Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ana Novacic. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Ana, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Are you able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen?

I’m proud to say I earn a full-time living from my creative work, which I attribute to developing both soft and hard skills. As a teenager, I dreamed of being an artist, but I quickly realized that drawing and painting alone wouldn’t sustain a career. Leadership skills, I discovered, were equally crucial.

Before ending up in film, I had first developed a love of working in the theatre – especially in scenic and costume design, assisting some wonderful artists in Ireland before moving to Italy, then the US. I worked on a lot of festival-format shows where you had to share venues, and make magic happen on a tiny budget. Resourcefulness and versatility were key. I was fascinated by how the theatre artists made a lot of their own props, they could sew their own costumes, and rig their own lights. I just loved watching the brainstorming process. I remember one designer describing how she embedded LEDs into gloves so that performers she was collaborating with could create a light show with their hands.

Experiences such as those taught me about creative problem-solving, as well as the importance of developing a basic crafting skills. When I moved to Italy to study Scenography, I had to learn things like hand drafting, Photoshop, CAD and SketchUp. I started connecting the dots of how to express conceptual ideas via technical skills. I didn’t speak Italian when I first moved there, so I was learning all those new softwares on top of a new language. I’m terrible at geometry and was struggling to express myself in a new language, but my refusal to settle for less than my dream job forced me look ahead, and find ways to make up for my limitations. I decided to learn a very wide range of skills and lean in to becoming a better and more confident communicator.

Every so often I feel a pang of gratitude to ‘Past Ana’, who was willing to throw herself into discomfort. For example, when the film strikes hit the US I was able to quickly pivot to adjacent fields. I now work full time at a scenic fabrication shop, and can navigate all the challenges that arises on a daily basis because I see things from a birds eye view. I’m living my best life thanks to learning how to hold space for discomfort, as much as I do for any other feeling. Fundamentally, you need to love what you do so much that you become willing to brave a lot of growing pains.

Ana, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am a Serbian-Irish Production Designer and Art Director (IATSE Local 829), with a heavy focus on production management and mentorship. I tackle creative operations and production logistics for a major scenic fabrication shop in Brooklyn that works with high-end clients in NYC, and all around the US. I’m also an Adjunct Professor, and work in costumes and styling from time to time.

I’d say I organically grew into this field. As a child, I was drawing non-stop – constantly dreaming about how one day I’d become an artist with a big bright ‘office’, with a huge desk to draw on. I later of course learned this would be a studio instead, but hey – my parents were always talking about some offices that I thought all adults had to report to, just how children had to go to school every day.

I think what sets me apart is my hefty training in art and theater history, stage acting, and drawing – as well as being raised bilingual, and moving many times (over 33 in total, in several different countries). Life has made a robust creative out of me, and a strong leader who works on their own initiative. I have learned to trust my gut and best judgement, and to manage stressful situations by finding humor in them.

I’m most proud of the quantity of skills and experiences I’ve gained, and that I’ve never let disappointments, set backs, and failures bring me down. I repeat ‘mind over matter,’ anytime things get really hard. It’s really rewarding to see all the difficulties and challenges that still lie ahead, and think ‘Ah, its’s okay, I’ve figured it all out before, I’ll figure it out again’.

Any advice for managing a team?

It’s all about starting from a genuine place and keeping your moral compass in check. I ultimately just want to live a secure life doing what I love. That needn’t come at the expense of anyone else’s wellbeing or success. Sharing success is uplifting, and as social creatures we depend on each other to grow and feel safe. I’m not motivated by awards, titles, or credits. I’m motivated by my family, and seeing how they take care of others. My objective is to fill the shoes of my grandparents and parents in terms of their love and care giving, and to find work that connects me to interesting and good people. When you know people’s names, the ins and outs of their jobs, and truly respect their time, I think you’ll find things run smoother because people (for the most part) just want to do a good job and be recognized for their efforts. In terms of management style, I try to think of myself as a lighthouse rather than a tow truck. Lead by example, by positive reinforcement, and the success will come to you. Even though it can be challenging at times to illuminate the path amid raging waters.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

This one is for my immigrant friends. I had to unlearn how difficult times in the past informed my work ethic. I think it can be a little dangerous (and even a little tempting to be extremely honest) to fall into a cycle of overextending yourself because there is a sense you should embrace all the opportunities that were granted to you as a result of generational sacrifice. I was born during the civil war in my country and my brave family had to forego their expectations of the future and do whatever they needed to do to ensure my sister and I would have . This by absolutely no means is to suggest one should forget where they come from, and the very real struggles the family tree once endured. I don’t think I’ll ever put in to words how much I look up to them.

However, I do think it’s important as a woman and lifelong immigrant to operate out of a place of aspiration. Gratitude is important, but I found myself almost too thankful to be ‘invited to the table’ – to the point that it began hindering my ability to advocate for my needs in the workplace, resulting in severe burnout. I had to shift the framework and allow myself to operate from a rooted place of self-respect, rather than exhaustion. In the current climate we live in, plagued by social media, being a creative can feel like a Sisyphean undertaking. We don’t need to burden ourselves even further – we have big enough rocks to push up mountains as it is. Step into your power, girlies (I’m talking to the ones who know their trade, their worth, and their hard-earned skill sets).

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ananovacic.design
• Instagram: @ana_noavcic
• Linkedin: Ana Novacic

Image Credits

Headshot by Didem Civginoglu