Monika Sed
INTERVIEW
Photographer
& Visual Artist
DATE: 04 ⁄ 04 ⁄ 2024
EVA & MONIKA
“I think my biggest inspiration is this life overall. It is almost impossible to choose just one thing and say that only this or that inspires me.”
BARCELONA
YOUR IDEAL WAY TO START YOUR DAY?
Ideal way to start my day would be waking up next to the person I love. Taking my puppy for a walk, and then spending 1-2 hours in bed: reading a book, eating breakfast, meditating, breathing in the fresh air of an early morning…
WHEN DO YOU FEEL CREATIVELY MOST FULLFILLED?
When I can freely execute my ideas and my work is aligned to my style and beliefs.
HOW DO MOVE THROUGH MENTAL OR CREATIVE BLOCKS?
I would say that resting is very important for my creative process. It does not mean I get to have that a lot, but I definitely try not to get to the point of feeling burnout.
Another important factor is not pushing myself too much and simply putting some time and energy into getting inspiration from other artistic disciplines, spending time in nature, observing, visiting exhibitions, galleries.
WHAT DOES GROWTHMEAN TO YOU?
Growth for me means looking back and realising how far I have come. Growth for me means becoming a better version of myself every day. Growth for me means small victories, when I overcome my fears, insecurities, creative blocks.
WHAT RESOURCES, TOOLS AND PRACTISES WORK FOR YOU TO SUPPORT YOUR GROWTH?
Listening to podcasts: A diary of CEO, Jay Shetty. It allows me to see things from other people's perspective, listen to their experiences and expertise. Reading books, daily meditation, being aware of my surroundings; also, just giving myself a space to understand who I truly am, how do I navigate living in this crazy busy world, and finding the balance that works for me. So I guess all of that comes from daily self work.
WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING?
Yuval Noah Harari, “Homo Deus, A brief history of tomorrow”.
“Growth for me means small victories, when I overcome my fears, insecurities, creative blocks. ”
MONIKA SED
WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF?
This question always seems a bit hard for me. But instead of naming a particular moment, I would say I am the most proud of the moments, when I felt that nothing was moving forward, when I was not booking projects or feeling lost, lonely and stuck, and still not giving up. Continue moving forward, finding hope and trusting that any stage is temporary and teaching us something.
WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY WORKING ON?
A few commercial projects; prepping for the summer - developing a couple concepts for physical objects I want to sell at my studio. Also, trying to restructure my business, and learning how to better delegate work, instead of doing everything by myself. That would definitely help me grow my photography in ways I cannot even imagine. Lastly, my big goal for this year would be my first solo exhibition.
WHAT INSPIRES YOUR CURRENT WORK?
I think my biggest inspiration is this life overall. It is almost impossible to choose just one thing and say that only this or that inspires me. I think I walk through life as a big sponge that absorbs everything on a daily basis. And, in the process, without even realizing it - I start creating art, or capturing people and things, with the filter of all my experiences up to that moment.
WHAT CHALLENGE(S) ARE YOU CURRENTLY FACING?
I am not sure if it is a challenge, I would call it more like a task to be learnt and polished: how to grow my business. I am at the stage where I am more and more hungry for bigger projects, teams, distribution of my art, visibility.
HOW WILL YOU OVERCOME THIS CHALLENGE(S)?
By planning it carefully, and acting on it. I think there is no better way of learning things, when just by doing it. Taking that first tiny step. And after it - the other one follows. Until one day you realise that you walked quite a distance.
“Continue moving forward, finding hope and trusting that any stage is temporary and teaching us something. ”
MONIKA SED
YOUR MORNING AND/OR NIGHTTIME RITUALS?
I wish I could say that I have some morning/ evening rituals, but that would not be true. Maybe the only rule I have: not to work first thing in the morning when I open my eyes, and the last thing before going to sleep. Just to make sure that I start and end the day disconnected from my work as much as possible..
YOUR FAVOURITE WELLBEING / SELF-CARE PRODUCTS?
I always try to make sure that I sleep at least 7 hours, though years ago, I did not pay too much attention to resting and would abuse my body by an insane amount of work. Another crucial thing is exercising. I have always loved sports and practiced sports. The type of sport was changing depending on the stage of my life, however since a year ago, I do go to the gym 3-4 times a week.
And lastly, healthy food. When I eat well, it makes me feel productive, focused and ready to accomplish more.
WHAT RELAXES YOU? HOW DO YOU CALM YOUR NERVOUS SYSTEM?
Silence, nature, water, music, animals. I absolutely love spending time with people and I consider myself a very social person, however spending time at home resting only with my loved ones - cures me the best.
WHAT EXCITES YOU ABOUT THE FUTURE?
The fact that there are no limits to how far we can go; how big we can dream; how strong we can love. I love what I do. And waking up every morning to feel excited about making small steps forward, creating beauty through my lens, capturing moments, people and emotions - is absolutely priceless.
“The fact that there are no limits to how far we can go; how big we can dream; how strong we can love. I love what I do.”
CONNECT WITH MONIKA:
@MONIKASED ⁄ MONIKASED.COM
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