Sandy Kirik
INTERVIEW
Founder of Faith Love Hope
DATE: 10 ⁄ 07 ⁄ 2026
EVA & SANDY
“So when the creative block really hits it usually means I just need to accept it and let it sink in. It works magic for me, as I quickly get back to my usual flow.”
STOCKHOLM
YOUR IDEAL WAY TO START YOUR DAY?
Waking up without alarm but with the sunlight instead, slow refreshing shower, not even touching my phone until after breakfast.
WHEN DO YOU FEEL CREATIVELY MOST FULLFILLED?
When I am doing manual work, crafting little things, doing a task in an old-school way. For instance, doing manual research, which often means collecting books, visiting friends and getting stuck in their libraries, spending hours in a magazine store to get most of the content in. Or drawing visual graphic templates by hand, only later creating them in digital version. Anything that can be done with hands, I love doing it, it stimulates my creative brain to work.
HOW DO MOVE THROUGH MENTAL OR CREATIVE BLOCKS?
I used to be quite anxious about them, to be honest, sometimes it still happens. I am guessing it is sort of a FOMO. However with time and experience I have learned that those are also necessary to start moving on again. I started to consider them as a need to rest, reset, and rewire my mind. I often do rather than think.
So when the block really hits it usually means I just need to accept it and let it sink in. It works magic for me, as I quickly get back to my usual flow.
WHAT DOES GROWTH MEAN TO YOU?
Growth means getting better than I was yesterday. Look into the eyes of annoying tasks and learn to be friends with them. We have a saying in Ukraine: “Eat your frog in the morning” which means do the most annoying task first, then your day will be 150% better. Growth means eating those frogs with patience and joy. Tasks we avoid usually resolve most issues we have.
WHAT RESOURCES, TOOLS AND PRACTISES WORK FOR YOU TO SUPPORT YOUR GROWTH?
Challenge myself, that works fantastic. I always set goals that probably seemed impossible for me a few years ago. Obviously many things don’t work out the way I imagine them to, however somehow I get the results I could not even dream about some time ago. Also, getting on a challenge with my team, what can be more fun? What a joy it is when we finally accomplish something we all worked so hard on. Our Faith Love Hope Magazine is the biggest resource of our growth and joy.
HOW HAS YOUR PERSPECTIVE OF SUCCESS CHANGED FROM WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED?
It started to shift with time and experience, as things often tend to do. I used to imagine success as something measured by society. Meaning, if I am building something it needs to get famous, otherwise it is not successful. Right now, I am thinking of success as a complex term, it is deeply personal to everybody. For me it is a recognition of our project by the creatives we admire and draw lots of inspiration from. It is making a true change, growing our conscious community that truly cares about the world, the fashion industry’s true power and resonates with our values. Meeting more and more likeminded people and making a difference is a true success for me.
WHAT IS YOUR MOST NON-NEGOTIABLE PART OF YOUR BUSINESS CULTURE?
We will never create for the profits. We will always create for the betterment of the world, for change and for spreading more Faith, Love, and Hope in the world.
WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING?
I read a lot of Manga, I find myself in a world with the dying and often depicted as naive values, which I find pure and beautiful. Currently re-reading Akatsuki no Yona by Kusanagi Mizuho.
“Tasks we avoid usually resolve most issues we have. . ”
SANDY KIRIK
WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF?
My team, our uniqueness and our beautiful minds and souls. Our magazine, and what contributors and audience we managed to grow so far. Working with people like Dries Van Noten, Sara Maino, Alaïa Foundation, discovering the young generation of creatives, knowing that what we do resonates with them makes me truly happy.
WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY WORKING ON?
We are currently starting to work on the new print issue that will see the world next year in spring. This is both an exciting, and an overwhelming thought, since we just recently released The Hug Issue. However, the new edition already takes shape, as we have agreed on the next theme. I promise, it will be as relevant as ever.
WHAT INSPIRES YOUR CURRENT WORK?
The world, current events, situations, which are mostly sad and quite negative unfortunately. Fashion used to mirror reality, although in recent years, when most companies started to focus solely on sales, and new businesses being open solely with a purpose to make money, it lost this capacity quite a bit. I believe the media has incredible power, and should work for the people and for the world. Not for themselves.
WHAT CHALLENGE(S) ARE YOU CURRENTLY FACING?
I think the biggest challenge is the system that has been built for ages and that is only happy to accept those who fit this system. Everyone likes a beautiful easy to look at image, and not many are willing to accept the challenge. People are tired and consumed by current events, while they are overconsuming paid news, products, anything that has an ad tag on it themselves. This vicious cycle where companies are oversimplifying everything for it to be easy to consume, and the customers losing an ability to be challenged and buy the storytelling.
HOW WILL YOU OVERCOME THIS CHALLENGE(S)?
There is unfortunately no magic pill. I believe in consistency, finding likeminded individuals that are going to join us on this journey. And just doing what we know best, be creative, openminded, bold and brave not only to speak up, but also to be ourselves.
“Find like-minded people, don’t do everything alone. Trust the process and people around you.. ”
YOUR MORNING AND/OR NIGHTTIME RITUALS?
My morning routines have been changing quite a bit, depending on the period of my life. Currently my favourite thing is slow mornings, when I can actually have one. I do stretching, contrast showers and take supplements. When it comes to night routines, I think what sticks with me through the years is a cup of herbal tea. It sets my mind to the calm night mode and helps me wind down.
YOUR FAVOURITE WELLBEING / SELF-CARE PRODUCTS?
I would say having those slow days, when I can let myself feel what I would like to do, instead of rushing somewhere and solving a million problems. I love being close to water, maybe because I am a water sign. But water makes me feel free. I try to go see the ocean when I can, it calms my nervous system, I all of a sudden feel small and taken care of. Nature helps in general, I love spending time walking on the grass barefeet, just breathing the fresh air. And from the products, I believe it is my supplements, such as magnesium and probiotics that I take regularly.
WHAT RELAXES YOU? HOW DO YOU CALM YOUR NERVOUS SYSTEM?
Nature, and music. Music always follows me every step of the way, quite literally. If you see me on the street I will most likely wear my headphones. It helps me live the best and worst moments of my life, helps me to digest my feelings and emotions.
WHAT ADVISE WOULD YOU GIVE SOMEONE WANTING TO BECOME AN ENTREPRENEUR?
Do what you believe in, and believe in what you do. There will be moments when the only one supporter you will have is you. Find like-minded people, don’t do everything alone. Trust the process and people around you. And think of it as a marathon, enjoy the long run, not a short competition. Follow your heart.
FROM YOUR EXPERIENCE AS AN ENTREPRENEUR WHAT CHARACTERISTICS HAVE HELPED YOU TO GROW?
I think it is courage, living in at least 12 countries (both Asian and European) and learning how life works in each of them, and being sensitive to the world and people, analyse, and come from the place of values. Our business is quite special, the media has always had their unique struggles. But for us, the most important is to be true, to be bold, and to be soft, to be a platform that cares and that dares to speak up and be there for our audience.
WHAT EXCITES YOU ABOUT THE FUTURE?
Everything. Life always takes turns, and you can never know how it will unfold. But I am sure that my team and I are on the right path. And that is all I have to know.
“Do what you believe in, and believe in what you do.”
CONNECT WITH sandy:
@SANDY_KIRIK ⁄ flhmag.com
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