Dear Barbi! I read the story several times, first aloud, with Andorka. You should have seen the smile on his face when we first started reading it. At the end I asked him to tell me what it was about. He told me about the elves and what happened, in a nutshell, but very accurately. I, on the other hand, could see behind it, a lot. You depict real life very well in this fairy tale world, it comes through clearly who the sprites are, what the suitcases are about, the daring dreams, the journey itself, the boldness… it’s all very thought provoking, I’ll definitely be reflecting on it a whole lot more. For the grownups, this fairytale means something quite different than for children. It can give the sick people a feeling of hope, the strength to bear the burden, because they can endure. I heartily recommend it to all those who are struggling, and to those who are not striving, because often the light little handbags fly away and suddenly we find ourselves carrying heavy suitcases.

I first met Nan Barbi at the Waldorf School when I was in the third year. I instantly sensed that what she had to offer us, children was something very special and very different. I felt that as an adult she had an understanding of that fairy world that I loved adventuring in when I was 10. Then, when I first entered the village, I was immediately enchanted by the wonderful world I witnessed there. After that, I spent all my summer holidays and Wednesday afternoons in the artists’ village, until I grew up. It became my second home and my second family. Those experiences that I lived there with the other children of the Art Village, or as we call each other, “the villagers”, have become the best moments of my childhood.  There I acquired a good share of my current moral values and the self-confidence to create. Auntie Barbi provided me with a foundation and a secured enough background to spread my wings, to evolve and to be able to show myself to the world. She always encouraged me, believed in me, and without that, I feel I would not have been able to succeed in the world of adults. Auntie Barbi will always be a great example and a fairy friend to me. And the Art Village is a place where I can always find peace, understanding, old friends and affection. I am very-very grateful to her for letting me know her and for providing me with such a wonderful childhood in the village.

And what does the Village of Artists really means to me? My past, my present and my future. Barbi and I were brought together by the fairies more than 10 years ago. I returned to her as a bystander, then as little elf yoga instructor, then as a pregnant woman, then as a mother. There, in the fortress that was first brought to life in her own house, and later grew to become an Art Village. It is funny to think back that at different stages of my life, and within different qualities of my being, I have been able to be part of what she gave and continues to give to this day. It is nothing other than the peaceful, balanced existence. Being in the present. Being in the blissful present. This is perhaps the hardest thing in life today, being present, but there I have managed to do it, always. You’re enchanted by the moment you walk through the door and see the first goblin, by the way the fairies are hanging everywhere, the way the snails are crawling and the fairies are smiling at you and then you suddenly can sense the scent of lavender. It’s like a magnificent oasis in the desert that everyone longs for, and everyone’s thirsty soul would bathe in this water. I am immeasurably grateful to be able to enjoy swimming in this existence for many, many years, in this cloud of love when I am out there. I wish many more years to this fairy kingdom, so that more children and adults, big and small, can continue to experience what is difficult to put into words; a joyful beingness.