My name is Maria
If you ask me who I am, I would be puzzled
Am I an Artist?
Or am I an engineer?
— Yes. And more.
— Yes. And more.
When I draw, people ask me: "Are you an artist?"
When I dance for myself, they ask: "Are you a dancer?"
When I speak Belarusian, they ask: "Are you a Belarusian teacher?"
And my profession? Structural engineer. Currently I work as a BIM Manager at a developer company.
Every time I receive these questions, I am puzzled.
Am I an artist? No, not by profession.
But at the same time—yes.
I am an artist. Yes, I am a dancer. Yes, I am a person who loves the Belarusian language.
But does it actually matter?
Does it mean that if I am not a professional this or professional that, I cannot do it? That people cannot enjoy what I do?
People try to squeeze me into one box or another.
But the truth is—I am everything. As we all are. We are versatile human beings.
Why should I trim my life to fit into any box?
What matters is that through all these means—drawing, dancing, language, engineering—I explore life. Its different sides. And I discover new sides of myself.
To show this path.
To show that this is possible.
To inspire people to create for themselves.
To enjoy the creative process.
To appreciate life and beauty.
To worship life in all its richness.
To enrich your life through creativity and a playful approach to life.
To widen your lens of being and allow yourself to be more than you ever thought possible.
When I dance for myself, they ask: "Are you a dancer?"
When I speak Belarusian, they ask: "Are you a Belarusian teacher?"
And my profession? Structural engineer. Currently I work as a BIM Manager at a developer company.
Every time I receive these questions, I am puzzled.
Am I an artist? No, not by profession.
But at the same time—yes.
I am an artist. Yes, I am a dancer. Yes, I am a person who loves the Belarusian language.
But does it actually matter?
Does it mean that if I am not a professional this or professional that, I cannot do it? That people cannot enjoy what I do?
People try to squeeze me into one box or another.
But the truth is—I am everything. As we all are. We are versatile human beings.
Why should I trim my life to fit into any box?
What matters is that through all these means—drawing, dancing, language, engineering—I explore life. Its different sides. And I discover new sides of myself.
To show this path.
To show that this is possible.
To inspire people to create for themselves.
To enjoy the creative process.
To appreciate life and beauty.
To worship life in all its richness.
To enrich your life through creativity and a playful approach to life.
To widen your lens of being and allow yourself to be more than you ever thought possible.
The story of my creative journey
My way from structural engineer to an artist
I graduated from a Belarusian Technical University as a civil engineer and worked as a structural engineer. I felt something was missing. I wanted more. I wanted to grow. I realized there was more I wanted to explore. So I went to the Netherlands and studied for a professional doctorate in engineering.
While studying, I was introduced to the promising world of Building Information Modeling (BIM). At BAM, one of the biggest international design and construction companies, I was honored to create 3D models of steel bridges.
While studying, working, and living in the Netherlands, I opened up and explored other sides of me—the creative, drawing, dancing side. I realized that creativity is not something you either have or you don't (as I was told as a child). It is something everyone has and something you can explore and learn.
I became very interested in creativity methods. As I studied civil engineering, I decided I would use creativity wherever I went. My visual thinking and creative methods helped me look at work tasks in a fresh, interesting way. They gave me inspiration and energy.
So I decided to learn graphic design. After I finished a course that promised to be enough to start a career in graphic design, I questioned myself again: Do I really want to be a graphic designer as my main job? I realized I want to use design as a tool—to enrich my life and make my approach unique in a field where I already have deep experience: BIM in the design and construction sector.
So I started working almost like a product manager, creating marketing materials for a new website to promote BIM services abroad. My knowledge of English and Dutch, as well as the European way of working, was very useful. I created brochures, presentations, website pages, and animated videos. I also interviewed specialists and wrote service descriptions.
In my spare time, I started drawing and creating. I attended online and offline courses. I drew from imagination, sketched life in cafes, and drew strangers. I organized my personal exhibition and led several workshops.
The further I went, the more I realized that my way of working and living is unique. I don't want to settle. I don't want to fit into any of the proposed frames. I realized how important it is to surround yourself with positive, like-minded, creative people—people open to new ideas, people who see the value of the person behind any limited job description.
Moving through life, I started realizing that there is no need to separate yourself into pieces or do only one thing. All my skills help me see the bigger picture, to create something that has never existed before—based on my unique experience and the skills I have acquired through the years.
I am blessed to live and work in different countries: Belarus and the Netherlands. Both are home. Both have given me invaluable experience that I can now bring to the world.
While studying, I was introduced to the promising world of Building Information Modeling (BIM). At BAM, one of the biggest international design and construction companies, I was honored to create 3D models of steel bridges.
While studying, working, and living in the Netherlands, I opened up and explored other sides of me—the creative, drawing, dancing side. I realized that creativity is not something you either have or you don't (as I was told as a child). It is something everyone has and something you can explore and learn.
I became very interested in creativity methods. As I studied civil engineering, I decided I would use creativity wherever I went. My visual thinking and creative methods helped me look at work tasks in a fresh, interesting way. They gave me inspiration and energy.
So I decided to learn graphic design. After I finished a course that promised to be enough to start a career in graphic design, I questioned myself again: Do I really want to be a graphic designer as my main job? I realized I want to use design as a tool—to enrich my life and make my approach unique in a field where I already have deep experience: BIM in the design and construction sector.
So I started working almost like a product manager, creating marketing materials for a new website to promote BIM services abroad. My knowledge of English and Dutch, as well as the European way of working, was very useful. I created brochures, presentations, website pages, and animated videos. I also interviewed specialists and wrote service descriptions.
In my spare time, I started drawing and creating. I attended online and offline courses. I drew from imagination, sketched life in cafes, and drew strangers. I organized my personal exhibition and led several workshops.
The further I went, the more I realized that my way of working and living is unique. I don't want to settle. I don't want to fit into any of the proposed frames. I realized how important it is to surround yourself with positive, like-minded, creative people—people open to new ideas, people who see the value of the person behind any limited job description.
Moving through life, I started realizing that there is no need to separate yourself into pieces or do only one thing. All my skills help me see the bigger picture, to create something that has never existed before—based on my unique experience and the skills I have acquired through the years.
I am blessed to live and work in different countries: Belarus and the Netherlands. Both are home. Both have given me invaluable experience that I can now bring to the world.
