Nikoleta Dicheva: Writing her own story at BUas

What was your journey leading up to BUas? 

Nikoleta: ‘For me, the decision to study at BUas wasn’t too difficult. My partner had graduated from BUas the year before I started, so I had some insight into what to expect. I was even present at his graduation, which gave me a sense of the environment. Before enrolling, I was working for a company in the sustainability sector.’ 

‘I am currently 25, a bit older than many of my peers. I didn’t want to study just for the sake of studying; I wanted to pursue something that truly interested me and aligned with my future goals. The year before I enrolled, my mother passed away. She always encouraged me to discover what I wanted to do, and that gave me the final push to step out of my comfort zone. Once you take that leap, it’s not as daunting as it seems.’ 

‘Moving to the Netherlands was a big step for me. I didn’t know much about the country, but I had always dreamed of living abroad. I am originally from Bulgaria.’ 

‘I consider myself a very creative person. I enjoy working with my hands and expressing myself through different mediums. However, I also understand that pursuing an art degree alone can be challenging in terms of career prospects. That is why I believe combining business knowledge with creativity offers a greater chance of success.’ 

‘In Creative Business, we explore a variety of topics—not everything resonates with me, but a lot of it does. I find myself particularly drawn to writing. In the first semester, I enjoyed the storytelling module, and now I am really into scriptwriting. In high school, I was part of a literary club, so it makes sense that writing feels like a natural fit for me.’ 

Can you describe a project you worked on? 

Nikoleta: ‘During the first semester, I worked on an online magazine in a team of six—the largest team in our class. Working in such a big group had its pros and cons. Initially, it was challenging to learn how to collaborate, communicate effectively, and divide tasks efficiently.’ 

‘Our project brief was quite broad, giving us plenty of creative freedom. We had to select a theme for our magazine and write four different stories for it. Together, we worked on the design, illustrations, and photography, as well as writing and conducting interviews.’ 

What was your role in the project and what did the process look like? 

Nikoleta: ‘My main role was writing the fiction story. I also contributed to Photoshop work and helped maintain team cohesion to ensure everyone felt connected to the project.’ 

‘The brainstorming phase was confusing at first—it was our first time tackling such a project, and we had to figure out our direction. After some trial and error, we decided to centre our magazine around art. Since we are in Creative Business, we all shared a connection to art in some form. With feedback from our lecturer, we refined our focus to Art as a Catalyst for Change. Shortly before that, we settled on the title Re:art the World.’ 

‘Once we had our theme, we began developing our stories. I remember a lecture where we learned about the Blind Walls Gallery in Breda, which fascinated me. We decided to include a story about it and even reached out to celebrities for interviews. In the end, we secured an interview with Dutch actor Juvat Westendorp.’ 

‘For my fiction piece, I collaborated with a teammate. We both had ideas and merged them into one cohesive story. Our narrative revolved around an "Impact Troll"—a mischievous creature that manipulates people in a post-apocalyptic world where art is forbidden. Initially, we envisioned a cyberpunk setting, reflecting concerns about digitalisation stifling creativity. However, we later shifted to a dystopian, grey world where a group of rebellious friends rediscover art supplies in an abandoned bunker. Through their creativity—spray painting, playing old vinyl records, and staging a flash mob—they begin to transform their bleak society, proving that the world doesn’t have to be devoid of colour and expression.’ 

Can you share some memorable experiences from your project? 

Nikoleta: ‘One of the most exciting moments was our visit to Chassé theatre and cinema for an autobiography photoshoot. One of our teammates arranged access, but and when we arrived, the theatre was closed. However, they let us in and even gave us a backstage tour! We explored the changing rooms and went behind the scenes, which was an incredible experience.’ 

What are your plans for the future? 

Nikoleta: ‘I might explore opportunities in the fashion or makeup industry since I have previous experience in that field and miss it. I would be interested in working in marketing or production, perhaps focusing on campaigns. Marketing intrigues me because of its creative aspects, but I could also see myself working in social media or advertising, creating content. For now, I am keeping my options open—who knows where my journey will take me next!’