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

Hi Bella, do you disagree with some advice that is more or less universally accepted?
That practice makes perfect. That’s a false narrative, practice doesn’t make perfect. Practice makes Progress. It’s this shift in mindset that released me from the grip of “perfectionism”.

At some point in my journey I started to feel as though every new piece I shared had to be better than the one before, that it had to be perfect. Well, now I’ve finally realised that this is simply not true, it’s important to just create, make art for art’s sake, to experiment with new ideas, to fail often, and through it all just keep going.

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 fell into photography while exploring how to better my Photoshop skills. During that time I felt quite lost in my life and was deeply unsure about the direction I wanted to go in. I simply didn’t know what I was good at and in the meanwhile I was on a path that wasn’t sparking any joy.

Photography quickly became my way of escaping the trials of reality and I felt that in this space I could be myself, to linger a little longer in the fantasy worlds that I dreamed of, and plus it got me out of the house (and my head). I was in nature, the woods, fields, and gardens became my playground, the seasons something I would watch and learn about. It opened up my whole world and since I stepped on this path I’ve never looked back.

If I’ve learnt anything from this (and the pandemic) it’s that it’s worth exploring what outlet suits the inner creativity that lives in many of us. It could be cooking, making things, DIY, art, music, gardening… and when you have something that can be a channel for expression, it helps when the trials of reality appear and disappear in their different forms.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would absolutely shoutout to my online community, some of whom have been there from the very beginning back in the days when I used to post on Flickr!

It’s this support across time and social media platforms that motivated me, nurtured my artistic growth, and gave me the strength to leave my 9-6 job and pursue this passion full time.

Website: www.bellakotak.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bellakotak/

Linkedin: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/bella-kotak-23720332

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bellakotak

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bellakotakphotography

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/bellakotak

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