One Rose. Six Women. Endless Interpretations
When I invited six women to our first creative workshop at The Hidden Gem, I had prepared a simple idea: a rose inspired by traditional Bulgarian motifs, a small glass canvas, and just a handful of pigments.
White, red, and yellow for the flower. Green for the stem and leaves.
The design was intentionally simple. No previous artistic experience was required, and everyone would begin with the same template.
I thought I knew what to expect.
I couldn't have been more surprised.
One starting point. Six creative voices.
As the workshop began, something wonderful happened.
The women started experimenting. Some changed the colors, others reimagined the composition, and some moved so far beyond the original template that their roses became entirely new designs.
Before long, the table was covered with little glass creations, each one different from the next.
What fascinated me wasn't simply the variety. It was how naturally everyone began to express herself once she realized there was no single correct result.
The template had given them a place to begin, but it hadn't limited where they could go.
And suddenly, a few square inches of glass became a space for imagination, freedom, and personal expression.
You don't need to know how to draw to be creative.
One of the things I often hear when inviting people to an art workshop is, "But I can't draw!"
I understand that feeling. Drawing is not my own preferred way of expressing ideas either.
But creativity is so much bigger than drawing.
It can happen through glass, clay, textiles, movement, sound, or countless other materials and processes.
And it doesn't always begin with a clear vision of what we want to make.
Sometimes it begins with curiosity. With choosing a color, moving a shape, or simply wondering, "What happens if I try this?"
The beauty of working with glass is that the material itself becomes part of the discovery.
You don't have to reproduce something perfectly. You can experiment, change direction, and allow unexpected results to become part of your creation.
There is no need to prove that you are an artist.
You only need to give yourself permission to create.
The quiet power of active meditation
After many years of working with glass, I have come to recognize something deeply personal about the creative process.
For me, making art is a form of active meditation.
My hands are busy. My body is moving. I am making decisions about colors, shapes, and materials. Yet within that activity, my mind often becomes surprisingly quiet.
Everyday distractions begin to fade. Ideas emerge. Sometimes I discover a new perspective on something that has been occupying my thoughts for a long time.
There is a particular freedom in becoming completely absorbed in creating.
And I believe that even a brief encounter with this process can offer something meaningful.
Not necessarily a profound revelation. Sometimes simply the pleasure of being fully present, without worrying about doing everything correctly.
At our first workshop, I watched six women gradually immerse themselves in that experience.
They weren't thinking about whether they were talented enough.
They were simply creating.
And the more they created, the more freely their ideas seemed to flow.
Perhaps this is one of the most beautiful aspects of making art:
In the process of transforming a material, something within us may begin to shift as well.
When creativity brings people together
There was another discovery that evening, one that mattered just as much to me.
Although I knew all six women through my dance classes, most of them barely knew one another.
I had wondered how naturally the conversation would develop.
So I arranged the workshop around a shared creative space rather than six separate workstations.
While one woman worked with the materials, the others could gather around, observe, exchange ideas, and talk. Then someone else would take her turn.
I wanted the experience to bring people together without making conversation feel obligatory.
And that is exactly what happened.
The women moved naturally around the table, sometimes gathering in pairs or small groups, sometimes watching one another's work, sometimes sharing ideas and laughter.
At a certain point, I realized the evening had developed a rhythm of its own.
I was there to introduce the materials and guide the glassmaking process, but I no longer needed to guide the atmosphere.
They had created it themselves.
It reminded me that meaningful connections don't always begin with introductions or carefully planned conversations.
Sometimes they begin with a shared curiosity, a simple creative task, and the freedom to enjoy a moment together.
More than something to take home
Of course, at the end of a glass workshop, everyone has something tangible to look forward to: a piece of glass art they have designed themselves.
But that isn't the whole purpose.
Beautiful glass objects can be purchased in a gallery or a shop.
The experience of creating one is something entirely different.
It carries the memory of the choices you made, the discoveries you encountered, and the people who shared those moments with you.
The finished piece becomes a reminder of something much larger than the object itself.
For me, that is what makes these workshops special.
Not simply learning a technique, but experiencing art from the inside.
A new chapter for The Hidden Gem
The Hidden Gem is an intimate gallery connected to City Glass Studio, our working glass atelier in Sofia.
It is a space surrounded by art, materials, experiments, and the everyday reality of making things by hand.
I have always wanted it to be more than a place where finished artworks are displayed.
I wanted people to experience some of the curiosity, discovery, and creative energy that exist behind those finished pieces.
Our first workshop was a beautiful beginning.
We are now welcoming guests to small-group glass workshops on selected Saturdays, as well as creative experiences for private groups, friends, colleagues, and corporate teams by arrangement.
More formats and opportunities to explore glass will follow.
But whatever we create next, I hope we preserve the spirit of that first gathering.
The freedom to experiment. The joy of discovering something unexpected. The conversations that happen naturally when people create together.
And perhaps, along the way, the opportunity to discover something new about ourselves.
Because art is not only something we look at. Sometimes, it is something we need to experience.
Experience Art from the Inside.
The Hidden Gem by City Glass Studio
Sofia, Bulgaria