My Story – Overcoming, Empowerment, and the Path to Art
Lena Snow is a contemporary fine artist based in Germany whose work is deeply rooted in personal experience and resilience. From a childhood marked by trauma and violence, she forged a path to self-reliance, empowerment, and artistic expression. Her paintings, often featuring vivid color, mythic symbolism, and female figures, reflect themes of solitude, inner strength, and the beauty of the natural and cosmic world. Through her art, Lena transforms personal struggle into creativity, offering a message of liberation and connection. Her story is one of survival, self-discovery, and the relentless pursuit of a life guided by art and authenticity.
Q&A: Getting to Know Lena Snow
Q: Why did you decide to become an artist?
A: Art has always been an essential part of my life, a lifeline during my most difficult years. I grew up in a violent and oppressive household and faced numerous personal hardships. Creativity became a survival tool, a way to process pain, and ultimately, a path to freedom. Everything I tried before felt unfulfilling, but through art I found purpose, self-expression, and a sense of true connection with myself. Art is my love, my companion, and my most authentic way to communicate with the world.
Q: How does your personal history influence your work?
A: My childhood experiences and the violence I endured deeply shaped who I am and the art I create. I learned early on to rely on myself and to seek strength in solitude. Loneliness and self-reliance are central themes in my work, as is the transformation of pain into beauty. Endometriosis has also influenced my perception of my own body, womanhood, and vulnerability, which informs the way I portray female figures: strong, sensual, and empowered despite adversity.
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Q: When did you start painting professionally?
A: I have been creative from a very young age. As a child I was inspired by strong female characters in the anime series Sailor Moon and began drawing them obsessively. By the age of eighteen, I had my first online gallery for my photography and art. Painting became especially vital during moments of personal crisis, including the start of the pandemic, when my career as a teacher collapsed and I was navigating a difficult relationship. These experiences intensified my need to create, and I realized that art was not only a refuge but also my true calling.
Q: How did you manage to pursue education and independence despite challenges?
A: I financed my education mostly on my own, supported only in part by my grandmother. My mother was often unsupportive and tried to prevent me from pursuing higher education. Despite these obstacles, I completed a master’s degree and a teaching qualification, often feeling isolated and self-reliant. The discipline and determination I developed during this time still influence how I approach my art and my life.
Q: How would you describe yourself as a person?
A: I am loyal, deeply analytical, and value authenticity. I thrive in meaningful connections and avoid superficial interactions. I can appear cheerful and positive to others even when I am struggling internally. I care about making decisions that benefit both myself and those closest to me, and I seek harmony in my life, although conflict can be challenging for me.
Q: What emotions or ideas do you aim to convey through your art?
A: I aim to convey sensuality, empowerment, solitude, and the emotional intensity of human experience. My women are at once strong, liberated, and deeply connected to nature and the cosmos. The use of color, particularly red and pink, communicates the spectrum of human emotion from pain to love. I want my art to express freedom, self-awareness, and the profound energy that comes from surviving hardship.
Q: How do you define artistic freedom and its importance to you?
A: Artistic freedom is inseparable from the personal freedom I fought to claim in my own life. It allows me to explore themes that are sometimes taboo, including female nudity, as a symbol of liberation. I see my work as a voice for women everywhere who cannot express themselves freely. Freedom in my art is both a personal victory and a way to empower others through visual storytelling.
Q: What is your daily routine as an artist?
A: My day begins with coffee and work on my projects, including my magazine, Goddessarts. I dedicate time to painting, often in the afternoon or evening. Nature is vital to my process, so I spend at least a couple of hours outside to absorb color, light, and energy. Music is an integral part of creating, guiding my emotions and helping ideas flow onto paper. My process is intuitive, combining sketches, digital planning, and precise acrylic work on paper.
Q: What experiences or influences shaped your style?
A: I am inspired by nature, personal emotion, mythology, literature, film, and other artists, such as the Preraphaelites, Jean Delville, and contemporary photographers like Robert Mapplethorpe. My work blends figurative surrealism with elements of expressionism and impressionism. Each piece is unique, with a focus on color, harmony, and the interaction between figure and environment. I often work on paper to capture a softer, more sensual touch, emphasizing precision and emotional depth.
You founded Goddessarts Magazine in 2001. What inspired you to start it and what role does it play in your life?
A: I founded Goddessarts Magazine to create a platform that especially highlights women and feminine art, while remaining inclusive and open to everyone. My goal was to connect with artists worldwide and showcase diverse perspectives that often go unnoticed. Over the years, the magazine has allowed me to form genuine connections and get to know incredible artists who have deeply touched and motivated me. Being the founder and editor gives me the freedom to curate content that reflects my artistic vision and values. It has become a space where creativity, community, and inspiration intersect, and it continues to influence and enrich my own artistic practice.
Q: Looking back on your journey, what message or feeling do you hope people take away from your art and your story?
A: I hope people feel the power of resilience, self-reliance, and empowerment through my work. My art reflects solitude, survival, and the journey of becoming fully oneself despite trauma and hardships. I want viewers to sense the strength, sensuality, and freedom in my paintings and to be inspired to embrace their own path, trust their instincts, and connect deeply with themselves. At the same time, I hope they feel the beauty and sacredness of the feminine, the mystical, and the natural world. My story and my art are inseparable, and I want them to resonate as a reminder that even in pain and struggle, creation, connection, and liberation are possible.
