DIE WILDE - REBEKAH ABDEEN

Rebekah Abdeen

Creative Director and Head Trainer of Open Ride and DJ.

The Wild

What does wild mean to you?

Being the most authentic version of yourself. Exploring all your sides of your personality without barriers, growing wild and free, living with no restrictions and spreading your wings.

How do you plan your day being wild?

I’m quite good at planning on the longer term, having a vision for the future but still making sure to create space and move freely. On a day to day basis I don’t over plan because I feel it can limit you, life isn’t linear so it’s about being adaptable. I also don’t like to work on a 9-5 structure, mostly because I’m teaching classes at random times of the day, my working week has always been very unconventional.

I’m a bit all over the place sometimes – Eva and I (Founder Open Ride) never really schedule a formal meeting, we just connect when we find the time and go from there. I’m really just roaming from one thing to the next and not being pinned down by too many commitments.

I don’t like to be told what to do (lol). And not in a way that I’m really rebellious (though my mum would probably disagree), but I’m generally my best and most creative self when I’m rolling on my own energy and able to connect with other people on the same frequency. I feel really grounded in my own energy, knowing what needs to be done and executing it to the best of my ability is always the priority, but still allowing space to remove deadline pressure - that’s where creativity tends to be lost.

Do you think that other people would see you as a wild person?

If you have ever seen my dancing, probably (lol). Nobody needs to see that, it can be terrifying! I think people have always observed me as being wild and I think it’s because my Mother always encouraged me to be a free spirit. I’m from a family of very strong and courageous women, that’s been a huge influence on my life. But mostly I’m extremely focused and strive for the highest level of professionalism in everything I do. At the same time it’s extremely important not to lose the personality traits that set you free, that’s where the magic is. I guess people generally consider me to be a bit of a loose-cannon, but there is method in the madness, I promise (haha)!

What would you give as advice to someone that would like to be wilder?

As we become older, though we should care less about what other people think, there are many more societal pressures thrown into the mix. I think it’s important to just be a good human, be kind always and try to radiate on a positive wavelength as much as you can, attracting people that are also on the same frequency into your life. The more you do that and the more consistent you are, it puts you in a flow state where even the shittiest of days are conquerable. If you can consistently attract good energy with all different kinds of people and in diverse environments, then that’s probably a good foundation for being wild and free. I guess it’s about living your most authentic life, not being trapped by dogma.

Do you think a brand can be wild?

Definitely! I think the best brands are the disruptive ones, going against the grain, trying to curate or cultivate something in a new way, which is really nice to see with Frida Verde too. Bringing more personality and human characteristics into a brand is so important, especially in a time like now. With everything that’s been happening in the world, it’s really important that people can feel a deeper connection with a brand rather than just saying “oh hey, we have this product or service and we want to sell it to you”. I think it’s really important to ask the question “why are we doing that and what benefit are we providing over just selling something?” The wild side of brands is really important now, for sure.

Do you think plants can be wild?

Definitely! Nature is wonderful and I feel very blessed to live in Switzerland and regularly exposed to much more of the natural world than in London. I was raised in rural northern England and have a real affinity with the countryside, I probably don’t get out into nature enough right now.

Again with everything going in the world, you feel nature is starting to take back control, we have increasing consciousness about ecosystems, climate change and other beings, it’s a special time for our planet to roam wild and free.

What do you think about your Wild plant, the Epipremnum?

I’m terrible at looking after plants, for whatever reason I always seem to get it wrong - too much water, not enough water or just the wrong kind of light.

The Wild one is easy to maintain which is really important for me, it appreciates shadow and can still grow in the darkness. When I think about myself over the years I haven’t always been in the light and have really had to push through the shadows at times. Sometimes you can suddenly end up in a situation which is really dark, wondering how the hell you arrived there? But these times have always been my biggest growing phases, the moments I was able to take steps back and then forward into the light. It’s important to power through those darker times, to continue flourishing and not lose your magic in the process. This plant is definitely a great representation of me.

What is the next wild think happening?

With Open Ride a lot is happening and it’s amazing to see, feel and experience. That’s one thing, and I love to play music, which is definitely something I’ve been focussing on now that I’m permanently based in Zürich. I like to keep my creative brain working and to collaborate with awesome people always, so I’m in the process of setting up a new venture for 2021. It’s more of an experiential space for the art of living - I’ll leave it there for now…

And on the longer term, and this is way off, but I do imagine bringing some kind of little wilding into this world, I think I could one day be a strong mother - I’d love to experience that.

The lockdown earlier in the year really made me take a step back and reassess all different sides of my life after some extremely challenging years, there always seems to be so much going on in my life. It was a fulfilling few months, saying at what point do you want to have a family or kind of build a little ecosystem around you, which could be quite nice – but not yet (lol)! Right now I’m fully focussed on Open Ride, the first baby, music and creating all kinds of weird and wonderful stuff… Then in the future let’s see what happens with an actual baby (haha)!