We were lucky to catch up with Irina Pushkareva recently and have shared our conversation below.

Irina, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

I’ve taken many risks in my life! But all of them were intuitive and mindful. The biggest risk I’ve taken was to step away from my “9 to 5” job in the gallery and start to create and sell my art. It was very uncomfortable for me to do. I was scared. But I felt that it was the right move. I just felt it, and then I made a plan and started to work for myself. It worked out great! I am still working hard, but that’s what it takes to pursue one’s dreams.

Irina, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I began drawing and painting at the age of 1,5. Basically as soon as I learned how to hold a pen. But, for most of my teenage years I thought I would be a surgeon, and I would just paint and draw in my free time. At the age of 15 things changed. I came in the US, and I was in a boarding school. I didn’t speak English very well, so I found myself a company of Russian speaking girls. The environment in this group was “toxic,” with a lot of bullying and stubbing each other in the backs. So one evening when we were having dinner in the dorm, I looked at all the people at the table and I realized that these people were not my friends. I had a choice to stay with them and basically suffer. Or, I could be by myself, but be in peace. I was scared to be alone because I had no other friends, and I didn’t speak English. Despite that I decided to disconnect from these people. I was alone, and I asked myself: “What makes me happy?” I needed some happiness in my life! And it was painting and drawing, so I started to work very hard in my art class. After 2 weeks I was given 2nd art class, which I didn’t attend physically, but I was doing all the art projects for it. Now, I had double the work, and I was creating day and night. It definitely brought me peace. Two months passed, and one of my drawings was accepted for the exhibition in the Boca Raton Museum of Art. I remember standing next to this drawing that was beautifully framed and hanged on a wall. People were coming to it, and it made them feel better. They smiled and said a lot of good things about it. I didn’t know that my art can awake such wonderful feelings in people. That’s when I realized that I wanted to be a full-time artist. By the way, this drawing was sent to Washington DC and was exhibited in the Capitol building. It never came back to me though, because it was stolen.

Now, I create highly stylized oil paintings of wild animals that are thriving in their natural environment. Watching wild animals in nature was scientifically proven to bring joy, awe, and serenity to one’s mind. We, people, often act on emotions based on whatever feels good in the moment. This way we break relationships, start conflicts, and create chaos in out lives. But when we are in peace, our rational thinking turns on. Our emotions no longer direct how we act. We control them, and we do what is reasonable for us and other people in the moment. I wish to empower people to make more rational decisions in their lives by bringing them joy and serenity of nature through my art. When we decide how to react based on our rational minds instead of our emotions, we can really build our lives the way we want them to be. It’s the only way how we can experience all the wonders of this world.

In February 2022, I became the master of the numerical psychology Suisai. Date of birth of every person is the code to his/her soul, and by looking at it I can see why this person loses opportunities in life, faces similar criseses, breaks relationships, wastes his/her energy, and I can see how the soul of this person is being realized and what’s his/her purpose. Suisai does not predict the future, and it has nothing to do with any esoteric knowledge.
For example:
1. People born on the 2, 11, 20, and 29 days suffer that they can’t understand and they are not understood,
2. born on the 3, 12, 23, and 30 days suffer that everything is unfair,
3. born on the 4, 13, 22, and 31 days suffer because of the lack of justice and honesty,
4. born on the 5, 14, and 23 days that everything and everyone is not right and logical,
5. born on the 6, 15, and 24, because of the lack of comfort and love,
6. born on the 7, 16, and 25 because of the lack of spirituality and recognition of oneself,
7. born on the 8, 17, and 26 because of the lack of results in the material work,
8, born on the 9, 18, and 27 because everything and everyone are so unfair towards this person, and
9. born on the 1, 10, 19 and 28 suffer from their own egoism.
Suisai gives each person an “individual plan, a map” how to end this suffering and come to the true happiness and full realization in life.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

There is no magic in this world. As a child I was told that artists get magically discovered by agents, galleries,..etc. That’s the only way. In reality, yes, it happens to a few, but it’s hard work, consistency, and patience that will get you where you want to be. People often see the success of others, and they get jealous. But they are jealous to the result, not to the journey that took the person to achieve that result.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

It happened when I became a master of Suisai. I understood the energies I was born with, why I acted certain way, why I faced similar criseses over and over again, what are my weak and strong characteristics. I started to work with my energies to achieve great results in life with less stress and more happiness instead. I doubled my income in 1,5 months. I tried to do that for the whole year and I could not. Suisai brought me clarity, gave me the understanding of this life, and everything just started to fall together perfectly.

Contact Info:

• Website: ipushkareva.com
• Instagram: @ipushkareva_art
• Other: For Suisai only – IG: @irina_pushkareva_usa