Ileana Moro doesn't paint people; she paints what moves through them. The self-taught multidisciplinary artist from Costa Rica, now based in Antwerp, joins us for a conversation about the courage it took to leave architecture and choose the unknown, how she works with invisible forces and what it means to stay long enough with your own darkness to see what lives there. We also explore the fluid edges of creative identity, the alchemical lens she brings to her practice, and how she decides which medium can hold what she's trying to say. A deeply honest conversation for anyone sitting at a threshold of their own. About Ileana Moro Ileana Moro (b. 1992, Costa Rica) is a self-taught multidisciplinary artist of Cuban and Nicaraguan heritage, currently based in Antwerp, Belgium. Her practice explores emotional and psychological landscapes through painting, approaching the canvas as a form of visual diary and reflection on inner life. The absence of human figures in her work does not signify absence of humanity; rather, she paints the emotional weather of being human—the storms, the silences, the twilight moods that pass through all of us. Her canvases can be read as portals to the soul’s inner climate. A spiritual undercurrent runs through her work. Through the interplay of shadow and light, she evokes the liminal spaces where the sacred might enter, creating thresholds that invite viewers into the deeper layers of themselves. Guided by intuition, her process allows spontaneity, fluidity, and the rise of subconscious material, producing works that hover between control and surrender. By honoring mystery rather than explanation, her paintings remain open-ended, emotionally charged, and resonant with the hidden dimensions of life. Website Instagram About me Pascale Côté is a creativity guide, therapeutic arts practitioner, artist, and writer who helps creatives meet, understand, and express themselves by guiding them to work *with* their (creative, complex, unconventional) nature instead of against it. She helps artists, visionaries, disruptors and earth stewards break free from the vortex of overthinking and move forward with their bold, rebellious ideas. Her work challenges conventional norms, inviting creatives to explore what’s possible when they release outdated narratives and embrace their true, authentic expression. Pascale believes that art is a powerful vehicle for both individual and collective change when it’s grounded in truth—created outside the rigid systems that stifle our creative spirit. About the podcast Creative minds are the architects of a new world, and their art holds the keys to reimagining our reality. The challenge is, creative minds often spend just as much time crafting self-limiting narratives as they do creating their art. Dear Creative Mind is a space for creative liberation—a pathway out of the cycle of overthinking, burnout, and stagnation. This podcast is for artists & creative entrepreneurs where Pascale, creativity guide, shares grounding meditations, gentle coaching guidance and heartfelt conversations with inspiring artists. The podcast explores the real challenges that come with being creative—overthinking, self-doubt, burnout—and how to navigate them while staying true to our vision. Get support for your creative mind 1:1 support for creativesNew: email guidanceThe Creative Liberation PortalFree tool: The Creative Confidence ToolkitBook a free clarity callJoin community eventsReceive the monthly prompts on SubstackExplore the full websiteFind me on Instagram A special thank you to Alexandra Moreno for the original music of the podcast.
