We were lucky to catch up with Marta Gwizdala recently and have shared our conversation below.
Marta, so great to have you on the platform and excited to have you share your wisdom with our community today. Communication skills often play a powerful role in our ability to be effective and so we’d love to hear about how you developed your communication skills.
I am originally from Poland and had to improve my English very quickly to be able to talk with people here. I would say Netflix helped me with that, by improving my understanding (laughs). I had to push myself out of my comfort zone after changing environments, having moved from the Polish community in Chicago to the community in Wisconsin. I don’t know many Polish people here, so I had to speak English everywhere. So I improved by talking, talking, and talking. My husband was helping me all the time. I love talking with people, but the first year in the USA was difficult. I couldn’t express myself well. Now it’s totally different. I found friends, I met many people. One year ago, I was scared to talk on the phone in English with people (I am still, a little bit). I speak very quietly, and sometimes people don’t hear me well. However, I wanted to stop asking my husband to call for me. I wanted to speak with people by myself. Even at the dentist appointment, wait, that’s actually a bad example, I don’t speak there well… (laughing). I like people; I want them to understand me and for me to understand them. So mostly my motivation makes me speak and connect effectively. I am still working on it; it isn’t perfect…but if people feel comfortable around me, this is what matters most. I also read a lot of books and watch many podcasts about self-awareness, self-consciousness, and such.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I am Marta Gwizdala, an artist from Poland now living in Wisconsin for the past few years. I have been painting since I was 4 and won my first art competition when I was 10 years old and was awarded a trip to Paris. I trained to be a diplomat, but instead I pursued an art career, thanks to my supporting husband and family. As a mixed media artist, I specialize in 3D textured acrylic art combined with epoxy resin and many more materials.
My art studio is in The Arts Mill, at 1300 14th Ave, Grafton, WI 53024. I am also a Cedarburg Artists Guild member.
My paintings evoke a sense of nostalgia, an idealistic, homesick love letter to a home left behind, with the fantastic elements we tie to our homes as children. These paintings are meant to capture the way immigrants remember the homes they leave as children: idealistic, beautiful, but also mysterious… like a distant, fantastical memory. In my paintings, I combine the rolling green landscapes of my Slavic homeland with the folklore elements found therein. The titles of my paintings are often a play on words, to underline the playful, childlike nature of these portrayals. With these works, I strive to bring comfort to those who miss home and capture their imaginations with a visual sense of awe and longing. Making art is helping me to appreciate the world more. I hope that someday my art will heal someone else too. I hope you will like my unique style.
I am an Impressionist artist, with elements of both modern and contemporary art. I love creating art because it’s an expression of my soul. In my artwork, I present my dreams, sentimental moments, travels, and both good and challenging memories. I explore ironic themes and sometimes address social issues like health matters.
I have my social media @margwizart if you want to find me!
I am also planning an event. Join me for a Sweetheart Soiree on Feb 10, 2024, from 5 to 8 pm at The Arts Mill, Grafton, WI. Explore my 3D art, chat, and snag cool stuff. The first 10 spenders over $30 get free chocolates! Win a painting in our lottery. Free cocoa for all. See you at 1300 14th Ave, Grafton, WI.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
1) Being more confident (I am still working on accepting myself). Being more optimistic and happy (I am a realistic person). Being more open to people (I am an introvert). I am also a hardworking person, so being determined and passionate. I am a dreamer; I want to make my dreams come true. I am ambitious but sometimes too harsh on myself. Those skills made me become who I am. Of course, my journey is not only about skills and emotions…I came to the USA because of love. Love made me pursue art and start this journey.
So, here’s my story – I was born in 1996 in Warsaw, Poland, and moved from Poland to the USA, whilst dealing with family drama, loneliness, abuse, and financial struggles for a very long time in my life. Art became my escape, helping me deal with self-acceptance and the ups and downs of life. I started painting at the age of 4. My parents got divorced. Things got even messier with toxic relationships and the responsibility of caring for my younger sister.
Life hasn’t been a walk in the park. I’m introverted, battled some tough stuff, traumatic incidents, and dealt with a food disorder and depression when I was a young teenager. At 19, I lost my place to live. Toxic relationships didn’t help either. But hey, my dad was a solid support, urging me to break free. My dad played a crucial role in my art life too; he was always supportive. When I was 10 years old, I won an art contest and was awarded a trip to Paris. It was difficult at that time to get a passport and travel because Poland was just getting free of communism. But my dad did everything to get that passport for me.
