“Becoming Myself: A Journey from Burnout to Inner Freedom”

Between Bali’s waves and Lithuania’s forests, Greta Madline is rediscovering what
it means to be.
A creative soul, filmmaker, and storyteller, she traded the rhythm of deadlines for the rhythm of the ocean — and found that the real journey was never across continents, but within. Her story is not about escape, but aboutcoming home to herself.

 

Tell us your story

My name is Greta Madline — I’m a creative, a documentary director, and a soul on this planet Earth. I’ve worked in advertising and design for over a decade, and right now, I’m in a place where I’m rediscovering my true nature as a creative human. Somehow, by no intentional plan of my own, I’m doing this while living between Bali and Lithuania.
Before this, I lived in London, Leeds, Vilnius, and Amsterdam. I wouldn’t call myself a traveler — in fact, I actually hate traveling — but I love living in a place long enough to have cafés I love, friends I care for, communities I naturally become part of, and roads I know like the back of my hand.

What did your life look like before, and why did you decide to change it?

Before I came to Bali, I was a workaholic — a freshly graduated designer with three burnouts already behind me. I was moving fast in my career, working at Wieden + Kennedy in Amsterdam, one of the biggest advertising agencies in the world. Around that time, I met some of my creative idols — and they invited me to work with them in Bali. So I went.
After my first five months there, I was ready to leave. I hated Bali. I didn’t like who I was becoming. My life, my identity, my sense of meaning — it was all starting to crack. Looking back now, I think that was my spiritual rock bottom. That’s when I entered a 12-step recovery program, which became the most important decision of my life — the real foundation of all the change that followed.
In my last month in Bali, I met someone who introduced me to surfing, and something shifted. Not dramatically, but in quiet, subtle ways. That connection eventually led me to Sumatra. I didn’t plan it — it wasn’t a “decision.” It felt like life was simply moving me, and I chose to follow.
It wasn’t Sumatra that changed me — the change was already happening inside. But being there gave it space to breathe: the simplicity, the ocean, the food, the rhythm of the days, and the quiet community around me created an environment where I could finally soften, slow down, and feel myself again.
It was exactly the contrast I needed to step out of the life I knew and try something new — something that felt closer to who I truly am. Looking back seven years later, I can say this: it wasn’t peaceful or graceful. There was chaos, fear, ego, loneliness, and unraveling. Change isn’t gentle. It’s thunder and storms and the soil breaking open so that something new can grow.
And honestly, I didn’t “lose myself” in the fast lane — I just never really knew who I was in the first place. I had learned how to perform, achieve, impress, function, survive… but not how to simply be. I didn’t know I needed a change until life handed me one.
That was the beginning of what I now call the journey through the void — meeting my own fears, ego, loneliness, and all the parts I had avoided. Not glamorous. Just human. And necessary. Seven years later, I’m still unfolding — but I’m more peaceful than I’ve ever been.

Do you feel your life has turned out differently than you once imagined?

Yes. I would have never imagined my life turning out the way it has. It’s strange to look back and remember how I used to move through the world — the pace, the expectations, the way I thought life had to be.
The one thing that’s always stayed true is that I am a creative. That part of me has never changed — only the way I understand and express it. I used to admire the ocean but was deeply afraid of it. I never would’ve believed that one day I’d be surfing — actually playing with the waves and finding a connection to my body and presence in that way.
I used to be very career- and money-driven, and now I almost don’t care about those things — aside from what I need to survive and support myself. I still want meaningful work, just not at the cost of my life, health, or spirit.
I also used to believe there was such a thing as a “normal life” — something to aim for. But after living in different places and meeting so many people, I realized that “normal” is just a concept that exists in someone’s mind. It’s not real. And thank God for that.

If you could go back to the beginning, what would you do differently?

Nothing. I don’t believe in regrets.

If someone is dreaming about the lifestyle you’re living now, what would you
tell them?

Don’t. I mean — don’t compare your life to mine, or anyone’s, especially not to what you see online. You don’t need Bali, or an island, or a surfboard, or some “new life” to become yourself.
You don’t actually need anything apart from your own inner guidance. I truly believe you already have everything you need to live your best life right where you are, with the resources you currently have.
If I have any advice, it’s to work on yourself with care and compassion, and to find a local community to lean into — a group where you can be seen, supported, and reminded that you don’t have to do life alone. That kind of connection brings real meaning. And it’s often free.
Stop chasing something outside yourself. The path starts inside.

Living the way you do, what has been the hardest part of this experience?

The hardest part has been not judging myself. Not comparing myself. Not trying to escape discomfort by changing locations or chasing excitement.
Learning to stay in one place, to be bored even, and still trust my process — that’s been my biggest teacher. Trusting my creativity. And honestly, nurturing a spiritual connection — that’s the real work.
In the world we live in now — with its speed, online fakery, celebrity culture, constant scrolling and consuming — staying true to who you are and protecting your inner peace is incredibly hard.
Like, when was the last time you were just alone? With your thoughts? Without your phone? Without snacking, scrolling, or numbing? Just being. That used to terrify me. And sometimes, it still does.

What are your next steps? Is there any adventure you’re planning?

All my adventures these days are creative ones. I’m working on two documentaries, both focused on community impact — one about surfing, and the other about sustainable living.
I’m also planning an exhibition from my five years of traveling back and forth to Sumatra — not because travel is the point, but because those years shaped me in a very natural, almost destined way.
At the same time, I’m developing a video series called Made by Friends — a gentle exploration into the minds and lives of artists I know. I’ve always been fascinated by how creative people think and live, and I’m lucky to be surrounded by so many of them.
I travel only when I truly need to. Next up is a surf trip to Sumatra, and then Lithuania for my brother’s wedding — which I’m genuinely excited about.

Is there anything you’d like to add?

Travel is beautiful, as long as it’s not used to run away from yourself. You can meet real people, learn from different cultures, and expand your heart — but it all comes down to intention.
I’ve seen — in myself and others — how travel can become escapism, a way to avoid yourself or to chase a romantic fantasy of a life that doesn’t actually exist. I’ve done that too. But when you begin to learn self-awareness, recovery, and healing, your experience of the world shifts.
You start to see meaning and beauty through connection, presence, and purpose — not through constant movement. At that point, even one place can be enough, if you’re living it with your whole heart.
I want to be clear — I’m not telling anyone how to live or where to go. I don’t have the answers. I’m just happy to be here and to share my story, in case someone needs to hear this today.
I’ve learned that the real journey is inward. The outer landscape of your life will always mirror your inner one. So whether you’re at home, abroad, in Bali, or in your childhood room — the real adventure begins inside you.
And remember: you can cry under a palm tree, too. The scenery doesn’t save you from discomfort or inner suffering.

Follow my journey on:

https://gretamadline.com/
@greta_medele