Meet Ronika Merl | Writer and Director

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

Hi Ronika, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
For me, it was never really a choice, I think. One of my earliest childhood memories is when I used to sit on a rock high above a waterfall, somewhere in the mountains in India – and all I could do, all day, was to just make up stories in my head. Act them out, dance and sing – with no one watching but the boulders and the Himalayas themselves. When I discovered that other people hallucinated vividly as well and there was such a thing as *writing* or -gasp!- even making your writing into *moving pictures!* that really changed a whole universe for me. All of a sudden there was a pathway for me to bring those images inside my head out into the real world. No, becoming a filmmaker, writing, storytelling… it was not a choice. I was born this way. And I think some of us just are born to do this.
Of course I pursued other career paths: I was a prostitute in my teens, worked in IT, I negotiated real estate contracts for most of my twenties, but it never quite went away.
becoming a writer, becoming a filmmaker, it was never really something I could push away.
So I guess to answer this question, I’d have to say: I had no other choice but to pursue an artistic career. If I had denied myself any longer than I did, I would have lost everything that made me… me.

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.
Getting to where I am was not a straightforward path. Overnight success does not exist. And because we are human, we falter along the way, we doubt ourselves – we sometimes even forget ourselves. What I can say is that the best advice I can give any artist – whether they’re musicians, performers, writers, visual artists, whatever it is – is to live. Have babies or travel the world – or do both (as I did). Or meditate. Meet people. Live. Be alive. Fall in love. Get your heart broken. LIVE. That is what will make your art better. That is what will make you into a great artist. Go do the most boring, mundane desk job in the world. Live well. Eat well. Drink. Get sober. Be healthy.
We always think that in order to be an artist, we have to have this tragic, tortured self, but I find that’s not the case. All we need is to have a full life. From that fullness, we can create. It is a winding, sometimes narrow, sometimes steep, sometimes wide and welcoming path.
Overcoming challenges is especially hard when you’re empty, so allowing yourself to exist and live well, surrounding yourself with friends who love you, and lift you up – that is what will get you through.
And what’s always important to me is to remember that I don’t ever stop being an artist just because I didn’t do my art for a while.

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?
I travel a lot. A lot. Currently I live in Dublin, but I divide my time between Dublin, Ireland, and London. I’ve also lived in Austria and India, but there’s hardly a month when I’m not on the go to somewhere. My favourite part in every city is the place where the artists go. This might be Camden in London, the Museumsquartier in Vienna, Stoneybatter here in Dublin. I seek out the little cafe where the barista is definitely not just a barista but definitely has like at least twenty seven bands or side hustles. I am always drawn to the places where the coffee or the drinks are still cheap but the atmosphere is vibrant.
If you can find a place where there’s music playing on a random Tuesday evening – that is the place in any city you should go to. Dance with the locals. Find the random Australian backpacker (because there is always at least one!) and hang with them. Talk to the surfer dude (because there is always one).
In my current city, Dublin, my favourite place to go is Sin E for the nightlife (it’s a comfy Dublin bar), but my favourite place in Ireland is a cliff just outside of Dublin. It’s situated above two lakes and I love it there.

So for a week in Dublin, this is what I’d recommend:
To settle in, go get yourself a breakfast somewhere in Temple Bar. A full Irish is a must. Then go to the Gay Spar (yes, it is a shop that has branded itself as Gay, and there’s a rainbow crossing, and there is no door on the shop – because it’s always open and welcomes everyone) to get yourself a snack.
Then walk around Dublin – go up to Christchurch, visit Dublinia (to discover ancient Viking roots).
The next day, I’d go out to Howth, follow Joyce’s footsteps. It’s a beautiful fishing village with a cliff walk.
Day Three: day drinking in Phibsboro. Comfy pubs and vibrant atmosphere. End up in McGowan’s for a bit of dancing.
To cure the hangover on Day four drive out to the Dublin mountains and experience the most beautiful bleak landscape you’ve ever seen.
Day five: theatre. There are shows and improv comedy and musicians in every corner of this city. Find yourself a comedy gig as Wigwam (and go see my good friend Shane perform!), or sit in Doyle’s and listen to the trad band.
Day six: Phoenix park and the zoo. Phoenix park is the biggest park within a city in Europe and it is kept WILD.
And day seven: Epic. It is one of the best museums in Europe. It centres around the Irish experience, with a particularly good depiction of what the famine was actually like.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would dedicate this shoutout to Saoirse Women’s Refuge and Women’s Aid Ireland, who helped me a few years ago when I was in a very dangerous and dire situation, leaving my ex partner. Women’s aid and women’s refuges work to help women and non-binary people (and there are men’s refuges and men’s aid in most countries as well) escape domestic violence situations, help them re-settle in new housing, help them with court dates and very often also provide counseling services or help with finding childcare.
It is a vital part of society that very often gets overlooked. They help where police cannot help anymore, and provide a life-saving service to so many.

Website: ronikamerl.com

Instagram: @ronika.merl

Linkedin: Ronika Merl