THE BRAVE WOMAN ANDRIJANA MACIEV!

THE ARTS

THE BRAVE WOMAN ANDRIJANA MACIEV!

By MAYA APOSTOLOSKA

I grow old like wine. This morning I saw my wrinkles and I almost panicked. I should forget the wine after the holidays but now I am grateful that I learned how to take care, not of wrinkles only. This life is too short, and we should be grateful we are healthy, that we are not tied to the bed and that we find a way to fill the day with joy and pleasure instead of feeling the wrinkles with filters and silicone only.

There are no beautiful or ugly women. Beauty is subjective, individual, and often selfish. Accessories do not make a woman beautiful, but her environment, partner and family are the ones who define how a woman shines! The process of beautifying with makeup, hairstyle, jewellery, following the latest trend or original personal style of clothes makes every woman being dazzling and beautiful. But women’s smile is all that is enough for beauty.

´Every line is the perfect length if you do not measure it. ´ said Marty Rubin. Every woman is a perfect and unique endless line of love. And every silhouette is perfect as long as it is measured in units of respect. The goal for each of us should be health, not someone else’s approval and denial. The only person to whom you are responsible for your own measures is you. Change what you do not like about yourself, but from the inside, not only aesthetically. We often forget that as we measure our body, we take it away from our soul. Your value is in measures that are not visible to the naked eye, and you are exactly what you want and dream to be.

No means no. Yes, means yes. Anytime, for any topic and any situation. For women, for men, for everyone. We seek peace with weapons in hand. Alan Watts says that the loudest advocates for peace are those who wage the greatest wars. There is a lack of elementary culture, primary education with one and only goal - raising the awareness of the majority.

It is difficult to flourish in a rotten society, but even the strongest rot will not overshadow the magic of the beauty that is born! With uniqueness, ideology and quality goal, fight for your own rights, no matter where you are, how you look, how you are dressed! That’s why all you women who do not give up no matter how difficult the conditions around you are-give yourself time, understanding and care of the soul, from the inside out, there is no other way. Every woman is a Wonder Woman, and every woman deserves love.

Every person should find a unique way to get motivated to get up and continue the war every morning instead of succumbing to anxiety and pain; with the one and only enemy of each of us - our own I … Therefore, whenever you get stuck with yourself and this period does not take you all, remember what it is that you want for yourself and what is the price you are willing to pay to get it. If you follow the middle line of lower resistance, you will live an average life. If you are ready to cross the safe border, even with just one single step, prepare to be shaken by this life, prepare for beauties followed by tears, difficulties accompanied by love and a life worth two. Promise yourself positive changes and you will find what makes you happy, turning that into a career. Find what motivates you to be better and turn it into a hobby. You are the centre of your life.

Your opinion of me does not define me as a person. Your reaction to my life is just your problem. My life, my happiness and my visual display is only my responsibility. I make my own decisions, I fall, and I get up again, I am happy or sad alone, and my invisible crown is only mine to correct, take out or tilt to the left. I am here to create with you, not to destroy. Every woman is a queen, every woman has the power to change the whole damn world - if she wants to. And I mean to all women who are not afraid to live. Such a brave and loving woman is Andrijana Maciev. She is a true hero, passioned artist and an amazing mother of Stefanija.

Decorative walls in various colours and themes cross all those who enter the Oncology Clinic in Skopje, Macedonia. Two years ago, Andrijana and couple of young artists humanitarians made the murals to encourage the ones who were diagnosed with cancer. Andrijana included the quote of Louise Hay: “I love and approve of myself” without knowing that two years later she herself would enter the Clinic and read these words as a patient.

Andrijana Maciev was born in 1980 in Skopje, Macedonia. She is a beautiful young lady, mother and successful artist. Andrijana graduated from the High School of Arts and the Faculty of Fine Arts, Department of Graphics with Graphic Design. Andrijana is a member of DLUM and a Wide path from Zemun. Exhibits actively for more than 10 years. She exposed more than 30 solo exhibitions, and many group exhibitions in Macedonia and abroad. The participant in art colonies and art happenings. She has won many prestigious Awards: Dragutin Avramovski Gute for graphics, Chameleon France for the young artist, Award of the University Library St. Kliment Ohridski from Skopje etc.

What is sufficient for your art?

In the art scene, I have been active for over 10 years. I have realized about 30 independent exhibitions in Macedonia, America, Serbia, Bulgaria, as well as many group exhibitions around the world. I am taking part in many art colonies and art happenings. I am a winner for some of the most important prizes for me, as from the foundation Dragutin Avramovski Gute for graphics, For a young author in Shamelier, France, prize from the university library Sv Kliment Ohridski from Skopje. And many other acknowledgments have been made with their share.

My art is characterized by the hard expressionist expressions, colorations of the colours, the energy of the brush movement, extremely sensibility. Abstract forms that associate life, joy, excitement. Art is a great privilege that only certain licenses possess, and I am lucky that I am one of them, defend.

What gives you the most joy in life?

I am a person who constantly brings with me the joy of life. And I look forward to the small and big gifts that life gives us. I can say for myself that I am a realized woman who has a lot of experience for her age. 21-year-old daughter, painting career, many friends and colleagues. Travel and socialize with different cultures. A lover and supporter of animal rights. I want nature, I want sports, I want to upgrade myself, so I invest so much in training for licensed growth and development. When I would make a retrospective for my life, I was really lucky!

In order to be happy and joyful, you don’t need much, you need to not feel sorry for yourself, to respect yourself and to look for love in yourself, not in the outside world! To accept yourself as God created you and to thank him for every new day, for every challenge, for every temptation.

What makes you brave?

