Life, Values & Legacy: Our Chat with Martina Sestakova of Kensington, MD

Martina Sestakova shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Martina, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: Have any recent moments made you laugh or feel proud?
I am proud of an art exhibition I organized to highlight the work of my students at a retirement community in Rockville, MD. I have been leading workshops there for over 8 years and three of my students (Blu, Ruth, and Rose) have worked diligently on any and all themes. In this art exhibition at Chesapeake Framing Co, each student has a display of 8-12 works. It’s just so much fun to bring their work to the public! And what’s so cool: these women are 92, 96, and 101-years old!

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Martina Sestakova and I am the owner at RADOST. This word means ‘joy’ in Czech (Prague is my hometown). I love stories and everything I do at RADOST concentrates on the power of story-telling in our lives. I paint and turn some of my works into textile patterns. My fabrics are then turned into scarves: each has a title and story of inspiration. They are available at local stores and also at the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. In terms of my paintings, I have three collections: Visual Insights into Life’s Beauty (art inspired by words), Embodiment (art inspired by movement), and Healing Garden (art that celebrates gardens as places of beauty and safety). In addition to creating, local art galleries work with me on curating their shows. I am also an art educator and focus on working at retirement communities in Maryland. There, I work with people 75 through 101 years-old. My three areas of focus (wearable art, paintings, and teaching) bring much variety into my everyday life and I enjoy creating and sharing my ideas.

Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
There is no particular moment: rather my childhood spent in Prague in my grandmother’s garden has had a huge impact on my life. I grew up in a three-generation home and thus had constant access to my grandparents. They were avid gardeners and my grandmother, especially, played a big role in who I am now. She was always around to listen to my ideas; she provided delicious food and hugs at any and all times. My childhood has reflected itself in how I life: I like cooking and being outside gives me enormous joy. My paintings often showcase nature and are also created outside whenever weather permits. My Healing Garden series is a direct ode to my grandmother’s garden in Prague. It was just such a fun place: one of colors, fresh air, big trees, and laughter. I cherish having memories of warmth and safety.

What’s something you changed your mind about after failing hard?
I wouldn’t call my example “failing hard” but running a business comes with a lot of “no”. In order to succeed, I put a lot of effort into promoting myself: calling stores, submitting to art calls, sharing my work online, and making in-person introductions. Over the years, I have heard a lot of “thank you, but we are not interested”. That’s hard – and could be by some considered a failure – but while I used to get sad about it, now I just use it as a prompt to keep going and find the next opportunity. It’s not the number of no; it’s the number of yes that has moved my career forward.

Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
That’s a fun question to think about! My friendships are very important to me and I would say they friends would mention that “connection” and “joy” matter the most to me. I believe in sharing and being vulnerable with people I feel safe with. And this is to be done on an everyday basis as well as during times scheduled to be together (e.g., a getaway). It’s so powerful to have people in my life I can go to and say: “Hey, I am going through something. Can I get your opinion?” And of course, vice versa. In terms of joy, I definitely consciously choose to see and experience joy in my daily life. Life is pretty fascinating and there is just so much to see and experience and do! I like to wake up and think: “Wow, let’s see what happens today.”

Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. What will you regret not doing? 
“I am worthy of an experience” is a big navigational belief in my life. I used to be shy and would either not do something or postpone it. Now, as an adult, I pay close attention to my ideas and through believing that I am worthy of them, I get to experience a lot of them. This reflects itself in my life and my career. So, my regret would be to forget how important my inner life is and that it’s a great guiding matter in my life.

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Image Credits
Martina Sestakova

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