Meet Joana Knezevic

We were lucky to catch up with Joana Knezevic recently and have shared our conversation below.

Joana, thank you so much for taking the time to share your lessons learned with us and we’re sure your wisdom will help many. So, one question that comes up often and that we’re hoping you can shed some light on is keeping creativity alive over long stretches – how do you keep your creativity alive?

I nurture and sustain my creativity through a multifaceted approach that integrates human connection, artistic engagement, physical well-being, and intentional solitude. Meeting people from diverse cultural backgrounds has been one of the most enriching influences on my creative process. These encounters not only broaden my worldview but also challenge me to think differently, to listen more deeply, and to empathize with experiences far removed from my own. I am constantly inspired by how people express themselves, carry their stories, and engage with the world—and these interactions provide a steady stream of material that informs and deepens my creative work.

Equally, I find that engaging with a wide range of media—from literature and academic articles to theater performances, films, and television—keeps my imagination active and my mind open. These forms of storytelling expose me to different aesthetics, narrative structures, emotional textures, and philosophical perspectives. Physical activities like running and working out help me maintain both mental clarity and emotional balance, offering a release that often sparks new ideas. My exploration of veganism is also part of this creative nourishment; it reflects a conscious lifestyle choice that fosters mindfulness and empathy, which are essential qualities in my artistic practice.

Traveling and working across the globe have been transformative for me, not only because they allow me to discover new places but also because they place me in dynamic, often unpredictable environments. These experiences fuel my adaptability and deepen my sense of cultural awareness, which in turn shapes the characters I portray and the stories I choose to tell. Collaborating with artists from different parts of the world challenges me to expand my creative vocabulary and to rethink what performance can be.

As a professional actress, one of the most vital tools in my artistic toolkit is the ability to truly listen to others, to my surroundings, and myself. Being fully present and attuned to the moment is essential, as it allows me to absorb a wealth of sensory and emotional information. These impressions serve as the raw material from which characters, emotions, and performances are constructed. However, maintaining this level of sensitivity can also be challenging, particularly in today’s fast-paced, information-saturated world. The sheer volume of global events and digital noise can overwhelm the senses and cloud creative intuition. This is why I have learned to be discerning about the information I allow into my mental and emotional space. Without this selectivity, there is a real risk of creative burnout or paralysis—a kind of psychological clutter that obstructs meaningful expression.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

My name is Joana Knezevic, and I am a professional international actress, director, and educator, originally from Serbia. I hold a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Acting from the California Institute of the Arts, where I graduated in 2018. My artistic journey has been shaped by a deep commitment to cross-cultural collaboration and storytelling that transcends borders.

Over the years, my work as both an actress and director has been presented in a range of international contexts, including the United States, China, France, Spain, Cuba, Italy, Serbia, Sweden, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. I have collaborated with artists from around the globe across multiple disciplines—film, television, theater, and voice-over—bringing diverse narratives to life and contributing to intercultural dialogue through performance.

Currently based in China, I recently completed my first semester teaching acting and drama to young Chinese students. This teaching experience has been both professionally enriching and personally inspiring, reaffirming my belief in the transformative power of performance education. Last month, I had the honor of speaking at TEDxQingdao, where I delivered a talk on curiosity, framing it through the lens of my personal experience as a woman born with a cleft lip. I reflected on the challenges and resilience that have marked my journey in the performing arts industry, as well as the broader issue of misrepresentation in film and theater. The event provided a powerful platform to engage with others’ stories while sharing my own, highlighting the importance of visibility and authenticity in storytelling.

Spending time in China has profoundly influenced my creative and academic aspirations. It has reignited my curiosity and motivated me to pursue doctoral studies. I am currently in the process of researching potential PhD programs, identifying mentors, institutions, and areas of inquiry that align with my passion for performance, representation, and intercultural artistic exchange.
Besides that I will constantly search for my theaters tribe and create my work. Theater is love, and without that love and connection I cannot imagine my life.

I believe I am ready to embark on this next phase of my journey—one that combines academic research with artistic practice, and that allows me to contribute meaningfully to the ongoing discourse around identity, performance, and global storytelling.

Though I may dream and plan, the final judgment rests with God.

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?

Reflecting on my journey so far, three core qualities and areas of knowledge have had a profound impact on both my personal development and professional growth as an artist: perseverance, discipline, and continuous learning.

The first and perhaps most vital quality has been unwavering perseverance—the commitment to never give up, no matter the circumstances. The artistic path is filled with uncertainty, rejection, and moments of self-doubt. I have learned that it is essential to silence the internal and external voices that claim something is impossible. With an open mind, a willingness to take risks, and above all, a deep love for the craft, the seemingly impossible becomes attainable. Passion fuels persistence, and this persistence has enabled me to keep moving forward even in the face of adversity.