I honestly did not realize how brave I was until I found out my diagnosis, which was announced to me 6 months ago. I think that in life there is courage through all the previous challenges that I have gone through, but this was a specific moment when you really need to feel the courage from the bottom of your soul, to face it and to continue on. I have been brave in many cases, but when you are personally affected, it is something else, and on the other hand, you are not alone, and you have someone to live for. I draw courage from my family, my mother and daughter, I realize how brave a man must be to endure the challenge.

My mother had the biggest burden, I knew she had to be brave and strong, I knew it was very difficult for her to look at me in that condition, on the days when I couldn’t move from bed. On the other hand, my daughter, a young girl with her visions and goals, tries not to show weakness in front of me, and I know that there are days when you cry and pray for my health. Imagine how brave they needed to be, to stay sober, to smile, to take on all the responsibilities, and on the other hand to watch me deal with pain, pain, even when I had days when I collapsed. They were my brave women who constantly encouraged me, gave me strength and hope to stay on my feet.

4. You are saying: “I don’t think of cancer as a disease but as a state of the mind, the spirit and the body”. Would you like please explain this to us?

Whoever hears the word cancer, always thinks of death. The fear of ruling with us is beginning. This happens because I think cancer is not talked about openly, it is still taboo. People who are directly affected sometimes face great challenges, such as being sick, and even friends, relatives, employers reject them. People are afraid to think about it because they are thinking that with it, they will escape from that “disease”! When we hear that someone has cancer, we think that it is far from us! And I was one of those who were afraid, and I was not aware, with the mere communication of the diagnosis I thought it was over!

It was so scary, breast cancer with bone metastases, black drop, the pain you can’t breathe, numbness, exhaustion, and to get to the hospital you’re in a wheelchair! Nights without sleep, tears, no going out ... After a few days, I looked at myself and faced myself, I accepted the situation and said to myself, I’m going back! Nothing is stronger than me than my mind! Cancer does not come to consciousness, does not return to our being, let us turn completely towards ourselves. To be born again this time with all our strength to live the life that is not a gift from God! The power is in each of us, for every day, for every moment to thank God, to rejoice in the smallest things and to appreciate our own life. When a man is healthy, happy, fulfilled, there is no place in his life for unimportant things, for sadness, for pain, for any things that do not serve him.

What have you learned after you were diagnosed with cancer?

I am happy and grateful that my mind remained healthy in this state as well! I learned what my priority is, ME! Learning to want exactly what I am now, created by God, I accepted the condition of cancer, I faced fear! For the choice, we personally choose, health, happiness, love, relationships, career, etc. In order to be healthy and whole, we need to know how to set healthy boundaries when, where and how. To work on our mental mind to be healthy and whole, to upgrade it with life energy. Having learned that when you smile at his life and he will smile at you with a wide smile, he will open the gates for you more and more and will rush to you in abundance. Life is a struggle or God gives them the greatest battles of the brave, but I still do not “fight” with life, I live with open cities, and one day I will tell in detail my story about the society with cancer.

Does cancer affect you to create art?

I am basically a dynamic person. I make my works with action, I want to move around them, to be able to manoeuvre with the canvas, sometimes I work and more canvases at once. It is as if this action plan of mine was blocked due to the pain, the numbness of the body, I was literally unable to sit or stand. As the time passed after each therapy, I felt better, the pain stopped, I set myself the task of painting every moment when I can, as much as I have the opportunity. I am slowly preparing my new exhibition, which this year should be a triumph of my new life and my small jubilee of 10 years, which was supposed to happen last year, but due to the pandemic and my health condition was postponed.

How do you connect the family and the colours in your drawings?

The family and the environment are very important in the process of exclusion, exclusion. I and my mother, who is the trainer for the license case, develop long years, every day we spend time talking about new acquaintances, working on methods for healing, posting quotes and being upgraded in that area. My mother and my daughter are my biggest supporters! They were constantly with me during this period. As I did not have the opportunity to complete my obligations, my mother posted me with materials for work, canvas, colours. They are also my biggest critics. I don’t have a complex of whether someone likes my work or not. I always accept criticism, and in public, I choose to choose what suits my heart. Being we are not a small artistic family, each in its own way contributes to the creativity of life. Together we paint the plates of life with the sweetest colours so that we can say bravely, boldly, with understanding, love, faith, to create in the present to live for the future!

Where can the human people buy your art and help you in the further healing process?

I really want to thank my colleagues, artists, they organized and formed a group on Facebook Artists for Andrijana Maciev (https://m.facebook.com/Umetnicite-za-Andrijana- Maciev-555871665333908/), here are many works by all famous authors in Macedonia, each purchased work is a donation for me, as this is a long process of strengthening the body, strengthening the immune system and contributing to better health. My works can be seen on social networks such as Fb, Instagram, and the development of a website. My galleries in which stores the works are exhibited, as well as on their official pages on FB and Instagram. Anyone who wants to buy my work can contact me, contact my e-mail macievandrijana@gmail.com

Instagram @macievandrijana www.instagram.com/macievandrijana

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/andrijana.maciev.1

https://m.facebook.com/Umetnicite-za-Andrijana- Maciev-555871665333908

Arte gallerija https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009265252925

www.facebook.com/ARTEgalerija.mk

In the end, dear readers, Warhol was right, in the future, everyone will be famous in 15 minutes. I’m very sorry that the mass values have shifted and the currency for success is measured in like, follow or comment. None of us has extra time. None of us has a second life. And none of us will remember the like, follow, comment. We remember the parties, the shared moments together, making love, travelling, new cultures, new religions, new food. The measure of success is a personal experience, not internet voyeurism and fleeting finances. I know for myself that if I do not wake up tomorrow, I will not be sorry. And you?

From a woman to women with love, Maya

67 | eYs Magazine, Autumn 2021