The Artist Actuary
My Why
Life, Vision and Journey
I have always sought truth. From an early age, I sensed that my way of seeing the world was different – an awareness that set me apart and, at times, made the path ahead unclear. Life has tested me, led me astray from what I thought was my destiny, and challenged my understanding of purpose. Yet, through every detour, I gathered wisdom, moments of beauty, and experiences that shaped me into the person I am today.
For this, I am grateful.
Art has become the language through which I express this journey—one of struggle, discovery, and ultimately, clarity. I create because it is the most honest thing I can do. My sculptures, my music, and the stories I tell are all a reflection of my pursuit of meaning. They are my way of giving back, of preserving the beauty I see in the world, and of inspiring others to recognize their own paths, even when they seem unclear.
This page is dedicated to the reason I pursue a career in art. It is a declaration of my creative purpose, a documentation of the defining moments that led me here, and a statement of my commitment to sharing my vision with the world.
So Why Then?
I have always been an artist. Throughout school I found myself doodling clusters of rectangular shapes that flowed into larger, organic forms – abstract outlines that felt almost musical on the page. I tried to stop, yet the patterns kept returning, spilling over fresh sheets and visiting me in dreams of music and art. Years later, when asked to picture my Land of Plenty, I saw those very forms standing as garden sculptures and sculptural furniture, confirming they had always been prototypes of the life I would one day build.
What Actuarial Science Gave Me
Studying and practising as an actuary taught me how the world moves value – from premium to promise, from risk to resilience. It sharpened my discipline, my logic, and my respect for governance. I am grateful for those years I spent studying; they gave me the ability to quantify the improbable and manage complexity with calm. They also revealed an important truth:
Process without purpose leaves the soul under‑invested. And I had to convince myself that I was living my true nature and purpose.
In the corporate corridors I learnt that many roles, however sophisticated, become routine custodianship of pre‑defined rules. The more I perfected those rules, the more I felt a quiet erosion of the imagination that first drew me to mathematics. I began to ask: Can precision and poetry coexist?
The Milestone
In 2013, shortly after qualifying as an actuary, I found an in-depth course on how to approach being creative. Through Jungian philosophy, guided meditation, and daily creative sprints I discovered that permission to create is self‑issued. That decision lead to me following my heart and spending all my free time on developing more skills. All the learning reframed my life from balance‑sheet to blank canvas:
I choose the end result of living my true nature and purpose.
I choose the end result of creating art that funds conservation and inspires collective action.
Those choices became non‑negotiable and I began choosing a life I would love. And I certainly started to love even the actuary side of my even more. Everything suddenly had meaning. My life is my own and my journey is unique.
One of the clearest proofs that discipline and creativity can share the same breath arrived during my university years: performing with the TUKS Choir in Prague, where we won a world‑wide choral competition. As a highlight of my life, it showed that the analytical mindset nurturing my actuarial studies and the artistic spark fueling my love for music and art come from the same life force.
Why I Create Today
To Translate Truth into Beauty
Numbers describe; art persuades. My sculptures and electronic music are invitations to move forward with the times: the fragility of ecosystems, the urgency of action, the joy of possibility.
To Finance Conservation Through Art
I pledge to spend some of the proceeds from my light sculptures to fund on‑the‑ground initiatives that protect endangered species in South Africa and beyond. Art is the currency; impact is the dividend.
Gratitude, Not Resignation
To fellow actuaries: I value our profession’s mastery. And I love applying the same enthusiasm in my art. I do not renounce actuarial science; I extend it. The same rigor that models longevity risk now designs steel light sculptures. The same risk frameworks that safeguard policyholders can now and will in future inform models for funding conservation.
Thank you for stepping into my why. May it remind you of yours.
Upcoming Launch
The Globe’s Box
Join me to celebrate my the completion of my first sculpture and the launch of my sculpting career.