In everyone's life there are people that you meet, whether in real or through their work, who deeply transform your experience and frame of mind. These people are mentors or teachers. I came across a lot of wonderful people, and I only name here a very few. Big teachers and small teachers are equal. A child who smiles at you in the street and hands you a flower is just as much a teacher than a professor of philosophy. And there are all the anonymous little gestures of freedom love that you come across in everyday life: the person who picks up a wallet containing photos of dear ones and anonymously brings it to the police station for example. Thank you to all the wonderful people in the world whether our paths have crossed or not.

My very special thanks to:

Isabelle Allende: for having written in a magical and fluid way about emotions and family and facts of life. But also, for her exceptional book about her daughter Paula which to this day continues to move me over and over for its compassion, love and tenderness not only for her daughter but of life as a whole and everything that life throws at us.

Joseph Campbell: for his incredibly rich analysis of myth and human nature. Thank you Dr Campbell, wherever you are now, for having brought meaning and depth to symbols.

Louise Hay for bringing a tremendously positive and healing work onto us. It is still very hard for me to love myself but thanks to her, I know I am on a path. Her work is essential because self hate brings: perfectionism, harshness, judgement, rejection and exclusion.

Alice Miller for revealing to me that child abuse can come in subtle yet very violent ways and that children deserve respect and unconditional love. She helped me free myself of years of unhappiness by putting words on wounds that I had carried around for years not having been aware of them, other than through immense pain and self disgust.

Thich Nhat Hanh for his very peaceful and loving message.

Sark for her truly wonderful book "succulent wild woman" that every girl should receive as a 16th birthday gift.

And in my intimate sphere:

My children, Armand and Ondine, for being such fantastic teachers and wonderful poetic and generous little beings. Thank you both for having chosen to put your trust in me: I am honoured and blessed to be your mother.

My partner for being such a wonderfully warm, sensitive, loving and supporting man.

My sister for being such an outstanding artist and therapist but most of all a truly wonderful presence in my life and a tremendous inspiration for my life as an artist and human being.

My parents for teaching me honesty, integrity, the love of work well done and courage, and for having sent me abroad on numerous occasions to see the world, in complete oblivion of the fact that it would one day mean that I would leave France and be away from them.

My grandmother, for her will for life, her love of children and beauty in its very little expressions, her fantastic sense of humour, her psychic powers and her immense fragility. I miss you. Thanks for saying goodbye.

Mathilde, for having taught me so much about courage and love.

My brother, for having always supported me in dire times.

Madame Fabre, Dr Morel and Dr Fayard for their respect, love and patience. I refer to them as my three earthly angels. And Scarlett for having joined them in a league of her own where love, talent and spirituality dance with one another.

And all the others (sorry for the ones I forgot): Sandra, Teiwaz, Anabel, Philippe, Tony, Joelle, Corine, Vicky, Anne, Liz, Soili, Sophie, Patrick, Claire, Hannah, Gemma, Andy, Aminata and all the other people who have enhanced my life through their generosity, whether for a few months or decades, some of them I didn't know their names. Thank you.