Secondly, discipline is the foundation upon which all sustainable artistic practice is built. Without discipline, even the smallest steps become daunting. For me, discipline is not merely about sticking to a schedule; it is a holistic commitment to self-awareness, honesty, and intentionality. It requires establishing a personal structure that supports growth, while also holding oneself accountable in the face of setbacks. Discipline extends into every dimension of life—artistic practice, relationships, nutrition, the environment we inhabit, and the way we interact with the world. It demands resilience and the courage to fail repeatedly and to start again without losing momentum or clarity of purpose.

The third key element of my development has been an unwavering dedication to lifelong learning and creative collaboration. Whenever possible, I seek out workshops, training programs, and learning opportunities related to my field. These spaces are not only essential for acquiring new techniques and deepening one’s understanding of performance, but they also offer invaluable opportunities for networking, idea exchange, and collaborative exploration. As an actor, my body is my primary instrument. It must be nurtured, trained, and respected. There is no substitute for it. Thus, daily practice, research, and study are non-negotiable aspects of my life. I strive to grow with each new role, each rehearsal, and each interaction.

I also believe that inspiration is everywhere, if one is attuned to it. Conversations with fellow creatives, shared moments with students, or even the subtle beauty of a flower on the street can become the spark for a new project. Staying curious, observant, and open to the world keeps the creative flame alive and evolving.

In essence, my journey continues to be shaped by the intersection of determination, discipline, and an insatiable hunger for learning and artistic dialogue. These qualities not only sustain my practice but continue to define who I am as both an artist and a human being.

Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?

Victor Hugo’s The Man Who Laughs has had a profound and deeply personal impact on my life and artistic development. More than a literary masterpiece, it served as a mirror through which I could better understand my own experiences and emotional journey. The novel tells the story of Gwynplaine, a man disfigured in childhood whose face is carved into a permanent grin—an image that society mocks even as it exploits. His physical appearance becomes a symbol of exclusion, spectacle, and misunderstanding. Yet, despite his outward disfigurement, Gwynplaine possesses a profound inner humanity and emotional depth, which only a few, like the blind and devoted Dea, are able to truly see.

My connection to this story is not merely intellectual—it is visceral. I was born with a cleft lip, and like Gwynplaine, I experienced the harsh reality of being judged and misunderstood based on physical appearance. Growing up, I faced not only the medical challenges of undergoing multiple surgeries but also the emotional toll of not being fully accepted by society. For many years, my identity felt shaped by how others saw me—filtered through the lens of difference, stigma, and pity. The pressure to “correct” myself, to become palatable for the outside world, weighed heavily.

Reading The Man Who Laughs helped me articulate emotions I had long carried but struggled to define. I saw in Gwynplaine a reflection of my own journey—a person marked by visible difference, yet striving to live with dignity, courage, and authenticity. His story reminded me that circumstances can change, not necessarily by erasing what makes us different, but by confronting prejudice, refusing to be diminished by others’ perceptions, and holding on to a deep love for life. Gwynplaine’s resilience, his moral clarity, and his capacity to love despite the cruelty of the world echoed my own belief that transformation is possible when you remain committed to truth, integrity, and inner strength.

What I found especially powerful was Hugo’s insistence that society’s gaze is often flawed, and that real vision—like Dea’s—is not dependent on sight but on the ability to perceive the essence of a person. That lesson has stayed with me not only in life but in my artistic practice. As an actress, I strive to bring that same depth of understanding to the characters I inhabit—to see and portray not just the external narrative, but the invisible emotional landscapes within.

Ultimately, The Man Who Laughs affirmed for me that pain can become a source of power, and that the very things that once isolated us can later become the wellspring of our strength, empathy, and creativity. It is a story that gave me language for my own experience, and a reminder that art has the power not only to reflect life but to heal, transform, and inspire it.

”The difficulty of being satisfied by half-ideas does not exist for him.”

”He felt himself put outside the pale of life. He felt that man had failed him. He was ten years old.”

”To climb is the function of a man; to clamber is that of an animal—he did both.”

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @joanaknezevic
• Linkedin: https://rs.linkedin.com/in/joana-knezevic-actress?trk=people-guest_people_search-card
• Twitter: @KnezevicJoana
• Youtube: @joanaknezevic5715
• Other: TEDx video > https://youtu.be/my7Fecpt6sM?si=liul13-GsSxcghTx

Image Credits

DAG
David Cruz
Mladen Maric
Tanja Drobnjak
Gilles Vidal