Meet Inkar Maxutova | Director, Producer, Production Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Inkar Maxutova and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Inkar, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
The circumstances were pretty unusual. I’ve never really thought about artistic career. That’s why it pursued me instead. It was pretty insistent, didn’t even allow me to have some time to process the sudden shift in life goals and values. And every time I ran away from it, it punished me even more by brining more suffer in my life. Sounds cruel, but that’s what happens when you don’t do what the Universe expects from you. Apparently, the minimum I have to do in this life is make art. So here I am.

From my early childhood I felt this urge to help people in any way: be it small or big. Now I understand that it wasn’t just a desire, it was a mission that was given to me in this life. I didn’t know how to express it, so I mistakenly thought that what I want to do is medicine. So I followed a medical career and dreamed days and nights about being a surgeon and contributing into the world.

Later in life, right after getting my degree in Biological Sciences, an unexplainable wave of dissatisfaction and apathy suddenly hit me. I guess my soul understood it way before the conscious part of me: I’m born for art and have to give up what I’ve been building for the good half of my life. That was a hard revelation to process. But the good news is that I understood that there can be different forms of helping people. And art is the tool that I choose to use.

Contributing to this world doesn’t necessarily mean performing surgeries and making people healthy directly. The biggest contribution for me is shifting people’s consciousness and perceptions of the world. It sounds cliche, but I believe that art can help people move to a different level of development. To evolve spiritually as species. And in order for it to not sound cliche anymore, we gotta work hard and show what power art truly holds. And when I say «we» I mean both those who deliver and those who receive. It’s all of us who can make it happen. It’s a choice with no further choice: we have to open the curtains for ourselves and others to see the beauty of the environment outside.

INT. EARTH – EVERYDAY
A PERSON is lying on the bed motionless and staring at the ceiling in darkness. There is no life in their eyes, no blinking. Looking at them one can take over the screaming hopelessness and irrepressible suffer.

INT/EXT. EARTH WITH HEALING ART – THE NEW DAY
A shaft of light slowly leaks into the room. The Person sits up, a glimpse of hope shines in their eyes: the curtains magically open, bringing more sunlight into the darkness. The Person then slowly crawls towards the window, tearing up and breathing heavily. They escape outside, while CAM slowly pans left to show the Person running towards Light and dissolving in the dust-like particles of Divine Love.

Above is the representation of art in one abstract but simple scene. Art is Life. Art is Hope. Art is a drive towards evolution of the soul. We’re all so busy living the materialistic life that we forget about what’s important. And art, in all its forms, is here to guide us.

Now, after processing what’s given to me, I consciously started pursuing the artistic career myself. I’m ready to absorb, digest and give my everything to deliver Art.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Regardless of what most people think, art is never easy. That’s the very first lesson I learned when I entered the creative world. It’s a big responsibility because the world will see the essence of the art. Non-verbally, on a subconscious level. In order for art to be processed in a healthy way the artist has to purify their inner darkness. They have to work hard everyday to tune their egos, to develop deeper love and understanding towards all the living and non-living things in the Universe, to fill themselves with gratitude and empathy. They have to choose awareness instead of blindness of the heart and evolve in order to be able to call themselves a real ‘human being’.

The world is full of people. But not everyone can be referred as a human being. That’s what the artists are here for. That is, they have to work twice as much as others, both creatively and spiritually. And be ready to encounter a huge amount of pain: there is more room for feelings when the heart is open. It’s a big responsibility and not as easy. We have to contribute not only to our own blossom but to the evolution of all of us as a species.

That’s the answer about my path as well. It’s not easy, it wasn’t and it probably won’t ever be. I surrendered and accepted my responsibilities as an artist. I’m busy stepping out of my comfort zone. I’m diving into what I couldn’t do, what I’m afraid of or what society perceives as too ‘shameful’ for their pride.

For example, recently I started taking a bus for the first time in like a decade. One day, being trapped with so many different people in a small transport, I realized that it helps me incredibly with understanding others. Looking at people from different levels of society, I realized that even taking a taxi once is a luxury for many. I started crying. Not only out of pain but out of ultimate, unconditional love. I wanted all of them to be happy and get every single thing they are wishing for while driving in that loud, dirty, and overcrowded bus.

I also started working as a server in a cafe. This type of work is perceived as ‘shameful’ in my country, Kazakhstan, and I truly don’t understand why. I think everyone has to go through this type of experience. It’s pure psychology and a good amount of knowledge. You see people with different attitudes and learn a lot, be it for future scripts or for your own life. Only by diving into a different world, one can truly understand others.

That’s what I do as an artist. Understanding the world and expressing my feelings for it is my full-time job.

My art is a mix of pain, experimenting, and love. The latter is always in me, while pain is changing forms and going through a continuous cycle of rebirths. The only controllable part I’m left with is experimenting. I’m in charge of what I wanna try, what I end up trying and what I make conclusions from.

I learn while creating and create while learning.
And I call it ART.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Let me imagine that my friend came to LA, say, for 4-5 days.

First things first, we would take out Basecamp’s chai latte in Burbank and drive to Venice beach. I love it for its versatility. We would longboard for a while, get some food later and sit down by the ocean to enjoy the sunset.

Another day we would sit in Aroma for breakfast and enjoy LA’s perfect weather while talking about life and latest updates. Then would grab couple rice balls in Gam Tu Bop for brunch and drive to my favorite hill in Glendale. After that we would go hiking and end the day with a good vegetarian pho at Lotus&Light in Burbank (I don’t eat meat so I appreciate the existence of a good veg pho haha).

Next day I would take film cameras and walk around in Silver Lake. Some vintage shopping and of course, Dan Dan Noodles at Pine and Crane. Later in the night we would go dance and have a fun time somewhere in Downtown.

Sunday would start with Naked Ramen in Tatsu and we will have a good time finding unique stuff at Melrose Trading Post (an amazing flea market).

There are so many more things to do. No doubt, LA is an amazing place for good food and hiking. Oops. I mean, LA is the best place for anything.

So my advice is to trust this city and let it guide you. It’s chill vibe will comfort and make any memories warm.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There is a person in this Universe that I’m blessed to call as my Mom. Way back before I appeared in this world, I felt the warmest heart and the wisest soul from far away. I pointed at her and chose her as my mother, although there was a huge line of souls that wanted to be born as Elza’s daughter – but I fought them all.

The way I am is defined by the care, trust, and support given by my Mom. Without this basis I wouldn’t be able to think freely, wouldn’t be able to be on the uneasy spiritual path, wouldn’t have my creative voice that wants to sing about all the beautiful feelings I have for this world. My mom is made of pure love, and she filled my heart with it in order for me to create, to present, and to pass on this beauty.

There is no way I can thank her enough in this life for what she did for me. But I can make art. My artwork will forever have her love and beauty. And you will feel it. I’ll spread this energy in the Universe and let other souls feel loved.

That’s my duty – to share and transform this energy into the world’s ultimate cure.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vtxmrkn/

Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm10836415/

Image Credits
Almas Ismurzin Aaron Adrian