We recently connected with Rita Kapoor Wojcik and have shared our conversation below.

Rita, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s the kindest thing anyone has ever done for you?

About two years ago, I was contacted for the very first time by a potential client, Kevin, who was looking for a designer to help him with some small jobs. During our phone call, I learned that Kevin was a financial advisor, a writer, a widower, and a father to five adopted cats. He didn’t own a TV or a computer, and would attend church each morning before he went to work. He was eighty-one years old.

He let me know that his priority project was for me to design a title plate for a large framed copy of ‘The Creation of Adam’ he had purchased as a Christmas gift for his neighbor. He wanted to thank him for always making sure his driveway and walkways were shoveled. This wasn’t really in the scope of my typical work, but he was so kind and the job was simple enough, so I scheduled a meeting and had the plate printed. We kept in touch and over the next few months I completed a few other small jobs for him.

Sometime in May, he reached out with a request for some new address labels. He liked the ones he had received from the SPCA for donating, but he wanted his address to be bigger. During our chat, I informed him that I would be unable to work for a while as I had been diagnosed with Endometrial Cancer and would be undergoing surgery in a couple of weeks. He offered words of encouragement and wished me well.

About a week later I received an unexpected package in the mail. Inside the box was a beautiful crochet blanket and a small card. Inside the card was a note that said the blanket had been ‘Made In Prayer by the Sisters at Our Lady of Peace Church’, the same church Kevin would attend each morning. A hand-written note on the card said that mass would be held ‘in my honor’ on the same day as my procedure. It was signed ‘K.’

Everything with my diagnosis was happening so fast, I hadn’t really had time to process any of it properly. As I clutched this blanket in my arms, tears started to uncontrollably stream down my face. I was shocked, I was touched, and I was so grateful; grateful for Kevin’s kindness, for the blessings from his community, and for every prayer that had been sewn into that blanket.

Over the years, Kevin and I have become close friends. I read his books and he collects my art. I’m helping him look for an agent and he brings me absurdly large donuts every week so I can ‘keep up my strength.’ We recently went to the county fair together and spent hours with the horses, both of us sharing stories about when we used to ride. We are so different… he’s in his eighties, I’m in my forties; he doesn’t own a TV, I’m a Bravo-holic; he doesn’t ‘understand’ tattoos, I’m covered in them… but at the same time, we have so much in common!

One little job turned into one of the greatest, and most unexpected, friendships I have ever known. I am so grateful for him. I feel so blessed.

Rita, 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 freelance Graphic Designer, Photographer, Digital Artist, and cat mom.

After graduating from the University at Buffalo in 2005, I began working for various corporations as an Executive Assistant and Project Manager, and while I always excelled at these jobs, I never felt fully satisfied after a day’s work. I wasn’t happy and my husband could see that I wasn’t happy, and he encouraged me to explore professional paths that I may find more fulfilling. I had always loved photography and the arts, but when I had gone to university, I had put that all aside to focus on my studies and ‘grow up.’ So, with his encouragement, I enrolled in various design courses, purchased some professional camera equipment, and 10 years later, here we are.

I have been operating my own business, RKW Photo&Design, since 2011 and have had the privilege of photographing & designing for a variety of talent, including Baby Joe Mesi, Kel Mitchell (Bar Crawl Nation), Emma Frisch (Food Network & Firelight Camps), Instagram, LeAnn Rimes, the NFL, Oprah Winfrey (Oprah’s Life You Want tour), Meresone, Paul Smith (PRIDE), Resurgence Brewing Company (Community Beer Works ‘New Hop, Who Dis!?’), Ride for Roswell, Shawn Mendes (Vevo Lift), SheaMoisture (House of Hair), SYML, and What’s App. I’ve also created logos for various start-ups, as well as high-end boutiques and restaurants.

I am most recently credited for designing the backdrop for Mariah Carey’s 2023 Billboard Music Awards performance in coordination with Brooklyn-based production gurus, ArtistOne. Never in a million years did I think that I would ever be working with such an icon and I am beyond thankful for the opportunity.

A few years ago, after my business had settled down a bit, I began working on a whole new passion project, Send Doodz, a collection of sweet, silly, and spooky digital drawings with a focus on puns and pop culture. Since 2020, I’ve collaborated with various local artists and business owners to create an array of products, from cookies to candles, and donate proceeds to various charities, such as Kaely’s Kindness Foundation, an organization focused on providing resources for teens living with cancer, and Spirit of Children, making hospitals less scary for kids by bringing fun and funding to local hospitals at Halloween and all year round.

Operating my own business has also given me the ability to focus on my role as co-founder of Buffalo Dream Weavers (Est. 2009), a grassroots organization of donors & volunteers working together to give back to my hometown community. I am also the Lead Designer, Marketing Manager, and Production Manager for The Gypsy Parlor’s Valentine’s Dance, an annual fundraiser for the People Inc. Foundation, with proceeds benefiting the Art Works program, which features an exceptional collection of paintings created by artists with Autism.

My professional path has changed direction a few times over the years, but I couldn’t be happier about where it has ultimately led me. I am so thankful for all of my clients and business partners, and everyone I have met along the way. I love what I do so much and I am so grateful for all of the opportunities it has given me to help my community and the people/things I care about most.

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

The best aspect of being a creative is creating itself. The people, the process, the product; it’s all so rewarding.

You get to connect with so many different kinds of people and collaborate in such unique ways, every experience is so different and I am grateful for each and every one.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

I often find that people don’t always understand the connection ‘creatives’ are trying to make with their work. Whether it’s graphic design, photography, lighting, sound, event production… it’s all about connection; the connection we have with ourselves and the connections we are trying to make with others. It’s not ‘just a drawing’ or ‘just a picture’… it’s so much more than that. It’s all love, baby!

Contact Info:

• Website: rkwphoto.design
• Instagram: @rkwphoto
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RKWphotodesign/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rita-wojcik-8628768/
• Twitter: @rkwphoto

Image Credits