Anna’s pursuit of balance and creative freedom in Denmark
- The International
- 3 days ago
- 7 min read
Hungarian-born creative Anna Gyetvai reflects on her nine-year journey through Denmark’s fashion, beauty, and family landscapes - from small-town beginnings to building her own business in the capital.
Photographs: Various
Text: Lyndsay Jensen
For as long as she can remember, Anna has been curious about life beyond Hungary.
“Ever since I was a teenager, I was actively looking for opportunities to move abroad,” she says. “It fascinated me that, at the same moment, people across the world live their everyday lives so differently.”
After graduating from fashion school and spending several years working as a designer, Anna began applying for international roles. Her opportunity arrived when she discovered Bestseller’s International Business Trainee programme - a competitive entry route into one of Denmark’s best-known fashion companies.
“I gave the application my absolute best,” she recalls. Out of more than a thousand applicants, only 21 were selected. Anna was one of them.
In 2016, she moved to Brande, a quiet town in central Jutland. It marked the beginning of her Danish story - one that would take her from the rural heartland to the country’s creative capital.
Between Utopia and reality
Anna’s introduction to Denmark was almost cinematic.
“During my trial for Bestseller, before I got the job, it felt like I’d woken up in a utopian dream - a Nordic design house in the forest, people respecting and uplifting each other, 30 degrees and sunshine,” she recalls. “We sat on a rooftop covered in plants watching the sunset. It was magical.”
But once she officially relocated, the picture changed. “The empty streets, the constant rain, the darkness - it was tough,” she says. “Small-town life was nothing like I had imagined. It was isolating, expensive, and quiet. I had to adjust very quickly.”
Those early challenges, she says, shaped her. “It wasn’t what I expected, but I learned a lot from that experience.”
A country in chapters
Over the years, Anna’s life in Denmark has unfolded across regions and phases of personal growth.
“I started in Brande, a town of 7,000 people, moved to Aarhus a year later, and then to Copenhagen in 2024,” she explains. “Each move changed me.”
Of the three, Copenhagen feels the most natural fit. “When we moved here, I felt relieved - like I didn’t have to explain or apologise for being international anymore,” she says. “There’s no special treatment; everyone’s just part of the mix.”
Even though the capital moves faster than Jutland or Aarhus, Anna finds it balanced. “Compared to other major cities, Copenhagen is still peaceful,” she says. “There are more opportunities here for people like me, though they can still be hard to access without the right network.”
A turning point and creating her own opportunities
After more than a decade in fashion - including five years at Bestseller, Anna faced a major career setback.
“I went through nearly two years of unemployment in Aarhus,” she says. “It deeply challenged my sense of identity. I’d always worked, so suddenly not being able to find a job was very difficult.”
That period coincided with significant life changes: the pandemic, the arrival of her two children, and the emotional strain that came with it. “My husband was already travelling regularly to Copenhagen and convinced me I’d be happier there,” Anna says. “So instead of leaving Denmark altogether, I decided to give it another try.”
That decision led to reinvention. “When opportunities weren’t coming my way, I decided to create my own,” she says. “I started a small Instagram account where I shared makeup tutorials and creative looks. Slowly, that led to unpaid shoots, then paid clients - and three years later, it’s almost a full-time business.”
"When opportunities weren’t coming my way, I decided to create my own. What started as a small Instagram account slowly grew into my full-time career."
Breaking into the Danish creative scene
Establishing herself in Denmark’s beauty and fashion industries took time.
“It’s been a long process,” Anna says. “Both industries are competitive, and every opportunity I’ve had came through persistence.”
Along the way, she’s met both support and resistance. “I’ve worked with incredible people - fellow artists, clients, creative teams,” she says. “But I’ve also seen how not every leader wants to nurture others.”
Those experiences pushed her toward independence. “When I worked in Hungary, I was in my early twenties and probably didn’t come across as a threat,” she explains. “Now, in my mid-thirties, I feel most comfortable being my own boss and setting my own standards.”
Her business gained structure after she completed her training at the Nicci Welsh Academy in Copenhagen. “That course gave me both technical skills and business knowledge,” she says. “It pushed me to value my work properly, raise my prices, and build confidence. That made all the difference.”
Freelance life and family balance
Anna’s current professional life mixes commercial campaigns, editorial shoots, and bridal work. But as a freelancer, she never knows exactly what the week will bring.
