Tag Archives: writing

Overcoming Life’s Challenges: Rediscovering Happiness

When My Life Felt and Was Reborn

Last year was a bit turbulent for me, to be honest. And I can say the same about 2023.

Sometimes, I worry that I might sound too negative. I usually feel bad about it, but what if I was simply born this way? What if, no matter what I do, I will always carry this sadness in my heart? I went through different rough emotional experiences as a child, so maybe it’s time to just accept it as it is. I wish I could be a more smiling, optimistic person—but, well, I’m not really that one. And that’s okay. I’m learning, and I hope I still have time to get better at it.

What did I mean when I said that 2023 and 2024 were rough for me?

“The human spirit is stronger than anything that can happen to it.” — C.C. Scott

In 2023, I got an infection in my right thumb—so severe that the tip of my finger had to be removed. A surgeon did it right in front of my eyes. Well, not exactly—I turned my face away and looked at my husband instead, tears rolling down my face.

For a moment, I thought the surgeon would take my whole finger. It was March 1st, a Wednesday. That day, I had gone with my husband to see a doctor about my swollen finger. The first doctor I had been recommended made silly jokes, saying I must have found a poisonous insect in my garden and that they would find it and kill it. At that moment, it wasn’t funny to me. The attitude was far from empathetic.

Finding new little happy things to enjoy. Like listening to classical music on vinyl.

That night, alone with my two kids in Dubai, I couldn’t sleep. The pain was unbearable, and my finger swelled before my eyes, hour by hour. In the middle of the night, I booked a taxi, leaving my kids asleep in my bed. I remember that night so clearly—the blurred city lights flashing past the car window, my mind consumed by the pain in my finger and arm, which had also begun to swell.

Secretly, I was saying goodbye to this world. My husband was away on a business trip, and I was completely alone.

From my very first days in Dubai, I realized something: nobody really cares about you. It’s up to you to build your own reality in a new place.

“The key to life when it gets tough is to keep moving. Just keep moving.”―Tyler Perry

But still, I will always be grateful to the doctor who saved my life.

That February taught me that everything can change in an instant. The pain came out of nowhere, and no one could have foreseen the consequences.

I didn’t pick up my camera for three months after that. I had to postpone many photoshoots, and I felt terrible about it.

But at that moment, I decided to surrender and give myself time. When life closes one door, it opens another. A new life was unfolding for me, but I am still in the process of rediscovering it.


Amid the struggles, it’s up to us to start finding joy again

In 2024, I faced two severe illnesses that also made me reflect on the value of life. I had never had serious problems with my lungs or nose before, but in June, I caught mycoplasma and thought I wouldn’t recover. I was wrong.

Then, in November, I experienced severe sinusitis for the first time in my life, caused by some unknown bacteria. For five days, I could barely breathe. Waking up at night, struggling to get air through my nose—I truly thought it was the end of the world.

To make things worse, the first antibiotic the doctor prescribed had too low a dosage, so I had to undergo another round of treatment. Just when I started feeling better after a week, I got a sore throat. I couldn’t believe it—something else was starting again. This time, sinusitis hit only one nostril. I decided not to go back to the doctor since I had no fever and tried to heal myself without medication. It worked, but very slowly. Only after two months of being sick did I finally start seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

Healing takes courage, and we all have courage, even if we have to dig a little to find it.” — Tori Amos

I don’t know if you’ve read this far, but going through these life-threatening experiences has made me rethink my values. I started looking for slow and joyful moments I could truly enjoy—just for myself. In a fast-paced city like Dubai, where everything and everyone moves at lightning speed, that has been quite a challenge.

But I must say, I am rediscovering myself—finding minutes, even hours, each day to nourish my body and mind.

Life teaches you. Sometimes, not in a good way. But this is why it`s so important to start living to the fullest. You never know what might happen to you tomorrow…

“Turn your wounds into wisdom.” — Oprah Winfrey

I would like to finish this blog with a phrase from the Japanese movie by Wim Wenders’ “Perfect Days”. The movie that will stay in my heart for a long time.

Kondo wa kondo. Ima wa ima. – Next time is next time. Now is now.

– 今度は今度。今は今

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Journaling. The book and the process.

Today, I’m starting my sixth week of morning pages with The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. I started this book a few years ago but never finished it. The desire to try again has been lingering in my mind for a long time, and this year, I finally decided to go back to the very beginning.

I committed to waking up at 5 AM every morning and dedicating 30 minutes to writing my thoughts down on blank pages in a notebook.

THe Artist's way book by Julia Cameron

I used to wake up at 5 AM before, but over the last year or two, I lost that feeling—the one that makes you want to wake up early. The only reason I opened my eyes was my alarm and the thought that I had to prepare snack boxes for my kids before they left for school. I couldn’t understand how I used to wake up earlier so easily or why I even wanted to.

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Then I realized that back then, I was actually practicing a morning routine from Hal Elrod’s book The Miracle Morning. One of the practices in that book is morning pages, but at the time, I didn’t feel like doing them.

Anyway, I decided to give it another try—30 minutes from 5 AM to 5:30, just writing my thoughts down in a journal. Sometimes, we need time and give something a second chance. It happens to me in different ways.