For 19 long years, my existence seemed to be an unending procession of suffering—a life marred by isolation, depression, and the scars of trauma. An introvert, shy, and closed, I sought refuge in the shadows, desperate for an escape from the relentless pain. But then, my dad became my rock, pushing me to break free from a troubled past. My narrative took a turn in the rainy streets of Chicago, where I stumbled upon a Polish club – a surprising haven of kindness that turned my life around.
I got lost in Chicago when I was heading to my internship in the Consulate. I was studying international relations. I lost my way to work and from work to the convent where I was staying. When I got lost again, I encountered a Polish club that shifted things. Love comes into play. I met nice people who helped me, and those people later helped me also with other things. One friend told me that he likes me and he will find me a future husband who will propose to me before I leave. I doubted it, as I had only taken my most mundane clothes with me for this internship. I didn’t want to date. But I was meeting more people. Then I had a strong feeling (it’s hard to explain, but I believe it’s from God because I’ve never felt something like that before), and I decided to extend my trip. Good people helped me make this happen. A friend told me that one block from me he has a friend. That’s how I met my future brother-in-law.
My future brother-in-law questions a guy who paints miniatures, wondering who’d appreciate it. My simple response: “Someone will appreciate it for sure.” Spoiler alert: that seemingly ordinary hobby becomes a thread that weaves the tapestry of my love story with Mateusz, my husband. We discover love is the healing balm for our souls. Within a month of being together, Mateusz proposed to me. Our shared hobbies, jokes, needs, and life purposes align seamlessly. We didn’t plan to get married early; Matt needed to end his residency. I come back to Poland to end my studies. We were seeing each other, but before my last trip in April, COVID happened along with the travel ban. We couldn’t see each other. Love, unexpected and unfiltered, bridged the distance, during our 181 days of agonizing separation during a global pandemic. It was super traumatic, we didn’t know then if we would see each other again. We were suffering also from people’s skepticism. They didn’t believe in our long-distance relationship and fast engagement. Mateusz risked a lot during the pandemic to save lives.
Finally, because of #loveisnottourism, our reunion happened in Mexico. We decided to risk and see each other. We did quarantine there too. It was the only place where I could travel from Poland. He begged his boss for a few days to see me. And we took a gamble to be together in the USA; I mean, we spoke with lawyers, and it seemed legit, but it was still scary. We decided that if they would not let us meet, I would wait for Mateusz, and he would become a doctor in Poland. The USA could lose another doctor (laughing). But it’s also serious; we need more doctors here. After a challenging reunion in Mexico, Mateusz proposed again, marking a new chapter. We got married three months later only with witnesses present because our parents couldn’t attend the wedding (again due to travel bans and other restrictions). So I did not have a beautiful wedding ceremony. After that, we went home to eat pizza and watch Netflix. I always wanted to be walked down the aisle by my dad, so my sister could be a witness. Now I only have a chance that I will be a witness at my sister’s wedding. But I lost my chance. We started from scratch in a small basement apartment, struggling to make ends meet, eating very poor-quality food, so my food disorder got worse. I gained 15 kg in 3 months. We were struggling with that; I couldn’t work because I was waiting for my green card and we were paying a lot for those immigration applications.
We didn’t have a honeymoon; we couldn’t afford that. When the pandemic got better, we did a small trip with a rental car (we couldn’t even afford a car) to Wisconsin, where things settled a few months later. Wisconsin was looking like my homeland to me, especially when I was a kid. More landscapes, love for cheese and wine. My other struggles were to lose my weight (it took me 2 years) with professional help. But I did it. We also finally saw my family. Because of the green card process; I couldn’t see my dad for more than one year. I didn’t have any friends here at that time. I needed to meet people, but I was so scared, shy, that I didn’t know how to do it. But Mateusz gave me all of his support.
