Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Martina Sestakova. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Martina, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

One of the most meaningful experiences of my life has been having an art exhibition in July 2025 with three of my students. I teach art at a variety of retirement communities in the DMV area and at one of them, I have worked with three women for years. They come to every class and we have gotten to know each other as artists and people. I organized a group show of my artworks and their creations. It was unbelievably meaningful. I am 44 and they were, at the time of the exhibition, 92, 96, and 101. Absolutely amazing women! The gallery looked beautiful and the reception was packed. I was so pleased to see these women chatting with the visitors. And, they all sold work! It was such an energizing experience. Currently, I am planning an exhibition with another student for April 2026.

Martina, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Martina Sestakova and I am a painter, wearable art designer, and art educator. I focus on three different areas of interest, but they all related beautifully to each other in my experience and career. First, I paint – I have created three bodies of work using different sources of inspiration and mediums. It’s a lot of fun to switch between them and to have a wide variety of creations. Second, I use some of my artworks in textile design: I use my artwork as basis for fabric patterns. I have a collection of infinity scarves that are sold at stores and museum shops. And third, I enjoy leading workshops that highlight art and art history. I work at several retirement communities in my area and it’s such a pleasure to work with the residents. The name of my company is RADOST, the Czech word for JOY. I am proud of all of my creations and all of the lovely experiences I have had in the 10 years I have been running my business. I enjoy being with people and learning from them and find that art and creativity can bring us together in such meaningful ways.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

This is such an interesting question. I guess the answer is twofold for me. First, I create for myself and the primary goal is to see what’s inside of my mind, heart, and body. I come from a long tradition of farmers and thus painting and selling scarves has no particular connection to my ancestry. As such, I find it fascinating what comes out of my hands as they glide over the canvas. This is not in a self-center way, rather it’s fun to allow myself to create and to learn from my intuition. Second, it has come to my attention in recent years, that it is really important that older individuals who are creatives don’t just disappear from the public domain. I work at several retirement communities as art instructor. Sometimes, while the life there is comfy, it is also a private life. For instance, an artist at a retirement community may have limited opportunities to exhibit. Thus, one of my missions is to hold public exhibitions where I share the space with one or more of my students. It’s always so meaningful and lovely.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

A big part of my creative journey has been guided by what interests me as a person but I also found out that I would often be drawn to new ideas. At one point, I was making about 7 different products (all of them time-consuming). The idea was to appeal to a larger audience but to tell the truth, it was exhausting. The initial excitement wore of and then I was just stuck with creations that kind of distracted from what I wanted to work on in a serious manner. So, the lesson – and what I follow now – is simplicity. I am focusing on fewer activities but doing them well. And, it has really helped me go through my day with more clarity and focus.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.radostbymartinasestakova.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/radostbymartinasestakova/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/radostbymartinasestakova
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martina-sestakova

Image Credits

Image credits: Martina Sestakova