5 Artists, 5 Sources of Inspiration in Uncertain Times
5 Artists, 5 Sources of Inspiration in Uncertain Times
First series of the "5 Stories" project
About the author
My name is Mariana Volynets. I am the founder of Bloomaris Gallery and the creator of "5 Stories," a series of short interviews with artists from different corners of the world.
For me, Bloomaris is more than a gallery. It's a space of support, dialogue, and growth for those who create and for those who love art. My many years of experience in intellectual property law become an additional strength I bring to artists: I know how to protect not only their works, but the stories that stand behind them.
"5 Stories" is about what lies behind art. Not about the works themselves, but about the people who create them: their doubts, their searchings, and the quiet impulses that make them pick up a brush, a camera, or a pen again and again.
This is the first series. The theme: "Why can't you stop creating?"
Introduction
When the world grows too loud, art often speaks in a whisper. When reality breaks apart, creativity becomes a thread — a way of holding the pieces together, of making sense of chaos.
I asked one simple but profound question to five artists from different countries and different fields of art. The question that had been sitting with me for a long time:
Why can't you stop creating?
Their answers are as different as the artists themselves. But each of them becomes a reminder that even in the most uncertain of times, creativity remains a form of survival, of self-discovery, and of connection with something greater than oneself.
Stepan Ryabchenko
🌍 Stepan Ryabchenko
A leading figure in contemporary Ukrainian art and one of the most internationally recognized artists in the field of digital and media art. His artistic practice spans digital art, conceptual architecture, sculpture, light installations, photography, and graphics.
In his works, he creates a coherent visual mythology: worlds inhabited by imagined creatures, invented forms of life, and metaphysical landscapes governed by inner laws devised by the artist himself.
"I keep creating because it is the language through which God speaks to us, through us."
Sarmed Mirza
🌍 Sarmed Mirza
An award-winning British-Asian multidisciplinary artist and BAFTA Scotland New Talent-nominated filmmaker. Based in Scotland, his work traverses drawing, painting, film, and immersive art, with a focus on cultural identity, belonging, and emotional resonance.
Sarmed began his studio practice in 2018, moving from classical portraiture to expressive abstraction. His compositions weave together the memory of landscapes — particularly the Iraqi mountains of his heritage — with the quiet grandeur of the Scottish Highlands.
"I make art because it's a compulsion. I follow it. It's a path into the unknown that excites me, invites me, and I just respond to the call."
Amaal Kebabti
🌍 Amaal Kebabti
A Scottish abstract artist based in Glasgow, known for her expressive use of colour, texture, and light. Her work explores emotion, strength, and transformation through layers of acrylic and mixed media.
"I paint because I feel deeply. Colour, nature, emotion, it all lives in me. My work is rooted in feeling but also in strength and presence. I'm inspired by the way colour moves in the natural world — raw, effortless, and real. My art blends Mediterranean heat with Scottish mood: deep blues, earthy tones, and luminous golds that speak of hope and renewal. Each painting is an emotional journey — not about perfection, but about energy, honesty, and connection."
Urszula Pawlowska
🌍 Urszula Pawlowska
A Polish artist who lives and works in Glasgow. She works primarily in oil paint, capturing the beauty of the Scottish landscapes. The play of light and shadow creates depth and realism, bringing her paintings to life. Her work spans various styles and themes, with a particular focus on the strength of women.
"I keep creating through oil painting because it allows me to connect deeply with my emotions and experiences. The ability to see and depict beauty in the surrounding world, to explore the play of light and shadow, to freeze a moment, a mood, a feeling — it's a unique gift that I am grateful for."
Painting has always been a profound means of self-expression for me. Through my work, I can convey my worldview, reflect on what makes us human, and share my understanding of beauty and harmony.
The deeper I immerse myself in painting, the more I realize it is not just a personal passion. It is my calling. The process of creating a work, from the first sketch to the final brushstroke, is for me like a dialogue with the world.
Ultimately, I continue to paint because it aligns with my purpose and brings me fulfilment. It is a language that crosses barriers, connecting people from different cultures who find comfort or inspiration in my work.
Eilidth Hamilton
🌍 Eilidth Hamilton
An artist, poet, and designer, and the creator of her own artistic direction, "Eilidthi.s.m." Her heritage, Scottish on her mother's side and Somali on her father's, is woven into everything she creates.
Her works grow out of simple materials: pencils, acrylic and oil paint pens. No complications, just pure intention. Her practice spans illustration, poetry, and music, all in service of one idea: authentic, unfiltered self-expression.
For Eilidth, art is not a process but a state of mind. "A window into my mind," is how she describes her work. For her, creating is a way of staying present, of not disappearing into the noise.
"I keep creating because creativity is the breath of life. It's sustainable and it keeps moving even when you're standing still."
Alesia Markavets, an ACC-certified coach, counselling psychologist, and multidisciplinary artist.
The expert view: closing the series
Five stories. Five voices. Five inner reasons to create, even when the world feels uncertain.
The voices of these artists are different, yet all of them touch upon something shared: creativity as an inner movement that cannot be stopped. To look at this theme from a wider perspective, I invited Alesia Markavets, an ACC-certified coach, counselling psychologist, and multidisciplinary artist. Alesia works at the intersection of personal development, depth psychology, and creative expression, helping people reconnect with themselves, find clarity in times of transition, and build a life that feels genuinely their own.
I asked her three questions that emerged during this series.
What makes creativity an inner necessity?
"Creativity becomes an inner necessity when a person needs to give shape to their internal experience. The psyche naturally seeks expression, and for many people, it is precisely creative activity that becomes that vehicle. When feelings are too large for words, art, music, or movement offer another language — one that allows simultaneous expression and reflection."
Why does crisis so often become a point of growth for art?
"Crisis often unlocks creative potential because it breaks familiar frameworks and exposes deeper emotional layers. In a state of disruption, a person is forced to look within and ask: who am I when everything around me has changed? That question, painful as it is, becomes fertile ground for artistic discovery. Creativity becomes a way of integrating the experience — of making it bearable, even meaningful."
Is creativity a tool, a reaction, or a survival mechanism?
"Creativity is simultaneously a tool, a reaction, and a survival mechanism. It integrates complex experiences, reduces inner tension, and offers a safe space for emotional transformation. It is not just something we do — it is something we become through. The artists in this series each found their own language for it, but they all point to the same truth: creativity is not optional for those who carry it within them."
In closing
Five artists. Five countries and cultures. Five different languages through which creativity speaks: the language of God, an irresistible calling, deep feeling, vocation, the breath of life.
Alesia Markavets puts into words what every artist intuitively feels: creativity is not a choice but a way of giving form to inner experience, of holding oneself together, of staying alive. That is why it cannot be stopped. That is why it matters. Especially in uncertain times.
Thank you to each of the artists who entrusted me with their stories. Ahead are new series of "5 Stories" with new themes, new voices, and new reasons to believe in the power of creativity.
Mariana Volynets, founder of Bloomaris