Interviews

Oksana Merhut is a Ukrainian sand animation artist who continues to captivate not only Ukrainian art enthusiasts but also international audiences with her technique. Recently, the artist toured German cities with a magical program, raising funds to support the Ukrainian Separate Mechanized Brigade named after Prince Roman the Great. Oksana shared her thoughts on the beginning of her artistic journey, her European tour, and teaching children and adults in her own sand animation studio with Drive Music Media.

Aya Neia is a Ukrainian indie fantasy author who aims to show through her books that one must always find strength within oneself, even when it seems all is lost. Her book series "Nord" continues to captivate readers with the boundless fantasy world that the author has dreamt of since childhood. Each book in the series was created over two years, and each reveals new aspects of the "Nord" world. Despite being engrossed in the fantasy realm, the author's pseudonym carries a mythological character and simultaneously helps to separate her personal life from her creative work. Aya Neya shared insights about the "Nord" series, the novella "Name of the Shadow," and her challenging journey as a writer.

Dana Bezkray is a Ukrainian who became a children's book writer when she felt a deficit of high-quality educational children's products abroad. Inspired by her own daughter, she began telling stories about her life in a fairy-tale format, addressing the exhaustion she felt during migration and her desire not to cause pain to her child because of it. This resulted in her book titled "Mom's Battery Ran Out." Danа also shared about her life in China, writing her first children's book, presenting her book during the war, and her collection "Garden of the Soul."

Roza-Svitlana Zadiraka is a Ukrainian artist specializing in art therapy and phototherapy, through which she helps people feel safe and awakens love for themselves. The main message of her art is support. When the full-scale war of Russia against Ukraine began, Svitlana, after two months of "stupor," started to act actively, as she realized that she could help people with her art here and now. Svitlana owns a very atmospheric studio in Odesa, which she calls her place of strength, and conducts her sessions there. Recently, the artist has expanded her artistic horizons and started creating jewelry. Svitlana shared with Drive Music Media about all the creative directions of her life, her studio in Odesa, her education, and the war.

Kateryna Kochut is a Ukrainian jewelry designer for one of the largest Ukrainian jewelry companies, Kochut. The most important aspect of Kateryna's work is that the jewelry she creates resonates in people's hearts. The designer finds inspiration in mythological stories, fairy tales, and some jewelry designs even come to her in dreams. In an interview with Drive Music Media, Kateryna shared about the beginning of her collaboration with Kochut, the creation of jewelry, her own bestsellers that set trends for other Ukrainian jewelry companies, and the company's support for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Sofiia Shakh is a young Ukrainian photographer who creates photo stories in her unique style and chooses only locations she feels connected to for her shoots. She has executed ideas that seemed impossible: shoots in airplane graveyards, forests, trains, and many other unconventional places. Currently, she continues her photography studies at university and aims to work at a major creative company. Sofiya shared her thoughts on choosing locations, creating props, developing her personal style, and her most memorable shoots with Drive Music Media.

Alice Shum is a talented family and wedding photographer from Ukraine who is passionate about capturing the sincere emotions of her clients and giving them the opportunity to feel the happiness of the moment. The woman understood that her path would be connected with creativity as early as childhood, and for many years she searched for herself in various creative fields. As a result, she found herself in photography. Learn more about the work of a family photographer, past creative professions and the difference between Ukrainian and German photographers in an interview on Drive Music Media.

Olena Taranenko is a talented Ukrainian children's book illustrator who, despite the stereotypes surrounding creative professions, remained true to herself and took the risk of leaving an unfulfilling job to pursue her beloved career as an illustrator. The first book she illustrated, "Magical Mia. Kindness is Contagious" by Julie Casseta, was published in 2021. Since then, she has been continuously working in illustration. Currently, Olena is working on a new picture book for children aged 3-6 years, marking her first experience illustrating for this age group, as she has previously illustrated books for older children. Olena shared her thoughts on staying true to herself and her craft, her new books, and character creation with Drive Music Media.

Yaryna Vovk is a talented Ukrainian detective writer who published her first book "Don't Cry, My Beauty" in November 2023. Her novel was printed by one of the largest Ukrainian publishers, "Family Leisure Club." The writer had dreamed of publishing a book since her teenage years, and the genre found her naturally – children always have many questions and a strong love for mysteries, and Yaryna loved the works of outstanding detective writers from an early age. Now, the writer has already finished working on the prequel to her novel and plans to release a trilogy of her detective series in the future. Yaryna shared with Drive Music Media about her childhood dreams and first novellas, the presentation of her book "Don't Cry, My Beauty," and her love for neuroscience.

PETROVOCHKA is a Ukrainian indie-pop singer-songwriter who shows through her lyrics how important it is to keep the inner child alive, whose ability to dream is a catalyst for the realization of all our adult dreams, despite the hard experiences in life, war, and loss. Anna Petrovska, as the musician is called, is sure that she wants to devote her life not only to performing but also to creating music. Anna shared with Drive Music Media about the release of her first solo album "I Have a Plan", her inner child, and her life in migration due to the war.