Creative Thought Space |
Tamara Kostochko | Barcelona, Spain | www.tamarakostochko.com
Visual Artist

What do you think being creative means?
To me, being creative means trusting yourself and the ideas that come through your inner flow. It’s about expressing them without fear, even if they seem strange, or when the inner critic appears before they fully form into something “real”.
It is all about giving yourself permission to bring your ideas to life and staying open to the best way to do it. It also means staying curious and playful: trying new tools, mixing techniques, exploring unconventional materials.
If I feel my work is becoming too polished or dry, that’s my sign to shake things up. Maybe I’ll throw in a bold color, switch brushes, or even tear the canvas and use its fibers in a new way. Being creative is opening space for freedom and experimentation. It’s asking: what else is out there that I can use to create something that feels truly mine?
How do you include creativity in your life?
In my life it means breaking out of narrow thinking patterns and not getting stuck in the same track. I like asking myself questions like: What would I be like while steering the ship? What if I got a second cat? What would I feel while creating a sculpture? What else can I experience?
Creativity is about living with curiosity and collecting meaningful experiences. It could be a spontaneous trip, a deep conversation with a friend, going to a festival, or making an art piece. When I turn my focus inward and become genuinely interested in myself, even small, everyday things start to feel creative. It’s that freedom to choose what to explore, what to make, or where to be.
What are your thoughts on how your life has influenced your creative imagination, and how your creative imagination has influenced your life?
There’s a strong link between these two things. For a long time, I painted portraits — capturing people’s emotions and honing my technical skill. I reflected the outer world without expressing myself. Indeed, I didn’t believe I was a creative person and thought I couldn’t invent anything original. Looking back, I realize that was tied to how closed off I felt inside. I was afraid to look inward and show my own voice.
Everything changed when I began exploring my identity and asking: Who am I? What do I want to say? That personal journey transformed my art. I stopped hiding and started trusting my inner world. This transformation took over a year and a half, and it happened alongside my journey with my future wife. Since then, my art has become more honest, emotional, and alive. It’s now about ideas and desires that come from within.
What, if any, exercises do you do to get into a creative mode?
For me, there are two parts to getting into a creative state — inner focus and technical play.
The inner part is about clearing space inside. I use short meditations and daily workouts to reconnect with my body and energy. Sometimes, right during meditation, I ask myself: “What are three ideas I’d love to bring to life right now?” In that calm, focused state, the answers often come easily from the inside.
The second part is experimenting with tools. One exercise I love is using Midjourney: I take two random images — for example, one graphic and one of a dancing figure — and blend them with an abstract prompt. The results are often wild and unexpected, sparking new directions I’d never think of on my own. It’s a fun way to surprise your imagination.
How important do you think creativity is in life?
I believe everyone is creative. For me, creativity is less about talent and more about inner curiosity and the freedom to explore: How can I show up in this world? What ideas can I bring to life? When we look at creativity this way, it becomes a path to self-realization, even soul expression. I believe each person’s soul wants to find its unique voice, and creativity is how that voice comes through. So yes, I think creativity is essential. It’s how we create meaning, live fully, and add something truly valuable to the world.
To me, being creative means trusting yourself and the ideas that come through your inner flow. It’s about expressing them without fear, even if they seem strange, or when the inner critic appears before they fully form into something “real”.
It is all about giving yourself permission to bring your ideas to life and staying open to the best way to do it. It also means staying curious and playful: trying new tools, mixing techniques, exploring unconventional materials.
If I feel my work is becoming too polished or dry, that’s my sign to shake things up. Maybe I’ll throw in a bold color, switch brushes, or even tear the canvas and use its fibers in a new way. Being creative is opening space for freedom and experimentation. It’s asking: what else is out there that I can use to create something that feels truly mine?
How do you include creativity in your life?
In my life it means breaking out of narrow thinking patterns and not getting stuck in the same track. I like asking myself questions like: What would I be like while steering the ship? What if I got a second cat? What would I feel while creating a sculpture? What else can I experience?
Creativity is about living with curiosity and collecting meaningful experiences. It could be a spontaneous trip, a deep conversation with a friend, going to a festival, or making an art piece. When I turn my focus inward and become genuinely interested in myself, even small, everyday things start to feel creative. It’s that freedom to choose what to explore, what to make, or where to be.
What are your thoughts on how your life has influenced your creative imagination, and how your creative imagination has influenced your life?
There’s a strong link between these two things. For a long time, I painted portraits — capturing people’s emotions and honing my technical skill. I reflected the outer world without expressing myself. Indeed, I didn’t believe I was a creative person and thought I couldn’t invent anything original. Looking back, I realize that was tied to how closed off I felt inside. I was afraid to look inward and show my own voice.
Everything changed when I began exploring my identity and asking: Who am I? What do I want to say? That personal journey transformed my art. I stopped hiding and started trusting my inner world. This transformation took over a year and a half, and it happened alongside my journey with my future wife. Since then, my art has become more honest, emotional, and alive. It’s now about ideas and desires that come from within.
What, if any, exercises do you do to get into a creative mode?
For me, there are two parts to getting into a creative state — inner focus and technical play.
The inner part is about clearing space inside. I use short meditations and daily workouts to reconnect with my body and energy. Sometimes, right during meditation, I ask myself: “What are three ideas I’d love to bring to life right now?” In that calm, focused state, the answers often come easily from the inside.
The second part is experimenting with tools. One exercise I love is using Midjourney: I take two random images — for example, one graphic and one of a dancing figure — and blend them with an abstract prompt. The results are often wild and unexpected, sparking new directions I’d never think of on my own. It’s a fun way to surprise your imagination.
How important do you think creativity is in life?
I believe everyone is creative. For me, creativity is less about talent and more about inner curiosity and the freedom to explore: How can I show up in this world? What ideas can I bring to life? When we look at creativity this way, it becomes a path to self-realization, even soul expression. I believe each person’s soul wants to find its unique voice, and creativity is how that voice comes through. So yes, I think creativity is essential. It’s how we create meaning, live fully, and add something truly valuable to the world.