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

Hi Karol, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I decided to pursue a creative career because creativity is what I’ve always been about. From the time I was an infant, I liked to draw. As I grew up, I discovered a love for movie making and costumes. Eventually, I acquired a passion for running themed events.

I spent a fair bit of my adult life working medical and teaching jobs. It paid well, but I knew it would have been a loss if I had never tapped my potential as an artist & creative person. Life is meant to be lived, and I’d rather spend my time doing things I am passionate about than simply being a cog in a wheel or letting my creativity flounder as I work on tedious & monotonous tasks.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I design clothing and accessories that are unique and tap into your own inner bad-ass or your favorite movie character. Products that stand out and are larger than life!

Getting to where I am now was a slow and tedious process. It takes a lot of time to build up a repertoire of work and a support system of customers. It takes a lot of persistence and drive. There have been so many times I’ve wanted to quit!

It’s impossible to quit, however, when you are passionate about being creative and delivering eye candy to your audience!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If we started out near my humble workshop in Huntington Park, I’d take them to a healthy lunch at Thirty5 Degrees. Other great alternatives would be the 1980s-looking food court for office workers at 4840 S Eastern Ave in Commerce, where you can get Japanese, Mediterranean and other cuisine. Or, I’d take them to my favorite Indian place: Curry Hut in Pico Rivera.

Otherwise, there are lots of places to see in Los Angeles. I could take them to downtown LA and the fashion district, or hit the beaches. If we headed towards midtown LA, there’s lots to see there: Melrose Ave for funky fashion, the Grove and The Original Farmers Market for a relaxing afternoon of shopping and eating, or West Hollywood if we wanted to see the heights of West Coast lifestyle and glamour.

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?
There are really so many people to thank! The friends who believed in me, the attendees of Wasteland Weekend who are now lifelong friends and customers, my ex-girlfriend who gave me advice and support, my mom who gave me financial support, marketing gurus who have taught me how to make the most of my online presence, and all the repeat customers out there who keep buying my latest designs and inspiring me.

Website: https://karolb.com

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karol-bartoszynski/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/karolbdotcom

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

Image Credits
(Cyberpunk) Ray Vera

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