ONE DAY…

We are used to think that housewives have a boring and monotonous life full of mundane jobs in the kitchen and hassle with home-folks. Just a bunch of routine works every day. Women often tend to lose temper soon building up into tears, hysterical outburst, dissatisfaction with themselves and their husbands, which is one of the main reasons of frequent divorces. Is it really so hard to solve the problem?

Gunay Isayeva was not much different from her peers: she was well-educated, married at 18 and became a mother with many children. This young and pretty woman is a paediatrician and a mother of two adult sons and an underage daughter. But she could hardly have imagined that in her forties she would suddenly discover an artist in herself. Impulsive flush of enthusiasm, a bright reminiscence of the childhood… As if Gunay the girl had suddenly realised that it was time to replace pencils and ballpoint pens with paints, and the paper album with something more complex to draw on. One day she took the paints, put the primer on the surface of the plate, and drew…

Something interesting

The burning Sun with a glittering and turbulent corona on the left edge of the plate, and flashes of a red-orange clot of energy on the right side. Reflection of what she felt at that moment—emotions and dissatisfaction with herself. It seemed that life had been passing by leaving her nothing to do! The children grew up, yet Gunay wanted to be interesting to them. She showed the picture to her husband and the children. They liked it! Even more—to her great amazement, they offered support. Gunay's husband told her that she could engage in painting more seriously, because what she did looked interesting. That's how she started painting on ceramic surfaces, including plates, pots, cups... Her head was teeming with ideas coming from some special place—the space of Beauty and artistic Ideas.

Yet more

Then she had an idea to work with glass surfaces, which reacted to paints in a slightly different manner. Actually, that was the main drive behind her interest. The creative drive that triggers bold ideas and makes the artist's hand make gentle, yet confident strokes. Nobody knows how soon Gunay would have decided to change the painting surface were it not for her friend, who asked her to paint on a T-shirt. She was to step into a new stage of artistic development, which was intriguing and provocative. Could she? Would it work? She could. Everything turned out perfectly well.

She painted on T-shirts of the children of her friends and her own daughter. And then a new idea hit her mind—to create clothes and accessories using knitting needles and a hook. That's how she made a bunch of painted T-shirts and knitted handbags for her little daughter and the children of her friends, and then 'evening clutches' for friends, dresses for daughter, etc. Gunay realised that nothing was really impossible. The only thing one needs is to translate the desires into practical action. Just stop dreaming about what you want—just take it and do it!

Oh Nasimi!

Gunay is increasingly interested in drawing portraits. Here is an amazingly beautiful oriental woman looking at us from a plate surface. Here is the T-shirt with a modern-looking girl full of bravery and confidence. And here is Nasimi—the poet who excites the imagination, awakens the thought, and makes one not only think but also feel on more tangible level: "Because in me both earth and heaven and Creation's BE! were found.Be silent! For there is no commentary can encompass me…"

Gunay Isayeva is our contemporary, who lives in Baku and is an example for many of her peers, who can simply 'dream' and complain about absence of time and energy for at least trying to turn their dreams into reality. That's why they often become depressed, losing the meaning of life. In fact, everything is very simple: you just need to start doing what your soul is asking for. At least one needs to try to understand whether he or she is able to make the dreams come true. Gunay tried. What she received in return was simply stunning for a person who has never studied to become a professional artist.

Three years passed

Indeed, it's difficult to watch the works of Gunay without doubting the fact that she neither had taken drawing lessons nor had artists in her family. She started painting just three years ago. Today she has so many works that she can think about a personal exhibition! Perhaps you would say that your day was so full that by the evening you had no energy for materialising the dreams. But that's how Gunay works after 10pm every day, when the family is fed and it's time for some creative fantasies. This is her personal time, her personal space for letting the spiritual harmony enter her soul. Alas, there is no time left for reading, but it is worth it! Her world is filled with colours and a sense of joy, which is the key to family happiness. Now Gunay is following another creative idea, as she is going to turn her next dream into reality. Next year Gunay is going to receive professional training in modelling and design of clothes. That's how she decided to go beyond the limits of her practically successful, yet amateur skills. These are not just words, not just an intention. Gunay will certainly master this, because she believes that a journey of thousand miles begins with a single step. Her bigger dream is to create a special class, and preferably a school for girls, where they can master the skill of being a Woman.

