In the Spotlight – Pavlina Svetoslavova 1 | Innovator Coworking Space

I’m Pavlina – 23 years old and part of the Innovator team. I graduated in the UK majoring Interior Design, then I had my internship in Italy for three months. Then I decided to come back to Bulgaria. I had lived and worked in Sofia, but I returned to Varna. During that time we created Innovator. I am mainly working on this at the moment. At first I worked on how exactly will Innovator look. After almost a complete reconstruction of this place somebody had to make the graphic layouts. So I learned to do that too.

What challenges did you have in Innovator?

I had recently seen old pictures from Innovator. There is a huge difference now. We had to break walls, put tiles, etc. It was all very different. The team is very important. Many of the things we did by ourselves. For example, in the night after work we painted the columns.

How do you inspire yourself?

Many different things inspire me. One of them is the work of other people. Seeing how many people are better than me or the things we do motivates me to develop and learn new things. It is also very important to rest because otherwise you overheat and you can’t think of anything. That’s why I rest by going to the gym every morning and thinking about nothing else. This brings me more energy.

In what kind of environment do you like to create art?

Unlike most art people, I love tidy environment. Having chaos around me, makes it very difficult for me to focus. At home, I usually tidy my desk and then I paint and do my things. Everybody says they like to work by the sea. I do not like working by the sea. I want to know exactly where my working environment is. Everything else is a break.

What do you do when you are not inspired?

It is very difficult. I often have such crises because graphic design is not something I have studied and there are a lot of things I don’t know. I try to constantly look at things and learn. The more I learn, the less are the moments of such crises. But they happen.

What do you do in your free time? How do you relax and escape from the thoughts of work?

I love to travel when I have the opportunity and the time. But not to escape from what I do. This is a way to inspire and come up with new ideas. I think it is very enriching.

What’s the most interesting place you’ve been to?

The most different place is Thailand. Thailand was the first place outside Europe I visited. It felt like a completely different world. The people who passed by me, the weather, the smells, everything. I felt as if I was on another planet. It was a very interesting cultural difference. All the cities in Europe I have been to are more or less similar, but Thailand was different. Israel was also very interesting for me. Jordan too.

What is the next place you would like to visit?

India, Tibet, Lebanon. I want to go to Lebanon because I have Lebanese roots and I find it very interesting.

How do you handle deadlines?

I get so stressed that I do things two weeks earlier. I don’t like to leave things for the last minute. I like being organized. If they give me a job, I start doing it right away.

Tell us about one of the most interesting project you have done?

My favorite project at the university was my final diploma project. My work had to solve a social problem. I was in England back then and I missed the sun very much. So I chose to write about the English lack of sunlight and why there are so many depressed people. I also added the fact that they don’t have a healthy relationship with their families, which further affects their mind and contributes to depression. I made a place where people in England could not only get vitamin D but also get in touch with their parents. It was a center for treating depression. It was very interesting.

Which colors do you like to use in your work?

I really like minimalist things. I do not like things with many colors. I like white, beige and if a more specific color is needed it will be from the pastel ones. I do not like bright colors.

What does Innovator give you?

It is like a child to me. It gives me the freedom to do what I want to do. It gives me a sense of satisfaction that we are doing something useful for the city and the young people in Varna. It brings me very positive emotions.

Author: Marina Vasileva

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