INSPIRATIONS AND ASPIRATIONS

Spending time with my family is a priority for me. We are keen hikers and we enjoy nothing more than to spend time in nature. We often explore hiking trails in the United Kingdom and abroad. We are quite dedicated to leading a sustainable life and we try to support any local or nationwide projects for nature conservation. One of our favourite places in London is The London Wetland Centre, which is probably the most important effort in that area in the last century. I believe that living in harmony with the Earth is the only way forward and the fight for climate justice is something that is really important to me.

Throughout the years I have completed several courses in Art history and Contemporary Art. Art, in all its forms, is something that gives me better understanding of myself and has the ability to transform how we perceive life in every possible aspect. I often visit museums and galleries throughout the United Kingdom and Europe. Seeking opportunities for a career path in the art world is something I would love to pursue in the future. I am particularly interested in the movements that emerged in the wake if the World Wars, especially the Dada movement and Bauhaus as they completely changed the ways we perceive art and what should be considered a creative effort. My favourite artists are Lucian Freud, Mark Rothko and Hilma af Klint.

I have been a vegetarian for 15 years and became vegan 7 years ago. I am quite passionate about animal rights and try, in every way I can, to uphold my convictions that we should live our lives with nothing but respect for every living being. I am an amateur chef, experimenting mostly within the frame of contemporary vegetarian and vegan cuisine. Few years back I was diagnosed with an auto immune disease that has made me intolerant to gluten. Since then I am putting a lot of efforts in coming up with alternatives to classic dishes that are both vegan and gluten free. I enjoy baking and participate in numerous online communities dedicated to vegan and gluten free baking for a healthier and more ethical lifestyle. I have always had this idea that one day my passion can turn into something more and having a bakery or pastry shop for people with special dietary needs is a dream that I would love to pursue in the future.

As a life-long learner, reading is a big part of my life. My go to guide for contemporary literature has been the Booker prize listed authors as, arguably, they offer the most versatile and enriching overview of the literature efforts out there right now. I like reading academic literature as well and really enjoy that part of my degree. In a predominantly digital world, I still appreciate the beauty of actual books and the efforts that go into bringing them to the readers. My favourite authors are Aldous Huxley, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Douglas Coupland and Viktor Pelevin.

Quotes to live by

Here are some of my favourite quotes from people whose personal story, creative efforts or constant fight for a better world have been an inspiration for me throughout my life.

"Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored", Aldous Huxley, English writer and philosopher

"Injustice anywere is threat to justice everywhere", Martin Luther King,Jr., Social justice activist and Leader of the American Civil Rights movement

"The assumption that animals are without rights and the illusion that our treatment of them has no moral significance is a positively outrageous example of Western crudity and barbarity. Universal compassion is the only guarantee of morality", Arthur Schopenhauer, The Basis of Morality

"Start with what is right rather than what is acceptable", Franz Kafka, one of the most influential writers of the 20th century

"The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything.", Albert Einstein, theoretical physicist

"Climate change is the single biggest thing that humans have ever done on this planet. The one thing that needs to be bigger is our movement to stop it." – Bill McKibben, Environmentalist and Schumann Distinguished Scholar