Check Out Melinda Puhó’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Melinda Puhó.

Hi Melinda, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I was born in Transylvania (Romania), in the beautiful city named Baia Mare (in Hungarian: Nagybánya), the “City of Painters” which was famous for its picturesque setting and its artists’ colony. In my childhood, I always felt a spiritual connection to the ancient, majestic beauty of the Carpathian Mountains and its mystical forests and rivers that surrounded me.

However, this beauty was overshadowed by the dark cloud of political oppression. In my early childhood, Romania was still a communist country. I remember the times under the dictator, Ceaușescu’s rule when the electricity and the running water were shut down every night, the stores were almost empty, the country borders were closed and people were constantly under surveillance by the “Securitate” (the Romanian secret police agency). I was also a member of the Hungarian ethnic minority of Transylvania, the land that was lost by Hungary and came under Romanian control at the Treaty of Trianon in 1920.

During these early hardships,  I found solace by climbing the mountain behind our house. From there, I could elevate my understanding of the world that surrounded me. I would sit at the roots of the pine trees and submerge myself into the mystical realm of creation.

I’ve been artistic my whole life… I began drawing from the first time I held a pencil in my hands and started playing the piano at the age of 5. Although I was classically trained, I liked to “make changes” to the classical pieces, improvise and make my own music. I also liked to write short stories, which I often illustrated with my drawings.

In 1989, the Romanian revolution brought an end to the 42-year-long Ceaușescu dictatorship. A couple of years after the walls of communism were demolished, at the age of 11, my parents decided to provide me with a new home in Hungary with a family friend. In 6th grade, since my housing proved to be too expensive, I moved home and studied on my own, as a private student. And,  I helped my parents by working in their café bar. The following year, I got accepted into the Zoltán Kodály Secondary School of Music in Debrecen and I stayed at a student hostel during the week. However, the hostel closed every weekend and I had no place to go. And, this was the time when my frequent, challenging travels between Hungary and Romania started. When I didn’t have money to travel (the border crossing fee was extremely high), I spent the nights in workers’ hostels at the train station or at strangers’ houses whom my parents paid for my accommodation.

After I graduated from high school, I attended the University of Debrecen and the University of Nyíregyháza, where I studied English Language and Literature, Music Theory and Vocal Performance. I also took some classes in art and visual communication, and I was part of a drama group as well. During that time, I was blessed to meet my creative, complementary partner, Attila Borbás, who shares a very similar view of the world and a very close artistic mindset. Since then, we’ve been building our lives and careers together.

In 2010 I decided to immigrate to the United States, to fulfill my childhood dreams and begin a new, hopefully better life. Since I have not been able to utilize my Hungarian degree, I worked in various fields in New York (one of the jobs being 24/7 for almost 4 years), while having a few piano students. Attila joined me a few months later after I found a work opportunity for him as well.

Five years later, we decided to go for a short vacation to Los Angeles, where we traveled by train. During the 3 days of traveling, I was amazed by the variety of the American scenery, which ranged from the rainy, mountainous, lush landscapes to the vast and dry deserts decorated with hundreds-of-years-old, rugged trees and rocky sculptures created by Mother Nature. Once we arrived to the West Coast, we were amazed by the beauty of the ancient Pacific Ocean, the rich, Mediterranean flora and fauna, as well as the creative vibrations of the Los Angeles area, so we decided not to go back to New York anymore.

Emerging from Attila’s affinity towards sculpting, in 2016, he and I started creating hand-sculpted, unique art jewelry made of polymer clay, crystals and gemstones, imbued with good intentions and high vibrations. I named our company WizArts, uniting our love of magick and art. Since 2017, we have been exhibiting our magickal, wearable artworks at various, juried art shows and festivals, as well as Renaissance Faires throughout California. I won the Masterpiece Awards at the Renaissance Pleasure Faire two years in a row, and we got accepted to the prestigious Festival of Arts in Laguna Beach. Our work has been featured on various online portals, magazines, and on social media.

As for now, besides being an art jewelry designer and creatress, I am the photographer/videographer, photo and video editor, web and graphic designer, and social media manager for WizArts. I also play keys and compose music, and I am planning to start recording my music and offering sound-healing sessions, as soon as I can make some time for it.

I feel that for me, art and music is the most personal and intimate form of self-expression and connection, that is the only way to touch the other person’s soul in a way that cannot be done otherwise in this material world.

