THE ART PLAYGROUND OF DMO
  • FILM
  • ART
  • MUSIC
  • OTHER STREAMS
  • PROJECTS
  • ABOUT
    • ACCOLADES
    • EXHIBITIONS
    • STORY_LINES HIGHLIGHTS
  • CONNECT

Creative Thought Space

< BACK TO CTS

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

Picture
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.

About
Tamara Kostochko is a visual artist and colourist from Barcelona. She creates figurative paintings and loves working with texture. Through symbolism, she explores the soul’s journey, love, and the human experience — as well as its expression.
 
Born into a creative family, Tamara grew up surrounded by design, drawing, and art. Her early education combined classical training in fine arts with regular visits to museums, shaping a deep appreciation for visual storytelling. From an early age, creativity has been the red thread running through her life — a quiet force that guided her toward her soul’s path.
 
Through her works, Tamara translates inner states into visual portraits of energy, where body language, colour, and form become tools of emotional narrative. Her pieces often feature hands as a symbol of action and connection — the bridge between our soul’s impulse and our outer reality. Tamara aims to awaken, inspire, and support others, reminding them of who they truly are, helping them reconnect with their own soul, honesty, and inner strength.
 
You can follow Tamara on Instagram and visit her website to discover more.

Picture
© 2025 Danielle Oke/The Art Playground of DMo  ·  All rights reserved  ·  Art it up!
Legal Terms

Picture
Picture
Picture
  • FILM
  • ART
  • MUSIC
  • OTHER STREAMS
  • PROJECTS
  • ABOUT
    • ACCOLADES
    • EXHIBITIONS
    • STORY_LINES HIGHLIGHTS
  • CONNECT