My first instrument I learned was Violin at the age of 7. When I was 14, I realized that my passion was actually for a completely different instrument – the guitar. At this time I started to teach myself the guitar as an autodidact. Sheet music was never really my thing. I'm relatively good at hearing details out of pieces of music. So I first learned electric guitar and played in my first bands. Since I am very demanding, it was important to me to let my playing become more professional. That's why I took lessons in jazz guitar with professional jazz guitarist Martin Wiedmann in Stuttgart, lessons in rock and jazz guitar at the Jazz and Rock School in Freiburg and classical guitar lessons with concert guitarist Andreas Schumacher in Freiburg. In my spare time I produce my own music and am active as a guitarist in a German funk and soul band, called PeerPlex.
I have been passionate about design and architecture since I was a teenager. My passion for good design started in 1995 when my father bought his first Apple computer, a "Power Mac". I started experimenting with Photoshop and QuarkXPress, as well as Macromedia Freehand (now Illustrator). I really enjoyed thinking about how colors and shapes needed to work together to help people understand the core messages. I probably inherited my enthusiasm for type from my father, who still learned the trade of traditional typesetter. I also have a passion for simple and timeless architecture and product design. In my home, for example, there are some designer pieces by the legendary designers Ray & Charles Eames.
Surely you are asking yourself now: How does that fit together? You are committed to climate protection and have a passion for vintage cars? I admit - that's my weak point. I grew up in the 80s and already my grandfather was an absolute car fan. I love old cars from the 1960s and 1970s and own vintage cars myself. And basically these vehicles are something very sustainable. They have been built and have been on the road for many decades. Now we still have to manage to run these design icons of automotive history without fossil fuels. And I am confident that we will succeed. Or let's put it this way: I hope so.
Everyone deserves appreciation and respect regardless of their gender, sexual orientation, age, social background, ethnic origin, religion and world view. If there's one thing I can't stand is when people are treated badly or even discriminated against.
The basis for any relationship is trust. And trust can only develop if communication is open and transparent. I am a very direct and open person, and I expect the same from friendships or from cooperation with business partners.
One of the most frequent phrases I heard from my parents in my childhood was: We can't afford that. Money was always tight, many things were not possible. Today, that motivates me to pursue ambitious goals and also to help others open doors that were closed to me myself.
Since neither extraordinary promotion of my talents was possible for financial reasons and my family had no network, I had to work hard for many things myself. The only thing I could get away with was: Going the extra mile. However, quality does not mean perfectionism. I am far from being perfect and I also believe that perfectionism leads nowhere.