From Dream to Done: An Interview with Marthe Hagen

Photo courtesy of Marthe Hagen.

Discovering Marthe Hagen’s blog, The Freedom Experiment, was for me one of those happy accidents that come along at such a right time it almost seemed like something the Universe had prearranged.  This summer had been a particularly hard time for me, and each of Marthe’s posts seemed to come when I needed them and be exactly what I needed to read.  So when Marthe posted the query on her blog, “Would you like to interview me?” as part of her experiment with openness, I had to jump at the chance.  I emailed her and said I had never interviewed anyone before, that it would be an adventure for both of us.  To my delight (and terror) she agreed.

 

Marthe describes herself and her blog thus:

Marthe Hagen is a soulful and adventurous writer and imagemaker.  She lives in Norway and is passionate about writing, reading and exploring the world.  She writes, inspires, aims high, asks hard questions, crashes and burns (much like a phoenix) over at The Freedom Experiment.

A Freedom Experiment is about giving yourself the freedom to be you.  It’s about making tough choices, taking control, and following your dreams.  Marthe is a collector of dreams and would love it if you want to share your dream in her Dreambank.  You can also connect with her on Twitter and Facebook.

We exchanged emails and agreed, since our time zones are separated by something on the order of eight hours, that I would come up with a list of questions, which she would answer by email.  It worked out wonderfully, and here is the interview:

You call your blog "The Freedom Experiment." Can you explain the concept of a "freedom experiment," and how did you decide this was what you wanted to do?

I started my first Freedom Experiment when I moved to England to study photography a couple of years ago.  It had always been my dream to live abroad and to study something creative in university.  However, I had ended up in a very competitive law school and was both unhappy with the course I was on and the place I was living.  I wasn't ready to pack up everything and to make a radical change in my life, so instead I decided to experiment with making my dreams come true.  I gave myself one year to play with living abroad and study something creative.

Making it an experiment rather than a permanent or long-term thing made it so much easier to realize, both on a personal and a practical level. It made me go from dream to done!

In short, a Freedom Experiment is an experiment where you carry out a smaller scale version of your dream – whether that be a career, a journey, a one-time experience or a role.  Freedom Experiments often make the impossible seem and be possible.

What adventure in your life have you most enjoyed, and which one was the most difficult? Why?

The adventure I have loved the most in my life has definitely been experimenting with making my life location-independent.  Over the course of a couple of years, I have slowly eased into a career in writing, coaching and consulting that allows me to travel freely and take my work with me when I go.  This has been a rocky road – which are often the most adventurous roads to travel!  I've had some really high highs (literally – sleeping on the 13th floor of a 5-star hotel in Malaysia) and some low lows (including, but not limited to wooden huts, cold showers and lots of credit card debt).

The most difficult "adventure" I've experienced has been coming to terms with my personal limitations, and realizing that I needed professional help with managing my moods and self-destructive behaviour.  At the time of this interview, I have been in therapy for almost two years, and I won't pretend that it hasn't been difficult.  However, it has also been very rewarding and I wouldn't be who I am today if it wasn't for the insight and life experience mental illness has given me.

Has there ever been a time when you had serious doubts about one of your life experiments and wanted to give up? What did you do?

I have had serious doubts about a million times.  No, seriously!  When I lived in England, I developed a chronic pain disorder and I very seriously considering to leave England and go home after 6 months.  I have also found myself on the other side of the world desperately wanting to hop on the first flight home.

In the end, I didn't leave England but found a way to take care of my well-being and continue with my experiment.  Other times, I have decided to abort mission and craft a new plan.  I think it's important to take doubts seriously and to follow your heart.  There's nothing wrong with changing your plans if that is what's right for you.

"Tiny Random Choices" refers to the small, seemingly-insignificant decisions we make that nonetheless have a great impact on our lives. Can you look back and share an example of such a choice you made that significantly affected your life?

I think the smallest big decision I has ever made was to start a blog.  Three and a half years ago I decided to start my own blog after reading blogs eagerly for several months.  I thought "Hey, I can do this!" and threw myself out there.  Back when I started, I had absolutely no idea how important blogging would become for me – and I had no understanding of the doors that would be opened, the opportunities that would follow and the friendships that my blog would be the catalyst for.

And now, three and a half year later, I am taking the step into full-time self-employment.  Who would’ve known!

What stirs your soul more than anything? Why?

My heart really aches for people who are suffering from behind their own self-built prison bars.  I used to be one of those people – I was so worried and afraid of what people would think of me that I didn't dare to live.  Now, I find tremendous power and meaning in being able to pass on my experience and help people heal.  It's what makes everything fall into place!

Congratulations, by the way, on your first e-book, which is coming out December 6th. Could you tell a little bit about it?

Thank you so much!  Feeling Good when Life is Hard is a book about finding the good things in a world full of chaos.  It contains some very personal stories from my life – each holding its own powerful life lesson.  In addition, I share my best tips, strategies and hard-earned wisdom on topics like emotional coping skills, self-care, openness, vulnerability and dreaming big.  It's part memoir, part self-help book and my hope is that it will help the reader feel more hopeful, confident and empowered – even in the midst of great challenge.

What would you like to say to the world more than anything else?

Everything is possible!  The goal might not always turn out to be what you thought it would be.  It might not happen when you most wanted it to happen.  But I strongly believe that there are no absolute limitations to our strength, our wisdom, our endurance and our truth.

[Edit:  Added photo credit.]