Daily Inspiration: Meet Zuzana Szokeova

Today we’d like to introduce you to Zuzana Szokeova.

Hi Zuzana, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I think my journey has always been about trying to understand both beauty and human connection.

I started painting when I was around three years old, and creativity became part of my identity very early on. Growing up in Slovakia, I was constantly making things with my hands, painting, drawing, experimenting with textures and materials, and finding ways to express emotions visually before I even fully understood them myself. Art never felt separate from life to me. It was how I processed the world.

Living in Madrid later became one of the most transformative chapters of my life. There was something magnetic about the energy there. The architecture, fashion, art, music, late nights, passion, and emotion completely expanded the way I saw creativity and self-expression. Madrid taught me that experiences themselves can feel like art. That influence still lives in everything I create today, from my artwork to the environments and experiences I design.

While remaining deeply devoted to my art throughout my life, I also pursued a Master’s degree in Economics alongside my studies in digital marketing, driven by a curiosity about human behavior, emotion, and connection. That path eventually led me into the entertainment and digital industry, where I built a career working with companies like Hulu, 20th Century Studios, The Walt Disney Company, and Activision. Working within those creative environments gave me a deeper understanding of storytelling, immersive experiences, and how visuals, sound, and atmosphere can shape the way people feel and emotionally connect to the world around them.

The most authentic version of myself exists where those worlds intersected. That realization became SZOK Art, my multidisciplinary art practice focused on layered mixed-media works created with resin, wax, alcohol ink, and other textured materials. A lot of my work explores contrasts that exist within all of us: softness and strength, chaos and control, fragility and resilience.

My creativity has never been limited to one medium, which is why my work naturally expanded far beyond traditional painting. In addition to creating mixed-media artwork, I also work with macramé, handmade coasters, jewelry design, murals, costume creation, body art, and special effects makeup. I’ve always been drawn to texture, transformation, and storytelling through visual detail, whether it’s on a canvas, a wall, the human body, or within wearable art. Exploring different artistic forms allows me to constantly evolve creatively and approach each project with a fresh perspective. For me, all of these mediums are connected through the same purpose: creating emotion, atmosphere, and immersive experiences that leave a lasting impression.

Over time, my work naturally evolved beyond traditional art into immersive wellness experiences through Wellness Atelier LA. I became deeply interested in creating spaces that not only look beautiful, but actually change the emotional energy people carry when they enter them. Combining sound baths, creativity, art, and community felt like a natural extension of everything I had been building throughout my life.

Working in the entertainment industry also gave me the opportunity to meet incredibly inspiring creative minds who further shaped the way I view art and storytelling. Through my work, I was exposed to worlds built around imagination, cinematic detail, and immersive experiences, and had the chance to encounter artists, filmmakers, actors, and creators connected to projects such as The Shape of Water, Avatar, Predator, Bohemian Rhapsody, and productions connected to Frankenstein-inspired storytelling. Meeting visionary creators like Guillermo del Toro and seeing the level of artistry, craftsmanship, and emotional depth behind these productions deeply inspired my own creativity. It expanded the way I think about atmosphere, transformation, fantasy, visual storytelling, and the emotional power that art and immersive experiences can have on people.

Looking back now, every chapter makes sense. The little girl painting in Slovakia, the years living in Madrid, the corporate entertainment world in Los Angeles, the art, the wellness experiences, all of it has been connected by one thing. A desire to create experiences that make people feel inspired, grounded, emotionally connected, and fully present.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It definitely has not been a smooth road, but I think a lot of growth comes from learning how to navigate uncertainty and reinvent yourself. One of the biggest challenges was balancing the structured corporate world with my creative identity. For a long time, I felt like I was living between two very different worlds. On one side, I was building a career in analytics, entertainment, and technology (even getting a Certificate in Applied Data Science at MIT with a focus on leveraging AI for effective decision-making) and on the other side I was deeply devoted to art and creativity. It took time to realize that I did not have to choose one version of myself over the other.

Another challenge was having the courage to fully step into my artistic voice and build something of my own. Creative careers can feel very vulnerable because you are sharing pieces of yourself with the world, and there is no guaranteed path.

At the same time, those experiences became fuel for my work. A lot of my art is inspired by transformation, resilience, emotional depth, and the tension between chaos and beauty. Looking back now, I think the struggles helped shape not only my artistic style, but also the way I connect with people and create experiences through both SZOK Art and Wellness Atelier LA.
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I also think being multidisciplinary came with its own challenges. When you do many creative things, people often try to put you into one category, but I have learned to embrace being multidimensional. Whether it is painting, immersive wellness experiences, special effects makeup, murals, body art, or design, all of those creative forms are connected for me. They are simply different ways of telling stories and creating emotion.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My work exists at the intersection of art, wellness, and immersive experiences. Through SZOK Art, beyond painting, my creative work also extends into murals, body art, special effects makeup, jewelry, macramé, costumes, and other experiential artistic forms.

At the same time, I founded Wellness Atelier LA as a way to combine creativity with wellness and human connection. Through sound baths, paint and sip experiences, immersive wellness events, and community gatherings, my goal is to create environments where people can slow down, reconnect with themselves, and experience creativity in a healing and meaningful way. I became fascinated by the idea that art is not only something you look at, but something that can positively affect how you feel emotionally, mentally, and energetically.

What sets my work apart is that I approach creativity from multiple dimensions at once. My background in entertainment, analytics, immersive storytelling, and visual arts allows me to think beyond traditional artwork and focus on the entire experience surrounding it. I care deeply about how people feel when they enter a space, interact with an artwork, attend a sound bath, or participate in one of our creative experiences.

What I am most proud of is building something authentic that reflects all parts of who I am instead of limiting myself to one category. I think we live in a world where people often feel pressured to choose one identity, but I have learned to embrace being multidimensional. Whether through art, wellness, immersive events, or creative experiences, my purpose is ultimately the same: creating moments that inspire people, help them reconnect with themselves, and leave a lasting emotional impact.

I also express my creativity through movement and performance. Over the years, I have performed Tahitian dance and flamenco at events and venues including the Santa Monica Paddleboard Championship, Rose Parade, KTLA 5, The Ford, and Sammy Hagar’s High Tide Beach Party & Car Show. Dance has been another extension of my artistic expression and connection to emotion, rhythm, storytelling, and culture. I have a deep love for Argentine tango, which I admire for its passion, elegance, emotional connection, and the unspoken communication that exists through movement and music.

Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is the power of proximity. Surround yourself with people who inspire you, challenge you, and genuinely align with the type of life, creativity, and mindset you want to build. The environments and people around you influence your confidence, opportunities, energy, and even the way you see yourself more than most people realize.

I also think it’s important not to limit yourself to one identity or one path. Some of the most meaningful opportunities in my life came from combining different parts of myself instead of trying to fit into one category. Your unique perspective often comes from the intersection of your experiences, not from being identical to everyone else in your industry.

And finally, protect your energy and your vision. Not everyone will understand where you’re going while you’re building it. Sometimes people only recognize the value of something after it already exists. Keep learning, stay curious, and keep putting yourself into rooms, communities, and experiences that expand your thinking. A lot of opportunities come simply from proximity, relationships, and consistently showing up as your authentic self.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.szok.art, www.wellnessatelierla.com, https://wellness-atelier-sip-paint.lovable.app,
• Instagram: @zuzanaszokeova_art, @wellnessatelierla
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/zuzanaszokeova

Image Credits
Alevtina Kalashnik