OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS, WE’LL BE INTERVIEWING A HANDFUL OF INSPIRING INDIVIDUALS, STARTING IN LONDON. THESE INTERVIEWS WON’T BE LONG READS, JUST A LITTLE 5-10 MINUTE DOSE OF DAILY STORYTELLING THAT PERHAPS, MIGHT SPARK SOME CREATIVITY, THOUGHT OR SELF-REFLECTION. I PERSONALLY HAVE LEARNED SOMETHING FROM EACH INDIVIDUAL AND CAN NOT WAIT TO SHARE THEIR STORIES WITH YOU.
Hello, I’m Marta. I work professionally as a model booker while running an online analog-travel platform called Syndrome, but you’ll soon see that I’m your I-don’t-know-where-I’m-headed-yet type of gal.
nunu: What was your moment of manifestation? (in other words when did you penny drop regarding knowing what you want to do)
Marta: I’d love to tell you that I’ve found my path but, my penny hasn’t dropped yet. I am in between a new job which I enjoy but I am exploring different directions to see what resonates with me and what really brings me joy.
To put it simply, I know what I do not want. I’ve always been interested in Media, so I went on to study quite a ‘broad’ course; Media & Communications with film and photography at UAL. So, I knew I wanted to be in that field, but I didn’t know exactly what it is that I wanted to do. It’s hard to know what you want when you’re interested in so many things. Why dedicate your life to only one thing when you’re interested and possess skills in other disciplines? There’s also so much out there, I feel it becomes hard to understand what it is you really desire to dedicate your life to.
I went on to work in retail for two years after graduating. I sent out my CV countless times and wrote endless cover letters. I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels that after sending your CV out to companies for two years and only getting a few replies back or a small number of interviews, you begin to question yourself. You begin to question your worth. But, it’s important to understand that there is so much competition out there and as hard as it is to not give up and not question your worth, steer very clear from that path. Just because you haven’t landed your dream job at 22 or haven’t even been given a chance to show your potential, it doesn’t mean your less worthy than those who do go through to the interview stage, for example. You have to stand firm and keep insisting. If you are working in retail, use this to your advantage - make connections. Talk to people. Listen to their stories, learn from them and learn from your own mistakes, even if it’s the small things like getting frustrated at a customer who thinks they’re right at the most absurd things. You’ll see that these small things will benefit you in the future and just because you have taken up retail because you cannot find a job at the moment, that’s ok! Remember that everyone walks at their own pace and takes their own route, but also remember that you can take time to expand on your skills so that you stand out next time your send over your CV.
nunu: Can you describe a time when you felt most happy or proud of yourself?
Marta: The moment Syndrome (@readsyndrome) was brought to life. If there’s one thing I knew, it’s that I always wanted to combine my love for photography with my writing.
I was sat with my best friend on a summers morning discussing our passion for analog photography and traveling. We came to the conclusion that there weren’t many platforms that combined the curiosity of travel with the passion of analog photography — or at least there weren’t any that manifested themselves the way we would like to see. So, we took it upon our hands to create exactly that. That’s when Syndrome was born. A platform that is dedicated to discovering stories that share experiences from the mundane things to the exciting, through traveling. Eventually, we would love to take it to print, but for now, it’s online only.
With Syndrome, I’ve traveled to the four corners of the earth, whilst staying at home. I have traveled through the eyes of others, the eyes of people who communicate their stories in such different ways. Someone could be staying in the same city and photograph the same exact subject but it will, without fail, be completely different - especially the way that people write about their experiences. To me, it is beyond inspiring when you get to show the world all these stories painted with nostalgia and affection for the places people explore.
Working on Syndrome has shown me a vision of what I'd love to have as a career and hopefully, with hard work and dedication, it will lead to exactly that.
nunu: & finally, who or what inspires you?
Marta: I’m very inspired by nature. I grew up around nature, with a Mother who has the greenest fingers I have ever seen - everything she touches flourishes instantly. But I’m also inspired by my friends, my family, my boyfriend (and his abundance of patience with the world and everyone), those who work incredibly hard, artists, music, poems, - especially the sea.
I’m inspired by the little things. I believe the world is very face-paced. You run to work, you eat quickly, you sleep rapidly, everything is done at such a fast rate that sometimes we forget to ground and immerse ourselves in some quality time with the little things.
I hope this interview has brought as much joy to you as it has to me on Bank holiday Monday. nunu Meets will continue here and on @nunu.london every day this week at 6:30pm.
