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

Diana, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

Oh wow, that’s a fascinating topic for me to talk about!

Honestly, it feels that I am taking risks more often than not. What makes me think that – a tingling sensation in my hands and feet that I get; I might get scared or curious; my heart might start to beat so loud that I will hear that beat ringing in my ears. But if I were to choose a particular time, I’d like to share with you how it all started:

I moved to the UK when I was 14. It felt like the first pivotal, life-changing risk for me, so it also felt like the hardest.
I am originally from Southern Russia, but I’ve been dreaming about moving to LA since I was about nine years old. I was a big fan of Walt Disney; I am still a big fan of him actually!
( Smiles Softly )
I used to watch a lot of Disney movies and the Disney channel, and since all of my favourite movies and TV shows were filming in LA – that’s where I wanted to be.

So, at that point, I’ve been trying to convince my parent for several years to let me move there. But after getting enough No’s, I realised I needed a better plan.
England seemed to be closer and so, was an ultimate instinctual choice for me. My cousins live there, so nobody has to worry about me being alone in another country.
On my 14th Birthday, the first phrase that I greeted the day and my parents with was: “I am moving to the UK this year!”
I talked about it all day, carefully putting all my arguments & reasonings on the table. And, by evening, I got an answer: “Alright, we’ll see what we can do about it.” — I couldn’t sleep all night long after hearing that!

It actually took me 6 months before I could move out. My English wasn’t that great, “I have to study harder than ever before, otherwise I wouldn’t be accepted to school.” — that was the only phrase on my mind for months.
I remember I was buried in Textbooks, studying hours daily. I was really desperate. I had to catch up on everything. I couldn’t wait til another year. It simply wasn’t a choice to me.
So, all of the exams were passed, I was happy with the school my parents and I found, felt overjoyed, excited, prepared and relieved.

But, you never really truly ready and you can’t fully prepare yourself for a new experience. So, after being left at the boarding school, surrounded by a completely new environment, I, day by day, started to learn how difficult, stressful, and risky a decision it was for me and also my parents. Despite the challenges, it was SO fun to get exposed to so many new things, knowledge and opportunities simultaneously! I will be forever grateful for that chance and change.

I, personally, find that the scariest part of taking a risk is saying “Yes” to the risk. The understanding that there is no going back; the unknown — feels terrifying. But learning to calm myself down in that moment and breathe through it helped me feel Gratitude almost instantly for my decision.

If you are thinking about taking a risk, I’d say: “Just do it!” — cause you wouldn’t be thinking for hours, and maybe even days, about something if it wasn’t important to you! And what can make us the happiest if not the things we deeply care about?

I am a true believer that if we are taking a risk out of our Love for something / somebody, or True Calling — Life will always have us back.
Sure, it might take us into the jungle or a scary, deep, dark forest, but somehow, it will bring you back to the yellow brick road.

I’d like to call myself very lucky, despite how difficult the decision or the risk is, I always feel guided by the Sun, Rainbows and the Stars. All I have to do is to remember to Look UP at the skies.

Diana, 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 an Actor, a Writer and a Musician.

Born in Russia, I first started as a theatre actor and was part of a theatrical troupe; parallel to that; I was a violinist working in an orchestra or duet with the piano on various stages.

Once a teenager, I moved to the UK to pursue my artistic career. I was exposed to many new types of theatre productions. My main focus back then was Physical Theatre, Plays, Musical Theatre and Musical Operas. I was also performing in Site-Specific, Immersive & Interactive Theater Productions.

I moved to New York in 2020, joining the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and spent the next two and a half years on the East Coast.

Right after graduating AADA, I moved to Los Angeles and joined Los Angeles Company at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. I have been working in LA since finishing the Company year.

My mission is to colour the world and, hopefully, inspire others through the power of Words, Actions, Emotions and Love.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

There are so many! I find it hard to condense it all, to be honest with you. Every morning, I wake up with a lot of gratitude and, almost always, with a smile because I am pursuing the paths I have longed to take since I was little.

One of the most rewarding aspects of being creative is tapping into the Truth of the Human Heart, connecting with people’s stories and sharing memories.
Every time, on every project I’ve noticed: We’d come together as individuals, yet we’d become One through storytelling. That Oneness allows us to create an unexpected and unique experience for the cast, the crew and the audience. It’s a ride that we, collectively, decide to get on together. And we let ourselves move in smoothly through it, moment to moment. Feeling Deeply. Letting our Hearts to Open. Always coming out of it changed, affected and transformed.
The reward is witnessing the transformation that has just happened to all of us: the artists and the audience. Hearing: “This performance changed my entire perspective on life” — This realisations and words are the most precious gifts of all.

Thank you to each of you, with whom I have already shared a treasured memory!
I can’t wait to create even more!

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

One of my most valuable lessons was learning not to let myself stress out about the things I can’t control.

I used to worry a lot about so many things, from what was happening in the world to small things like whether the choice I made for this audition tape was the right one.

Before making a decision, I have always asked myself: “How is what I am doing right now going to serve humanity? Is it going to make a difference?” I could always find “the correct” answer, well, the one I thought was ”the correct one”.

( Smiles )

As life got busier and I got older, I could no longer afford to spend too much time in my head thinking about everything I was doing. My perspective towards things was also shifting, and making choices was becoming more and more overwhelming, especially in fast-paced or heated environment.
I started to question what I was doing and became uncertain about what is right and what is wrong — I also began to question my past decisions. It got to the point that I had to step away for a bit and slow down.

That short break made me realise: The choice is yours. So, choose what feels most aligned with you, at this moment. And own it.
We are always going to make “mistakes” and question ourselves. But that is all part of life, without those questions we won’t grow!

And if and when I start worrying about what is going on in the world. I always place a palm of my hand on my heart and say: “You can’t control what’s happening around you, but you can always control what’s happening inside of you, we can only effect anyone if we know how to effect ourselves.”

With much Love,
Diana Budko

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_diana.budko/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/diana.budko.56
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/diana-budko-90292427a
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@dianabudko9494?si=muceMmerbQxhZJgu
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/diana-budko-527431480

Image Credits

Shani Hadjian