Karolina Ciecholewska is a multidisciplinary designer born in Poland and based in New York. Her work spans both digital and physical media, with a focus on immersive storytelling and material expression.
Pronouns: she/her
Photo: Daniel Ziv
What is the thing you like doing most in the world?
Experiencing art. There is nothing better than seeing something that resonates with you. It takes a lot of visits to galleries and museums to chase that feeling. But once I’ve found it, to me it’s the satisfaction of eating something delicious. It’s physical and hard to describe with words.
What is the first memory you have of being creative?
Painting an elephant with my dad and studying very diligently the differences between the legs we see closer to us and the ones in the back. I think it was probably the first time I realized how much thinking is involved in depicting reality.
What is your biggest regret?
I like asking myself this question! So far my conclusion is that all the mistakes and failures lead us somewhere and often have some positive consequences – there’s always the other side.
How have you gotten over heartbreak?
Our bodies have a way of producing some magical happiness chemicals, and one of the best ways to get them for me is through physical activity. Running, lifting, cyclin – it gives you wonderful relief, if only for a moment.
What makes you cry?
People giving their lives for freedom. I’m very privileged to be born just at the edge of the fall of the Soviet Union. I deeply empathize with my friends and their families, for whom deciding for themselves is not a given.
How long does the pride and joy of accomplishing something last for you?
Definitely too short!
Do you believe in an afterlife, and if so, what does that look like to you?
I imagine it being like being asleep. Is it afterlife or nothingness? I’ve always loved the heaven and hell depictions in Renaissance art. Interestingly, hell usually gets the spotlight with all the creative tortures depicted, while heaven just seems like meeting a lot of older men.
What do you hate most about yourself?
My negativity spirals and my tendency to love all things dark, sad, and unsolvable.
What do you love most about yourself?
My grit -I never would have imagined being where I am now without all the dreams and then working very hard to make them happen.
What is your absolute favorite meal?
I wanted to be sophisticated, but the truth is: spring potatoes with butter and dill.
The post What Matters to Karolina Ciecholewska appeared first on PRINT Magazine.