We recently connected with Kenny Zablotsky and have shared our conversation below.
Kenny, we are so deeply grateful to you for opening up about your journey with mental health in the hops that it can help someone who might be going through something similar. Can you talk to us about your mental health journey and how you overcame or persisted despite any issues? For readers, please note this is not medical advice, we are not doctors, you should always consult professionals for advice and that this is merely one person sharing their story and experience.
Mental health issues are something that I have dealt with for many years following childhood sexual abuse that occurred at the school I attended; but until recently my coping mechanisms for my trauma were unhealthy distractions like substance abuse and obsessive focus on my career. At those points in my life, I dealt the best that I could with the resources that I had available and my actions and decisions led me to where I am today – for the good and the bad. In some ways, I’m very much the “troubled artist” with all of the mental health anecdotes that come along with that – but this year I am making a turn from just surviving life towards regrowth and revitalization.
During the Pandemic, I began my sobriety journey and sought assistance from a variety of professional resources. I found talk therapy as well as somatic movement and sound baths all necessary for my healing to begin. I also started spending a lot of time making art after having taken many years away from actively creating. During college I would often paint canvas panels with acrylic and multimedia texture elements. 2020 was a year that I started revisiting my Jewish culture and I was drawn to symbolism of the Hamsa and Star of David, and began making more sculptural work; gluing metal jewelry charms that I bought by the hundreds to objects that I would thrift or upcycle. I liked making art, but that was the only thing bringing me happiness for a while. Eventually, staying sober led to a deep depression and I shut off from almost everything else in the world and I left my corporate career in workplace management. I finally met with a psychiatrist at the suggestion of my cousin and started taking medication as part of my mental health regiment. Medication was a huge blessing and something that I wish wasn’t so stigmatized.
After 19 years of living in New York, I moved back to my childhood home to be closer to my family and have space to make art full time. I now occupy 3 of the bedrooms with various design materials and storage throughout! It’s also been a great asset to have both of my brothers in town and to be able to show them my creations; and I FaceTime my sister who lives in Houston whenever I want to include her in things.
My mental health journey will be something that I continue to deal with for the rest of my life, but I’ve tried to make friends with it – it’s part of who I am and I want to love myself in entirety. Also, some of my best creative work is done during some of my moodier days; so although it can be socially challenging at times, the resulting art is usually gratifying after a depressive episode. I also run my e-commerce website where I sell my art, and with that those dark days are trickier to honor commitments and fulfill orders, but I push through as best I can. I call it #kennyproblems. It’s all part of the process of my life.
I am grateful for the privilege to live in a safe environment where I can focus on my sobriety, mental health, and art; as I recognize that many people are not as fortunate. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of some of my art on JEWISHJOY.co goes to benefit Beit T’Shuvah a drug and rehab center in Los Angeles, California to help those in need.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
Art has the ability to spark meaningful conversations and contribute to thought-provoking dialogues. When creating my own art, much of it stems from that same root of internal dialogue and conversation in my mind. My art speaks to me and resonates with my emotions and passions in a way that is uniquely my own.
I’m not religious, but I’m Jewish in my heart and I wanted to celebrate my Judaism from the cultural angle exploring my heritage and traditions. I decided that pursuing Judaica art that I could have around the home and share with others would bring me joy (#JewishJoy). The goal is to make things that would be both functional and decorative as well as culturally significant.
To begin my art journey, I started looking at my ancestry and didn’t know much about the towns in Eastern Europe where my grandparents lived prior to the Holocaust. I wanted to imagine a world of what it might have been like and combine the different regional styles from where they originated. That’s how I developed the name of my design studio Hamsas of Munkatch, an imaginary version of the town Munkacz. Munkatch is basically a cultural melting pot with Hungarian, Jewish, and Ukrainian vibes creating the ultimate fusion. I use my Hebrew name Channan Tzvi when designing two further connect me with my Jewish heritage (otherwise I go by Kenny Zablotsky).
The materials selected for my 2023 launch collection like the felt made from recycled water bottles or the vintage 1970s wooden beads, bring with them a history and past of their own that highlight the value that Hamsas of Munkatch places on celebrating and finding joy in our Jewish culture and Heritage. With the support from outsourced speciality trades like laser cutting and machine embroidery, my intention was to create objects that would enrich my surroundings and life with visual reminders of all the good things Judaism has to offer. Sometimes you need something “A BISSLE UNGEPATCHKA” which means “a little over the top” in Yiddish, to liven up an otherwise contemporary living environment and reinvigorate your mind.
