We recently connected with Eva Kmetko and have shared our conversation below.

Eva, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Almost all entrepreneurs have had to decide whether to start now or later? There are always pros and cons for waiting and so we’d love to hear what you think about your decision in retrospect. If you could go back in time, would you have started your business sooner, later or at the exact time you started?

If I could go back in time I wish I would start with creative media sooner and I wish I would not listen to others that time. I remember, I was around 15 years old. I was studying in Europe and I just applied for a new school. It was an artsy school, degree in graphic design. I was drawing days and nights; practicing, improving, failing, trying again. I was preparing for that day for many years. Time was flying and it didn’t feel like learning. It felt like this is what I suppose to do. I suppose to create, to bring my visions to live in various forms. So when the day of my talent tests arrived, I was ready. I traveled across the state by myself. I wasn’t scared, I was ready. I was ready to take another step, to become full time student of an art and to become my best version of graphic designer I could ever be. I arrived early. I took my time to absorb all the corridors of the school. Look at all the wall art. Have a chit chat with a shopkeeper and shake hands with the other students who came to do the tests as well. It felt great! It felt like home. Then the tests started. Each of us worked on 3 projects. We all had supplies, energy and each of us carried his own “basket” of visions and ideas. Then we presented our portfolio to the teacher. It all took few hours. I wasn’t tired. I could be there all day. I received a great feedback from everyone who stopped by my desk. Teacher was great! At the end of the talent tests we shared hands and I travelled back home across the country. I was told results will be ready within few days. In my mind it was around 100 years. So few days later my mom got a phone call. I was jumping around her like an Easter Bunny, very excited. Then the words were said: “Your daughter has no talent and we won’t be proceeding with her application.” My mom repeated the voice from the phone. … Boom! My mind went dark and I didn’t touch my artsy supplies for another good 10 years. I went to a Hotel Academy that year and my creative soul bought one way ticket god knows where … This! This was the moment when I should have not listen to the voice in that phone. I should have persuid what I already knew. I should have listened my voice, not others. Many years later, I ended up in creative field anyhow, BUT I lost over 10 years of my life doing something that didn’t make me happy. Yes, I wish I could travel back in time and start my career sooner. In another hand thanks to all the things I didn’t get, I am who I am today and I’m grateful.

Eva, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Thank you for this question. I don’t really like to talk about me :))). I like to talk about visions, ideas, perspectives. Let me describe what I do and you will get closer to me. Over 10 years ago I started photography. It gave me the opportunity to show others the world the way I see it. Some may say that I see things prettier and more vibrant than they really are. My color gradings depend on the subject. I adjust creative flow very easily. I like to bend optics, laser cut contrast and as I always say, the love is in the details. I added graphic design just before the pandemic hit us. After that I added painting on canvas. No digitals, just good old fashioned primed canvas, oils and ridiculous amount of various brushes :))). I merged digital photography, graphic design, fine art painting into one harmonious marriage. And that’s who I am today. Creative artist. From professional product and fashion editorial photography to fine art landscape oil painting in one day. Clients is always the most important aspect of each project. Each one of them wants to stand out from the crowd. And that’s challenging, because I need to make sure that my ideas are unique, doable and need to meet the client’s and my expectations. No pressure :))). The current market is extremely saturated. Everyone who owns a smartphone is a photographer :) and social media are creating a big pressure on what’s ‘in’. AI and Virtual reality are slowly becoming part of our everyday lives and all of this makes me wonder how my daughter will live her adult life in about 20 years!? How? I’m not sure, but I know one thing: what I create for her now will have value for her in those 20 years. And the same approach I have with my clients. When they look into our projects in 20 years, they will know we created a personalized timeless value. If it’s digital photography, marketing material or painting, it will have value. .

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

Yes, I think there are things that non creatives are struggling to understand. I worked and lived with noncreatives and what I learned from my experience is that their brain functions differently and I will not change it. Don’t fight other’s different ideas and opinions on your journey. First of all it’s your journey and you will live with the consequences. Non creatives might have set of other great skills such as programming, scheduling, predicting negative outcomes, creating systems and those skills are very much needed in this world. I know these people, my husband is one of them and I’m grateful for opposite characters. If two different minded personalities have the same goal, the journey can be very rewarding, because their set of skills compliment each other. It’s a Jin Jang atmosphere. We learn from each other. We just need to lear accept our differences.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being creative? Hmmm… for me it’s the idea that it will never end. Doesn’t matter if AI will take over the world or that aliens will land in Las Vegas (again), human creativity has no end. You can’t silent creativity. As long as humans will walk on this planet, creative juices will flow. I’m happy to be part of it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://evakmetko.myportfolio.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kmetkoeva/?fbclid=IwAR3Wgrp5j8QJAUzENtIh2108ScSV_dmvMlDgvl3MhmDarPL7PTzpkhSMgmQ
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eva-kmetko-74bba994/

Image Credits
Kayla Burnett, Megan Champlain, Natalia, Cherr Barragan, Priscilla Moy, Anne Capri, EVA KMETKO, Gary House, Veronica Dechaumpagne