Hi, I’m Malu (she/her).
I’m an artist, disabled and living in the Netherlands. Born in the 80s, very much a millennial. This space is shaped by my values. It is inclusive, anti-ableist, and rooted in care. I believe in making room for difference, in questioning systems that exclude, and in art as a way to stay human in a world that often asks us to shrink.
I started making art after brain tumor surgery in early 2023 left me disabled and without a usable voice. I developed a severe speech disorder and had to rebuild my life from scratch, which was and still is quite a thing to do. Writing and drawing became a way to stay present, to process what changed, and to reconnect with myself and others.
This Substack is part of that.
If this feels familiar
This Club is for you if you’re trying to live a life that no longer follows the script you were given. If you’re making adjustments others don’t see, carrying losses that don’t always have words, and finding your way without a clear next step. It’s not about becoming better or stronger. It’s about staying connected, paying attention, and making room for what’s actually there.
I write for:
people who didn’t choose this life, but are living it anyway
disabled, chronically ill or neurodivergent people who are tired of adjusting, and look for community
artists who make work where it fits, not where it’s supposed to happen
people who lost a job, a role, or a future they thought was obvious
those who don’t have a new dream yet, just a lot of questions and fears
anyone who uses art or writing to stay connected with others and themselves
readers who don’t need fixing, motivating, or cheering up, they just want honest stories.
If you’re here because something in you shifted and never quite shifted back,
this is probably for you.
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Why The Quiet Grief Club exists
The Quiet Grief Club is a space for the kinds of grief that don’t always have language. Small losses, daily adjustments and the things you miss that others don’t see. It’s not about fixing or overcoming, it’s about noticing, naming, and making room.
If you recognize some of this, you’re in the right place, welcome in the Quiet Grief Club.
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