I celebrate natural materials and imperfection in my art and rarely measure things precisely to prove the point that there is beauty in things slightly askew. Nobody’s perfect and materials like reclaimed wood works a metaphor for our own lives. Like the wood we reclaim, we’re all marked by the events of our past. Yesterday’s challenges are what made us who we are today; they gave us character.
I’m working on a few different projects this year including some wall art that involves large format felt Hamsas covered in layers of materials presented in shadowboxes and a collection of tabletop decor including wine bottle holders and cork toppers. I’ve been working with resin and some jewelry techniques as I continue to explore various mediums.
My artwork is primarily available on my website JEWISHJOY.co where I also curate creative work from other small Judaica business artists. I’m working on finishing a few pieces for my first group exhibit since 2005 that will be in May 2024 at the Windsor Arts Center in Connecticut entitled “Walking in the World.”
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
1. ARTISTIC EXPLORATION | Don’t limit yourself to a singular method or technique or design style. Continuous play is what makes art fun and can result in magic! Be free to explore and learn about the full extent of art history and architectural design or whatever inspires you. Your work will have more depth and substance the more you diversify your discovery for inspiration. I believe that what is intended for us will occur if we behave authentically, and that by embracing every opportunity to discover thought provoking artwork we journey closer to what is meant for us. Even once you have an established medium you may change your taste and adapt to a new preference. Let your art be a reflection of your journey and passions and the stories that you want to tell.
2. BE A KEEN OBSERVER | Oprah likes to credit Maya Angelou for saying that you should believe someone when they show you who they are the first time. I agree that our actions tell more about who we are than anything else; and I like to pay attention to small details of human interactions as they can often be hugely informative. That being said, people can make efforts to change – but without effort talk is cheap. I follow my gut when it comes to whether or not I want to work with someone based on these cues because it can have a direct impact on the perception and distribution of my art to the general public. Practically, I would use this when I determine if the team running a charity event is going to support my needs in addition to their own and provide marketing value; and if the sales staff at a gallery is timely in their responses, kind and courteous, knowledgeable and honest. If people seem frazzled dealing with you as an artist, that’s likely how they will behave when representing your art to buyers. I’ve had some bad experiences that wasted time and money and have been able to course-correct to make changes so that mistakes aren’t repeated. Ultimately, you have to look out for yourself and I like to be the final set of eyes on things when possible to ensure quality control.
3. GRIT | To offer an item that you created for sale, it takes courage and grit. Sometimes, you have to almost be delusional in your belief that your art is good enough to share with others when you are first stating on a new project. Once you get past your personal demons and the art is available to the public, is where the grit comes into play because now people will start offering unsolicited feedback and suggestions about how it could be different or whether it is worthy of whatever the attached value. When you’re starting out like me, you function in many roles and it is important to compartmentalize the tasks and desired outcomes; and modify your behavior and expectation accordingly. For example, in an art forum I might go into detail about a specific work and the production process and material development hoping to chat a bit with the person. However, at a craft fair, if someone comes into your booth and says something negative about your work in passing, it may not be worth your energy to try to convince them to change their opinion. The grit is in staying silent and thinking “well, there is something for everyone in the world” and waiting for them to walk away so that you can reserve your positive mood for the next customer who does want to share in the joy and talk to you! You won’t be able to please everyone in the world and your art shouldn’t be for everyone – it’s special!
All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?
Life is a winding journey of ebbs and flows, with some things in our control and others that we must incorporate as they occur. Honoring that process, and having patience and understanding for change is often a struggle for me.
In the past, I avoided my true emotions by attempting to maintain a rigid structure and dictatorial order in all aspects of my career and personal life. It didn’t serve me well to do that, but focusing on my mental health and physical wellness has not been a simple switch.
My art has been an outlet for me to heal and grow, but it also reminds me of my pain and struggles. Moving forward is slow, so I have to remind myself to be gentle with my timeline through the process.
I miss the financial stability that I had during my corporate career and the personal validation that came along with that achievement. I made some decisions to participate in events or rushed to complete work that I wasn’t entirely proud of for a false deadline while chasing commercial success and income as an artist. I’m starting to realize now the cost of those decisions and am setting boundaries to protect my peace. Saying no to peripheral opportunities and focusing on self-care and the creative process is the motto for this year I hope that I can maintain this approach while the rest of the world moves around me.
To help me stay mindful of this approach and become more resilient, I enrolled in a weekly Kabbalah class through the Kabbalah Center in Los Angeles. The virtual sessions remind me that everything is temporary, and that everything that happens has something to teach us; so we should pause and consider the lesson in things. It’s not always easy, but when I catch myself and do it, it is helpful.
We all deserve a life that feels good for our nervous systems.
Contact Info:
- Website: jewishjoy.co
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hamsasofmunkatch/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennyzablotsky
