In this episode of Beyond Economics and Back, philosopher and loft designer Dalia Mauricaitė-Kalinauskienė talks with Elena Leontjeva, President of the Lithuanian Free Market Institute, about scarcity, meaningful spaces, and positivity.

Mauricaitė-Kalinauskienė explains that the hunger we feel in life can lead us toward creativity, connection, and purposeful action. If ignored, it pushes us toward material excess, mistakenly filling an inner emptiness. Drawing on the Soviet-era experience of scarcity, she notes how people today often treat their homes like storage for excess objects rather than spaces for meaningful interaction.

Her work in creating lofts led to the famous Demoloft, which later earned a Michelin star. She stresses that well-designed spaces should be accessible to everyone and connects this idea to free-market principles: business is service, where both sides of a transaction gain value.

The conversation also explores relationships, family, and raising children. Mauricaitė-Kalinauskienė highlights that overprotection stifles growth. Children who are never allowed to make mistakes or get messy grow up fearing both the world and failure. Freedom to explore, fail, and learn becomes one of the greatest gifts a parent can give.

This episode is about creating homes, businesses, communities, and schools that inspire more creativity rather than fear, and about returning to meaningful, living relationships.