Meet Kalina Mondzholovska | Multi-disciplinary Artist & Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kalina Mondzholovska and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kalina, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I am not sure it was much of a thought process more so than a strong desire to work for myself and live by my own rules. Call it a character trait as I’ve always been this way. I come from an immigrant family and no money. Moving to the States at the age of 12 was a blessing because I saw that having your own business is very possible and doable. The mentality I was raised with was to get a safe and comfortable job. My dad was the only person that had a business for some years before we moved to the States and I think I get it from him. Everybody else around me had no idea how to run a business and was (still are) ruled by fear of instability. After I graduated university with a BFA in Conceptual photography, I started doing commercial photography part time, which was simply what was more in demand. It made me fall in love with the flexibility in schedule, the communication and responsibility with clients, the dynamic of me providing the business and services that are competitive and there is a process of creation there. I was still working an office job I really didn’t like when I met a couple of now really good friends. They were self-employed musicians and one of them was a life coach. He taught me a ton and directly influenced me to quit my job, write my 5 year plan and all the ways I could make money and what I can offer. I started off doing video and photo editing remotely while traveling abroad for 2.5 years before I moved on to shooting and part time working on fine art. My now husband and I moved back to St.Louis in 2019 where we registered our businesses and finally moved to LA a year ago once the pandemic slowed down and things returned to normal. Every time I have a low point and think that it would be so much easier to just get a job and not worry about anything else, I immediately get an inner type of sadness and retaliation against the very idea of trading in my freedom, setting my own prices and being more in control of my life.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I picked artist/creative because this is what I relate to at the end of the day. However, I do have a business that is currently at that stage of still being a one-man band and I’m starting to think about marketing, bringing on more people on board, and growing it. If it’s okay, I can answer this question in two parts.

My art: I have done art since I can remember myself. I studied it, graduated with it, and then stopped (circa 2014). Maybe it was a burn out, or lack of believing in myself or that I could ever make money from it, I stopped for a few good years. It wasn’t easy and it still isn’t, however, I now recognize that the only thing that is standing in my way is myself. In 2017 I started working on some drawings and more artistic photography again and the last few years I have sold a few art prints and have had a few art commissions from friends or people that follow me online. As of this year, and with the encouragement of everyone that knows me plus a few books and podcasts, I’m starting to wrap my head around fine art being a very possible career for me that I never took seriously.

Art for me is my purpose more than anything else. I am not a religious person but if there is a God, I feel that when I create, art is my direct line with something bigger than myself or in terms that resonate with me a bit more, a direct line with my subconscious and my soul. And if I’m lucky, someone out there falls in love with something I do that equally speaks to them and connects them with something bigger than themselves or their own soul. There is a bit of an ego boost too, being able to create something straight out of my imagination and put it on paper, a talent a lot of people wish they had (and probably do, but that’s a whole other topic). All my art revolves around the human condition, experience and identity in relation to ourselves or our environment. I like to explore metaphysical topics, anatomy, philosophy, and society. Sometimes I simplify it down to raw emotion. I don’t have a medium and never have liked to have one as I think the creation process cannot be limited to a single thing. Sometimes I like to draw, other times to paint, to sculpt, to write, to photograph or create video. I have even considered filmmaking as a possible outlet, to tell full stories. The biggest challenge is getting out of my own way and not living in false beliefs that I am not good enough; I will never make it and it will be just an expensive hobby. Coming from poverty, one of my greatest fears is that I will continue to live in poverty, and I have the tendency to continue seeking out work that is easier and more immediate in my circle (such as advertising/commercial photo and video).

Despite that, I’m extremely excited to continue developing my artistic skills and career now in my early 30’s and doing it a lot more seriously. I feel that I have grown a lot and have overcome some mental barriers. I have better understanding about business and have realized that business strategies can apply to just about any product or service. Today, technology and the internet have made it possible for artists to get more exposure and do direct sales with people which is huge. There is promise and people really are buying and appreciating art.

