…and I love finding the details that tell a story and turning them into something that connects with others.

Hi, I am Romana, an Austrian author and art lover with a lifelong fascination for stories, images, and ideas.

As a child, I dreamed of becoming a detective. Wearing my grandfather’s old trench coat and hat, I was convinced mysteries were waiting around every corner. I was equally fascinated by things unseen that invisible thread of faith or spirit that runs through life. For a time, I even wanted to become a nun, drawn not so much by religion as by the mystery of meaning, and something greater than the visible world. Cemeteries became my secret playground - I’d bring flowers to forgotten graves, read the names and verses, and imagine the lives behind them. While others found it strange, I thought it beautiful - stories were everywhere, waiting to be uncovered. Books were my closest companions. I read my way through the entire school library and, long before I was old enough, earned special access to the high school collection. My world was shaped by Pippi Longstocking’s freedom, Sherlock Holmes’s logic and the dreamlike worlds of Michael Ende.

I hold Masters in Comparative Literature and German Philology from the University of Vienna, and later on studied graphic design at HTK Hamburg. I co-founded an Austrian design and media agency which I run for nearly twenty years but much of my inspiration comes from traveling and living in more than sixty countries. For five years, I journeyed overland around the world - in an old bus, by bicycle, and by train. I wandered the Himalayas, conquering the Thorung La Pass at 5,416 meters, where the air thins and the horizon feels endless. I’ve gathered not only stories but also colours, shapes, and perspectives that find their way into everything I create. Today, I call Iceland home, and the countries atmosphere fuels my imagination.

I’ve always been drawn to many forms of expression, from writing, designing, photographing, and curating moments that capture beauty and meaning. My background in art, music, and literature first led me into educational publishing, and later to founding verseandverve.com: a space where I share artistic and literary discoveries, along with thoughtfully designed creations meant to inspire and delight.