Meet Alex Gogoliev

We were lucky to catch up with Alex Gogoliev recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Alex , so excited to have you with us today, particularly to get your insight on a topic that comes up constantly in the community – overcoming creativity blocks. Any thoughts you can share with us?

Building a habit takes time, and it can be challenging. When it came to developing my art habit, I started with the smallest step: simply sitting in front of my sketchbook. My commitment was just to sit there for 20 minutes, without any pressure to draw or paint.

Once I was there, it became easier to take the next step. “Well, I’m already here for 20 minutes, I might as well doodle something,” I’d think. And if I was doodling, why not put a bit more effort into it? And if I was putting in effort, I might as well focus on getting the perspective and composition right. This natural progression of small, incremental steps made and the hardest part was simply committing to that first step of sitting down in front of a sketchbook.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I am watercolor and ink artist and I have two major sources of inspiration for my art. The first is traveling. I love exploring new places and immersing myself in nature. This fills me with a deep admiration for the beauty of our planet, which I strive to capture through my art.

The second source of my inspiration comes from my dreams. By keeping a dream journal, I can record raw ideas and emotions from deep within, which I then translate into unique and surreal artwork.

In my artwork, I use a mix of soft, blended watercolors and sharp, dark ink. The watercolors create a dreamy, almost magical effect, while the ink adds detail and clarity. These two mediums are opposites: watercolor flows and mixes with a mind of its own, while ink pens are precise and monochromatic. By bringing these two mediums together, I aim to share precious moments and emotions with the viewer.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Looking back, I realize that persistence was the key. Despite the ups and downs in my family life and work, I made it a point to return to my art whenever I could.

I think this is a challenge many highly creative people face—they often switch between interests and hobbies because there are so many fascinating paths to explore. But each time you shift your focus, you’re essentially starting over from square one. To truly see something through, you need to stick with your chosen area of interest for a while.

Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?

Lists are my go-to tool for managing overwhelm. Whenever I feel like there are too many tasks to handle, I write a list and choose the most important item to tackle that day. This simple exercise helps me step back, see the bigger picture, and calm my mind. A written list brings order to the chaos, allowing me to focus on the single most important task at hand.

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Image Credits

Alex Gogoliev

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