There is an undeniable, grounding energy that surrounds Helly. To many who know her, she is an icon, not just for her unique creative vision, but for the wisdom she carries.

We recently sat down together in her beautiful new home to talk about intuition, the spiritual connection to the spaces we inhabit, the necessity of female leadership, and why it is finally time to tune out the external noise and listen to our own inner calling.

Jeanne: Helly, I have to start by saying you are truly one of the most iconic women I know. I feel like I am constantly learning from you. I’m wondering if you can share some good advice with us. What would you tell your younger self? What are some of the things that you worried about when you were younger but, when growing older, you're just like "I wish I would not have worried about this"?

Helly: I would love to tell my younger self that we all have a compass inside of us. When I was younger, I always thought that everybody knew what they were doing except me, and I was the only one who didn’t know which direction to go. Later in life, I learned that your desires, the things that spark something genuine inside you, where you think, "Oh, I really want to go there," or "I would love to do that", that is your compass. It’s your private compass. You have to trust it and follow it because that is your unique path. That's what I would like to tell her.

Jeanne: Such a good one, especially for women. We tend to outsource our decisions. We look at others and think they have a better opinion or know more than we do.

Helly: Nobody knows what is better for you than yourself. You have to get to a point where you can actually hear your own voice. Listen to yourself. I actually reached a point in my life where I had to stop listening to music, had to cancel out every single bit of noise just to start feeling and hearing myself again. It’s the exact same way I ended up finding this house.

Jeanne: Is that the same advice you gave to your daughters?

Helly: Yes, I do. And there is, of course, the fact that you always have to be sure you can earn an income, just like you did: you started your studies, you realized it wasn't right, you dropped out, and you took a completely different path because you felt it was your way.There was a different calling for you. You went for it, and it turned out to be a beautiful calling. I believe everyone has that. Each and every person has a unique talent. If you follow the thing that makes you spark, things naturally start to flow. It doesn’t always need to be an intense, hard struggle. Sometimes you have to let go, and sometimes you have to pursue. Finding that balance is the fine line.

Jeanne: What inspires you in the world? What lights you up? What's the thread that has connected your path together?

Helly: Houses. The way we live, the way a house is built, and how a space makes you feel. Ultimately, a house is your wraparound; it’s the space you wake up in and go to sleep in. I am completely fascinated by old houses and historic castles. You can walk into certain rooms and immediately think, "Oh, I want to stay here, this feels so nice." Then you walk into other rooms and instantly think, "Okay, I'm going to exit right NOW! I don't feel good." It is so fascinating how colors, shapes, architecture,the way a house it is built and the way light enters a room it does something with you. That is my thread throughout my life.

Jeanne: It is so fascinating how we are naturally pulled toward purpose, beauty, and creativity in life. It reminds me of the first time we met. You came into my old store and invited me to an event of 13 Grandmothers at Reichholt. I remember listening to a beautiful Native American speaker there. It made me think deeply about women’s work. What does the return of female power mean for the collective right now?

Helly: We need it. I am incredibly serious about this: it is our time. Women need to step up and start ruling the world. We have allowed men to dominate everything for the last several thousand years. While we have accomplished a lot in terms of technical advancements, we are also witnessing the destruction of the planet and its people. I think that If women led every country, there would be no war. Women do not make war; they are not going to send their children to a front line. That would stop and it would become much more efficient and softer. We know we have to collaborate. There might still be egos involved, but it would be different. We must shift the balance, even though changing these deeply embedded systems will be incredibly hard.

Jeanne: I think this subject ties right back to your first point about the inner compass. The only way we can shift the collective is by trusting our own intuition, power, and desires, even when those choices look completely illogical or random might seems to the people around us. What is the thing you are calling into your life right now?

Helly: Right now, I am focusing on letting go and seeing what happens. Every now and then, I reach a point in life where I consciously surrender to the flow.

Of course, my main project right now is finishing this house. I love this space, and I know people are curious and want to see inside. My goal is to open it up for others, renting it out for creative events, photography, and workshops. That is my main course right now. Aside from that, I am just waiting to see what beautiful things come my way.

Jeanne: I have to ask: what do you love most about the Mimis?

Helly: I love that they walk in every morning, and you can actually have a full conversation with them and they talk right back! They have big mouths haha.

Jeanne: True haha. They are completely unapologetic! Just like their moms.

Helly: Exactly, it’s a nice connection! They bring us out and they bring us together. It's nice to have an animal around. There should definitely be more of them.