Filling the pages with my worries, thoughts, ideas, and griefs.

My mind has always been so full of thoughts that it often feels so overwhelming. Instead of concentrating on a task you want to, your inner voice keeps talking to you the whole time. But every morning, as I jot them down with my fountain pen from Kinokuniya (love it, by the way), sitting in the living room or the garden, I feel like I’m slowly coming back to life. As broken as I feel some mornings, the more whole I start to become—bit by bit, morning by morning.

This is what I can share about writing morning pages as a task from the book.

You choose a notebook you like, or decorate it in a way that makes you happy. Personally, I stuck a Totoro sticker on the front cover because it was plain, and the writing I had done a few years ago wasn’t to my taste anymore. A small change like this can make all the difference—if you like how your notebook looks, you’ll want to hold it in your hands and fill it with your words. That little trick worked like magic for me.

Every morning, I fill three pages with whatever comes to mind—my feelings, stories, dreams, what happened yesterday, or what I’m planning to do today. And if nothing comes to mind, I simply write: I have no idea what I’m supposed to write now… or I ask myself a question I want an answer to: Why am I afraid to start writing more stories? Why did I stop posting pictures? Why do I feel gloomy today?

And you know what? More often than not, my hand just keeps writing, searching for the answer.

By filling the pages, I free up space in my mind. And it really works.

I encourage you to try this practice.

Links to Amazon in UAE:

The Artist’s Way Book by Julia Cameron

The Miracle Morning Book by Hal Elrod’s

Pilot Kakuno Fountain Pen

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Top Books for Photographers and Creative Minds

Slow moments with a book. My story.

Pour hot water into your favorite mug and enjoy some time in the garden, in a cozy corner of the room, or on the balcony with a book.

You might think you’re too busy for this, but I believe it comes down to values and priorities. If you want to find these few minutes a day, you will.

I can’t say I’ve always been a bookworm. We had a huge library in our apartment in Kyiv—my granny was an editor, and books were her passion.

My parents loved to read all the time, so you can only imagine how big our home library was. But what I loved most was listening to the stories my grandmother or mother read to me and my sister. Even when I was in primary school and was supposed to read by myself, I didn’t want to. I waited every evening for my granny to finish watching the news on TV and come read a story. Doctor Dolittle, Mary Poppins, The Hobbit, Astrid Lindgren’s stories, the Moomins by Tove Jansson—she was the one who opened the secret door to the world of books and stories. She always said that adults can learn so much from children’s books. Only now do I understand her.

This year, I decided to find books I remember from my childhood and read them again. My daughters bring books home from the school library every week, and I recently found one that unexpectedly reignited my desire to read fiction.

For the last few years, I’ve been reading books about art, motivation, goals, money, and transformation. I’ve learned so much from them. But you know what? Sometimes, we just need to pick up a short story or a children’s book, shut out the noise of the outer world, and dive into a different one—the world the author wanted to share with us.

I never considered myself a good reader. I didn’t really enjoy literature in school. There were only a few books I loved; the rest felt like torture. I read because I had to, and I don’t remember much of it. This is why I tend to believe I don’t read enough. I was always told what to read, so as an adult, it hasn’t been easy to shift my mindset. But I’m learning.

That’s why I’m truly happy that my girls visit the school library once a week and choose books they actually want to read. They’re learning to read and discovering their own style.

Here’s a list of books I’d recommend for inspiration—books I’ve read and that are part of my home library:

Steal like an artist by Austin Kleon

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Books for photographers and artists

I collected here books about photography, cinematography, writing skills and books for those who like Miyazaki movies, like me:)

Books about people and there work and life

I think every photographer, whether a beginner or a professional, should read interviews with great photographers—to understand how they saw and felt the world. I’ve always been a big fan of biographies of famous people. We are all different, and it’s important to recognize that rather than compare ourselves to others. When you learn more about a photographer whose work you admire, you begin to see that their path and style were shaped by their environment and circumstances.

  • Interviews and Conversations 1951-1998 – Henri Cartier-Bresson
  • Magnum Contact Sheets – by Kristen Lubben
  • Arnold Newman at Work – by Roy Flukinger
  • Miyazakiworld – Susan Napier
  • Street Photography – Vivian Maier
  • The Ultimate Peter Rabbit: A Visual Guide to the World of Beatrix Potter
Arnold Newman At work book

portraits taken by Anna Grosheva

Books for anyone looking to build new habits and find motivation and inspiration in life:

  1. Homecoming – John Bradshaw
  2. Japonisme – Erin Niimi Longhurst
  3. Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life – Hector Garcia & Francesc Miralles
  4. The Storytelling Animal – Jonathan Gottschall
  5. The Miracle Morning for Parents and Families: How to Bring Out the Best in Your KIDS and Your SELF – Hal Elrod
  6. The Art of Making Memories – Meik Wiking
  7. The Little Book of Hygge – Meik Wiking
  8. Travel with Children – Lonely Planet

These are the books I personally enjoyed reading and highly recommend.

Please let me know if you have any other suggestions and recommendations.

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