We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Agata Uminska a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Agata, appreciate you making time for us and sharing your wisdom with the community. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others overcame obstacles can be helpful. One of those struggles is keeping creativity alive despite all the stresses, challenges and problems we might be dealing with. How do you keep your creativity alive?
Definetly being architect in such a big city as New York, where I am currently working helps keep my creativity alive. I think the first encounter of a passion is a discovery, followed by a lifetime of interest development. Be open and willing to keep learning new things and working on a passion, challenging projects. Each of us has their own facets of the profession that truly inspire and motivate them.
Have a growth mindset I think that is the key!
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I’m an architect and interior designer born and raised in Poland. I completed my Masters’ degree in Architecture and Urban Planning in Warsaw and also there my designer journey has started. Currently I’m based in New York City, where I work as an architect, specializing in retail projects.
Through all those years of experience I was creating concepts for local and international brands. In the past I was able to design stores around Europe. Now I am part of the New York architects community and challenging myself with projects for new brands like Veronica Beard or J. Crew.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
If I can think about qualities or skills it’s definitely being resourceful and keep going with your own path. The other thing is to look in a creative way on art – always is in my heart. The only advice I can suggest is to create your own step-by-step plan that leads to our goal. Of course, there will be many mistakes on this road, but also successes – both small and large. A good plan and not giving up is the basis of success! Be brave and try your best wherever your intuition tells you.
There are no wrong decisions, it depends only on us how we look at them.
What has been your biggest area of growth or improvement in the past 12 months?
It’s definitely a retail world I am a big part of right now. Since last year I have been part of the designing team creating concepts for luxurious brand “Veronica Beard”.
Each space of our client’s boutique is different, it is a new incarnation of the brand. Not only in terms of the area or the arrangement of the store itself, but above all, the spaces of the store differ in their decor. The last implementation of the “Veronica Beard ” brand project had its opening this month, July in Nashville, Tennessee.
That was definitely one of the challenges which helped me grow as an architect.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.behance.net/agatauminska
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/agata-uminska-8075731a6/
Image Credits
Veronica Beard