My business: I founded Mond Studios (formerly Zholi Media), a few years ago so I could present my commercial photography portfolio to clients as a completely separate thing than my fine art and to also have an LLC separate from myself. I just rebranded recently and am in the process of updating the site with a calendar and re-focusing on marketing, advertising and updating the work. My goal is to have a small team of people who eventually can handle bookings, customer service, shooting and editing. I do want to continue shooting but not as often and only certain projects so I can free up my time for making art and developing my personal name and artistic brand. There is still work to be done, such as making my services more niche and with a more developed style, finding clients, finding people I can train or trust to perform the work. Currently one of my challenges is to find a balance between life and work. It is also hard to transition from being a one man show to putting money and trust into other people to handle aspects of your business, but it is necessary for growth. One thing I have learned is the importance of adapting and pivoting in business. It is okay to change the brand or services a bit over time and I’m curious to see what direction the business will take.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
First thing we would do is go to the beach probably every day and have a picnic, join the drum circle, do a Sunday night electric light parade bike ride in Venice and just soak up the energy. I live 3 miles from Venice Beach and close to so many other spots like Santa Monica, Marina Del Rey, Malibu is not too far either, Manhattan and Hermosa Beach. I absolutely love where I live and the beaches is all I think we would need. We might get some breakfast at the local French place Atmosphere in Mar Vista or hop over to Venice at one of the numerous spots there, such as Ospi for a nice Italian pizza and a glass of wine. We will probably do a hike in Malibu or my go-to closer spot Inspiration Point in the Pacific Palisades. I would for sure book a hot springs trip in the Coachella Valley by Joshua Tree. I have a go-to glamping spot there that isn’t well known or advertising, with a hot pool, cold pool, hang out area, firepits and amazing views, just a 2.5 hour drive. We might check out the downtown nightlife and find a spot with a good DJ, some good house/electronic music. Bar Lis in Hollywood for jazz night or any other night and the views if we are feeling fancy. Belles Beach House in Venice for a nice Hawaiian themed brunch and since we love wine, for sure a day at the Cielo Farms Winery in Malibu for an even fancier time out. My best friend is a foodie and enjoys a well made craft cocktail so the above would be a trip tailored for her.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
The people in my life I would like to give a shoutout to are my husband Yavor, who has always supported me and what I do when I didn’t believe in myself. He has been self-employed in the creative field far longer than me and when I met him, I was only starting out and was quite insecure in my abilities. I also want to thank my friends Jared and Ana, the musicians I mentioned earlier and great friends to this day with whom spent a great deal of time with, who were my mentors in the beginning, breaking down steps, written exercises and numerous helpful conversations about how to transition from a 9-5 job into a creative freelance and self-employed life. Of course, I have to thank my close friends who have been with me through the years growing in much the same way, exchanging ideas and books on self-growth, entrepreneurship, anything business or personal goal- related. My bestie Simona who is as outgoing as I’m introverted, who always shares what she’s learned about marketing, sales and all the areas that I personally struggle in, but most importantly validates and uplifts me every single time I think everything I do sucks, my “doom and gloom” moments as I like to call them. My ex-roommate Christen and those late-night couch conversations after a glass of wine, talking about steps we need to take or discussing each other experiences as young self-employed women trying to make it. The number of books I’ve read are numerous and too many to list. One book I am currently reading and re-reading that I have to mention is the Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity by Julia Cameron. I don’t know where this book has been my whole life but it’s an eye opener. “The Four Agreements” and “The Five Levels of Attachment” by Don Miguel Ruiz are like my bibles that to this day I believe really helped me adjust my mindset in order to survive the ups and downs while still maintaining a value system that I don’t compromise on, which bleeds into my business and supports my strongest asset: being a joy to work with (my client’s words, not mine). “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie was a good book to read in my early 20’s and “The Book of Joy”, conversations between the Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu. I have books like “Atomic Habits” and “The Psychology of Money”, still kind of leafing through them. Finally, I have to thank my parents for leaving their home and bringing me to USA, supporting me with my decisions and being patient when they strongly disagreed with those same decisions.

Website: https://www.kalinapm.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kalina.pm/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kalinamondzholovska/

Other: My commercial business website: https://www.mond-studios.com/

Image Credit:
Yavor Vesselinov, Ivaylo Dimitrov