We were lucky to catch up with Anna Buksowicz recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Anna, so excited to have you with us today and we are really interested in hearing your thoughts about how folks can develop their empathy? In our experience, most folks want to be empathic towards others, but in a world where we are often only surrounded by people who are very similar to us, it can sometimes be a challenge to develop empathy for others who might not be as similar to us. Any thoughts or advice?
Open-mindedness. Curiosity. Genuine love. Purpose.
As artists, I think a lot of us tend to be naturally empathetic because we notice detail. I’ve been quite observant my whole life.
I believe that empathy comes from having a purpose in the world besides personal goals; knowing that you’re alive to make the world better. There’s a quote from Avatar I live by, that goes “all energy is borrowed, and one day you have to give it back”. No matter what philosophy or god you believe in, it’s obvious that everything is connected and constantly influenced by itself. To be empathetic is to see everything as one. No emotion is strange to just a singular person, we all go through the same feelings. Be kind to others.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I am a Production Designer working full-time in the film industry in Los Angeles. I first came to LA three years ago to pursue a master’s in filmmaking at the New York Film Academy, which I graduated from last year. It was in film school that I built my network—genuine friends who understood me and who continue to help me in my career. Through the honesty required in great storytelling, my classmates and I developed a strong connection. Since moving here, I’ve realized that the more authentic I am, the more I attract like-minded people. The same goes for my work—when I focus on ideas I truly believe in, the results follow. While I was fortunate enough to study in Hollywood on a scholarship, success didn’t just fall into my lap. I spent years working hard, carving out my own path, and fighting for what I believe in. Now, I’m finally starting to see the results.
None of my friends or family were involved in the film industry, so choosing to pursue a full-time career in the arts was definitely intimidating. What pushed me forward was my deep desire to succeed. That drive was so strong that I did everything I could, day in and day out, to make progress. While I’m not yet where I want to be, I can look back on my journey and proudly say, “I made it.”
I’ve been fortunate enough to work on plenty of meaningful projects, and collaborate with incredibly creative heads of departments. Most recently, I wrapped short film “Flutter” (written & directed by Sofia Ayerdi, and produced by Tracy Dillon) – which is a magical realist story of a young girl falling in love again. That project was equally demanding and rewarding, and definitely the work I’m most proud of to date.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Time management is incredibly important, and actually an easy skill to learn, and will help you to always show up on time (or 15 minutes before call time, as they say). When you’re freelancing, you create your own schedule, which is tricky because artists sometimes need to ‘be bored’, and it can easily feel like laziness or procrastination. Last year I bought a legend planner, and have noted & planned my days/weeks/months by the hour. I’m not too harsh on myself and understand to be adaptable to external circumstances, but keeping tabs on what I’m doing helps me how I’m spending my time, and with that, areas I can improve on. I color code too, so I can get a visual overview of where my hours went that week. And I plan weekly to be ‘bored’.
Also, confidence and curiosity.
Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?
“Letters to a Young Poet” by Rainer Rilke. A short and beautiful book filled with lessons of life: “Do not now look for the answers. They cannot now be given to you because you could not live them. It is a question of experiencing everything” and love: “For one human being to love another; that is perhaps the most difficult of all our tasks, the ultimate, the last test and proof, the work for which all other work is but preparation. This is the miracle that happens every time to those who really love: the more they give, the more they possess.”
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.anna-maria-buksowicz.com/productiondesign
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annabuksowicz/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-buksowicz/
Image Credits
Blaine V. Harrington
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