I started a small business. I do makeup. I was practicing very long before I did it. By finding free models, I met new friends with whom I have a lot in common. Because of my husband’s work, I also met other friends who shared similar things too. But makeup wasn’t enough. It was something that I liked still, but not my top interest. We went on our first honeymoon one year later to Sarasota and another year later to New Orleans. That place changed me. Because of my travels and other challenges, I didn’t paint for about 4 years. All my life, I hated my weird art style. I could not accept that I can’t be like others. I got inspiration again to do it. What I saw in the galleries amazed me. I even found my favorite artist, who I still follow to this day. I started painting at home, just to do decorations. But my husband told me that I should start showing my art. With time, I started liking what I do; I started liking the art again. Then I joined the Cedarburg Artist Guild to show my art. I still wasn’t selling. Later, when my dad visited me last summer, we stumbled by a small hidden art gallery. Another artist told us that they have art studios there for rent. It wasn’t a coincidence, because I even share the same name with that artist! I was scared to send my CV, but the Arts Mill let me join the same day. Now I have my art studio. I met many more people, and every day I meet more. It’s amazing. I am still introverted, but I love people; they inspire me, and they support me. As a young woman who doesn’t have a professional look (people often think that I am too young for everything) and possibilities, I am still struggling with many problems. I am always compared, or people often doubt in me. They think that I don’t get money from art, that I will never do that, that’s only because my husband is rich (laughing – because we can’t even afford a condominium), I often live in someone’s shadow. I am talking too quietly; people don’t take me seriously, don’t understand my art, how much time and materials it takes. I hate that, but I also have a lot of love and support. Without that, it would be difficult.
In the USA, I learned that I am worthy, and I can be happy. Simply saying hello on the streets to strangers makes my day better. I got a bracelet, a swallow, from Dad, which symbolizes beauty emerging from adversity – a metaphor for my journey. Swallows are everywhere in Poland, and they symbolize migration. They used to live under my roof in my flats in a small city. Each stroke in my paintings tells a story of resilience, influenced by a tough past. Love played a huge role in this transformation. It fueled my journey towards change. The USA became a sanctuary, replacing echoes of suffering with hope. It rewrote my story, offering a chance to redefine myself and discard the chains of a tumultuous past.
This isn’t some fairy tale; it’s a real-life story of struggles, love, and the power of art. Standing here with Mateusz, our story echoes – a tale of unbroken love and eternal art. This is what makes me here where I am. Pain, suffering, not giving up, some luck, learning from mistakes, and love and support. Life is about living and trying. Instead of wasting time, focus on doing courses, meeting people, and practicing skills to grow each day and achieve your dreams. We need to chase our dreams; not let dreams chase us. The world doesn’t owe us anything, and we need to work hard. We have plenty of possibilities in this century. We don’t need to cut our ears (referring to a famous artist) or wait when they will bring colors of paint to the shop because colors were difficult to produce. It’s just an example. But I believe that if I changed myself, then everyone can.
2) Don’t give up. Be determined. Try everything. There are always solutions. You need to do it all the time. You need to suffer by going out of your comfort zone. If you wait for changes, you may be lucky. Maybe, maybe not. You can’t sit and wait. And you can’t expect that other people will discover you if you are hiding on your couch and watching Netflix. That’s what I was doing. And thinking, why don’t people see my art on my Instagram. And guess what? I don’t expect this anymore. They don’t have any obligation to be my fans. I need to work hard on it to provide them with good art, and prove to them that they can get something good from me. Ask for advice, don’t be scared. You may hear something cruel, but you can always change yourself for the better after every criticism. It will make you stronger. Ask people who are experts, ask family, ask friends, ask random people for advice. Even “what do you think about my art?” I heard many mean things, believe me. Some of them were just hate, and the rest just feedback that actually wasn’t mean. However, I wasn’t humble, I was overprotective of my art, and I could not accept that someone is telling me to change something. I was too proud. I know understand that I don’t know everything, nor do I control everything. Being patient, humble and strong are the key.
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
When I am overwhelmed or burned out, I speak with people about my problems. I watch a funny movie and pause for a moment from what I do (art), doing something different to create distance. Travels also help me rest and heal. Then I feel inspired and ready to go.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.saatchiart.com/margwizart
- Instagram: Instagram.com/Margwizart
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100092693479912&mibextid=ZbWKwL
- Other: 1) Redbubble: Margwizart.redbubble.com 2) My newsletter (long link sorry for that): https://lb.benchmarkemail.com/listbuilder/signupnew?IkfHTmyPVq%252FN1lbJte60CP5pwVnAjsSIXYyMAPl7S67tO5iNRn8gS049TyW7spdJ&fbclid=IwAR1uRKnWBy5U3bTg-jwJrtllmr3UmCTE95tvPxKNHd0mfCXRRBvi6ABDjTk 3) Pinterest: Margwizart 4) My studio website: https://www.theartsmill.org/artists/marta-gwizdala/ I am also open for any collaborations with other small businesses. My email: [email protected]
Image Credits
Those photos presents me, my art studio and my art. 🙂
