see every time before I start my work and every time before I leave the house. It says: Attitude is everything. So pick a good one.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.estherboesche.art
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/estherboesche/

Image Credits

Courtesy of StudioEB