At the end of April, I received an email from Evelina Arakelyan, a modern, young artist who uses her art to raise awareness about issues such as “personal freedom.”
I’m really glad that she came across me through a blog post (“Don’t Make Any Mistakes”) and chose me as an expert on the topic of self-actualization. Because that’s what she does: instead of being alone with herself and her thoughts—thinking, pondering, and creating—she connects with people. She interviews, asks questions, and engages with others. Because she wants to find out what people are like: what drives them? What does it take for them to be themselves? What does freedom mean to each individual? From this, she creates a mosaic of impressions—impressions that she then translates into her art.
It quickly became clear that we had some things in common: both of us came from a business background, both had work experience at creative agencies, and both firmly believed in the power of creativity. I think it’s great that there are people like Evelina who, driven by an inner conviction, commit to a mission whose ultimate goal is not so much a full bank account or an impressive title on a business card. I often ask my clients: “Imagine we’re both 96 years old, stirring our tea and looking back on our lives. What will have mattered to you at that point? What gave your life meaning?” People like Evelina Arakelyan make consistent decisions and will, in all likelihood, later look back on a life in which they created meaning and identity, in which they found an expression for what is, and in which they inspired others. I have the utmost respect for her.
By the way, Evelina asked me the following questions in our interview today:
What motivates you to explore the topics you’ve chosen?
What has been your best experience at work so far?
What does freedom mean to you? When do you feel free?
If you had 4,000 € to spend on a single work of art, what criteria would it have to meet for you?
What insights do you gain when you ask yourself these questions?
By the way, the picture is one of Evelina Arakelyan’s artworks titled “love, peace & happiness”
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