“I usually find out what I’m doing a few days or a week in advance,” she says. “There can be long stretches without work, which is stressful, and then suddenly everything happens at once.”
She describes one particularly intense week: “I traveled from Copenhagen to Randers for a shoot, then to Aarhus and Herning for other projects, staying in different hotels each night. By the weekend, I was back home with my family, washing brushes and preparing for a bridal client. It was exhausting but rewarding.”
Her husband, Conrad, also has an unpredictable schedule as a successful stand-up comedian. “We manage everything through a shared Google calendar,” she says. “When a new job comes in, we immediately check what’s possible. Sometimes I have to decline offers, because being present with my children matters more.”
With no family nearby, Anna and Conrad have built their own support system. “We rely on babysitters and friends when needed,” she says. “It’s not easy, but when we’re all four together, we really value that time.”
Motherhood and perspective
Motherhood has transformed Anna’s priorities - and her approach to work.
“I don’t worry about small things anymore,” she says. “I try to avoid unnecessary drama. My work and my family need calm energy from me.”
Therapy, she adds, helped her maintain emotional balance. “Clients often say I have a peaceful energy,” she smiles. “That’s one of the nicest things to hear.”
Still, raising children abroad can be challenging. “Sometimes I envy friends who have parents nearby to help with childcare,” she says. “It’s something only people raising kids away from their home country truly understand.”
Travel, shared with her husband, has become a vital way to recharge. “When we travel, I feel inspired again,” Anna says. “It gives me new creative energy and reminds me why we work so hard.”
Finding her rhythm in Denmark
Now settled in Copenhagen, Anna feels her life and career are finally aligned. “I love the balance we have here,” she says. “I feel safe, my children are in a school system that encourages independence and creativity, and we have a calm rhythm as a family.”
At the same time, she feels a deep connection to Hungary. “When I walk through Budapest or my hometown, surrounded by mountains, vineyards, and old buildings, something stirs in me,” she says. “It touches a part of who I am - even if my life is somewhere else now.”
This sense of duality defines much of her experience. “Both places are part of me,” Anna says. “And I’ve learned to be at peace with that.”
Advice for other creatives
For internationals looking to build creative careers in Denmark, Anna’s advice is practical.
“It can be hard to know where to start,” she says. “If you’re young and outgoing, go out - meet people at events and in creative spaces around Copenhagen. Networking happens naturally here. If you’re more introverted, start online through Facebook groups and collaborative projects.”
She also stresses the importance of location. “Move somewhere that fits your personality,” she says. “I loved city life in Budapest, so it was unrealistic to think I’d thrive in the countryside. But every stage taught me something.”
"Sometimes I have to turn jobs down because being with my children matters more. My work and my family both need calm energy from me."
Looking ahead
Anna’s ambitions today balance creative growth and family life. “I want to contribute more financially while continuing to do what I love,” she says. “Equality in our home matters to me - but so does joy in my work.”
Her dreams are both personal and professional: “Buying an apartment, traveling as a family, doing a magazine cover, working on a major brand campaign, mentoring others, staying healthy, managing finances better - and keeping our love strong,” she lists. “Those are the things I think about most.”
After years of uncertainty, Anna has found clarity. “My role as a mother and my ambitions can work together,” she says. “That’s the only sustainable way forward for me.”
A life built on her own terms
Looking back, Anna points to her earliest professional years in Denmark as some of the most formative. “My first job here was special,” she says. “I had a mentor and manager who genuinely wanted to lift others up. They taught me that real leadership is about helping people grow.”
That example has stayed with her. “If I can influence someone’s success, I will,” she says. “There’s space for everyone. I’d like to help create a more supportive creative community - one where people treat each other with respect.”
Nearly a decade after arriving in Denmark, Anna has created a life shaped by persistence, creativity, and hard-earned calm.
From her early days in a quiet Jutland town to her thriving creative studio in Copenhagen, she has built a career - and a way of life defined by independence and self-direction.
“I’ve learned to build a life that truly feels like mine,” she says. “And that, to me, is success.”
Based in Copenhagen, Anna works as a professional Hair and Makeup Artist across editorial, commercial, and bridal work. Connect with her on Instagram imperfectly_by_anna or through imperfectlybyanna.com