"What does it mean to be a Woman?"

"This means to be an interesting companion for your husband and children, being able to artistically organise your living space at home, having your own passion, knowing world literature and art, several languages, being able to sew, knit, cook, etc. I strongly believe that these skills should be taught as a form of art to preserve the family and family relationships."

"Do you think this dream can come true?"

"I do. I know that such a day will come. I would also like to create a studio for women, where they could fulfil their dreams. Many of them don't even know how to make first steps towards what they have been dreaming about throughout their lives. Apart from various crafts, this place should also have a psychologist, who could 'heal' souls through conversation."

"What do you wish to your children?"

"Like any mother, I wish them happiness, prosperity, and health. I want each of them find their place in life. To my elder son—he is very sober, thoughtful, and prefers a laid-back way of life—I wish harmony in all matters of life. To my youngest son, who is studying architecture in Milan, I wish that he creates architectural masterpieces that will glorify Azerbaijan in the same way as Ziver-bey Ahmedbeyov once did. My daughter is small yet. I wish her good health and happiness together with her mom, dad and brothers."

"What is the most important thing in your life?"

"Harmony."

"???"

"I mean the openness of relations between a person and the world surrounding him—family, and friends, as well as the works that are part of him and his life... If everything is all right in these relations, harmony will follow."

"What does determine the openness of relations?"

"Extreme sincerity. I like this quality in people. It is the guarantor of strong friendships for many years."

"Do not you think sincerity is a rare sort of quality these days?"

"It is. We lack sincerity. I feel that people are hiding behind the politeness of the generally accepted forms of communication for fear of being misunderstood. That's why they are not sincere with each other. Unless their relationship is based on friendship."

"Do you have many friends?"

"Friends never become many. I do not have many friends, but those I have are people whom I can rely on in all circumstances."

"Are your friends from among your schoolmates?"

"Why? I am friends with both women and men."

"They say that friendship between men and women is impossible. Do you think this is a deception?"

"This is a common belief among those who do not have such friends. It is quite possible to be friends with a man without going beyond the line of permissible in the moral sense of the word, of course. Both men and women need friendship. We live in a society. We live among a large number of people in a multi-million megalopolis. And it is clear that we need friendly relations, which, of course, are limited by the circle of communication and common interests."

"So, you think it is important to have a heart-filled conversation sometimes?"

"Of course! Friends are the best therapists for our souls!"

"If you were offered to go on an experimental trip to the moon, would you agree?"

"Without hesitation! Because it is an opportunity to see and learn something new."

"Do you like traveling?"

"Absolutely!"

"Do you prefer, like most Bakuvites, traveling to exotic countries?"

"No, my husband and I have a different approach. We choose routes according to our common interests. We were in Vienna, Austria, and we returned with amazing impressions. We would enjoy a travel to Africa. May be later. But for now, we travel around our country. We have many places where one can relax, exploring the historical and architectural past and present of Azerbaijan."

"I know that you are fascinated by the idea of ​​creating the portrait of Nasimi. I also know that you put in your own ideas about what the philosopher would look like. Do you want other people to see your works? Or maybe you want them buy your works as a tribute to your skills and talent?"

"I have never thought of my works, like my hobby, as a source of income. But when one of my friends asks me to paint something or as a gift to someone, I do it with pleasure. Because the idea that my works live their own life makes me happy. As for the great Nasimi, his image appears to me as if coming from a distant space of thoughts and feelings one can always find in his poetry."

"Imagine that you're a magician who is going to make a present to all the people living in Baku. What would it be?"

"Oh, I would make sure that every person's dream, whatever it may be, comes true. That which would make everyone happy, even for a short period."

"Metropolis radiating happiness! Could you paint such a picture?"

"About collective happiness or the energy of joy? I don't know... I've never thought about that. May be it will someday become a theme for a new story about the beautiful."