From the smallest creatures to the countless stars in the sky, from the sacred geometries to the endless varieties of colors and textures, I see beauty, consciousness and love, that interweaves all of the Universe. Whether it be art or music, with all of my creations my intent is to convey a cathartic experience, thus raising the perceiver’s consciousness and establishing a deep, spiritual connection that cannot be expressed by words.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No, it has not been a smooth road at all and it still isn’t, as I elaborated on some of my experiences above. My path walked me through political and personal oppression, segregation, poverty, times of dark hopelessness and fear, feeling lonely and lost in a world that I felt I didn’t belong to, fighting through manipulation and learning how to see through people’s masks. I lost my home in my childhood, I grew up without a family and I’ve been considered an “alien” most of my life. Since my childhood, I’ve always felt much more mature than my age, like an old soul in a young body. Most people have been seeing only the surface, not more than the outer sparkle of an immensely deep sea in the sunlight. I could only truly connect with very few people, with whom we mutually seek our spiritual reflection in each other’s eyes.

As I progressed on the path of my life and crossed many obstacles, looking back on all the challenges and hardships I faced, I’ve learned that all suffering had its purpose, in order to open the way to something better to come. Even if it has been hard, now I know that everything happens the way it is supposed to, in order for me to grow stronger, wiser, more compassionate and loving. The greatest lesson I’ve learned is the most simple one: to be my authentic, true self. That includes all the invaluable fragments, just like each piece of a mosaic that constructs the whole: love, creativity, empathy, the power of manifestation, perseverance, endurance, and much more, all to support the primordial will to always grow into a better person.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Currently, I mostly specialize in creating magickal art jewelry, as well as playing piano/keyboard and composing music.

The wearable artworks I create, are one-of-a-kind pieces that I sculpt by hand, using polymer clay, gemstones, crystals and magick. I am entirely self-thought, and I developed my own techniques, including clay appliqué, using my handmade glow-in-the-dark polymer clay. I like to experiment with different glow-in-the-dark colors too, that add details that only reveal themselves at night. I consider this symbolic too, as the hidden light of the soul shines the brightest in the darkest times.

I am also a professionally-trained musician and piano player. Aside from doing occasional live performances (playing mostly classical music and my impromptus), I love metal, dark electronic / cyberpunk and world music (especially Middle Eastern belly dance music, shamanic drums, traditional Indian mantras and Tibetan sound healing bowls). Even though the above music styles seem to be worlds apart, I am planning on synthesizing these different genres and elements into a unique musical project.

As I previously mentioned, I am also a self-taught photographer, videographer, as well as graphic and web designer for WizArts. I enjoy creating cinemagraphs (animated photos) and I am also planning on making longer films with Attila.

Apart from the above, I also occasionally model for local fine artists and art groups, which is a fun and at the same time challenging task, as I need to sit completely still for 3 hours (with short breaks every half an hour). This could also be considered a good meditation practice. 🙂

How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
You can visit me at the SoCal and NorCal Renaissance Faires (Irwindale and Hollister), where Attila and I are permanent vendors with WizArts, as well as at the Festival of Arts / Pageant of the Masters in Laguna Beach. For the readers of this article, I would love to offer a coupon for 10% off (thanks10) any order on the WizArts website, with free US shipping over $100. This applies to in-person purchases as well (just mention Voyage LA or Shoutout LA).

I am also open to artistic and musical collaborations, trades and commissions.

If you resonate with my thoughts and creations, please follow me and WizArts on social media (Facebook and Instagram) and Telegram. To beat the algorithm, besides liking and commenting, it is immensely helpful to save and share the posts, in order to reach a wider audience.

I am also a member of a newly developed, alternative platform (b-plan.club) that supports positive thinking, spirituality, independence, cooperation and self-sustainability. It was founded by a Hungarian friend of mine and its purpose is to unite all people, who share the same values and think differently from the mainstream. Every day it is expanding more and more, on its very promising way of becoming an international, private and secure network. You can find me there too.

Let’s connect and support each other in creating a more conscious, honest, and loving world. I feel that we are all sparkles of the same light, and the more it unites, the brighter it shines.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://wizArts.us
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wizarts.us/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wizArts.us
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/wizarts_us
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@wizarts8
• SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/melinda-puho
• Other: Telegram: https://t.me/wizArts_us
  Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/wizArts_us/
  My personal Facebook account: https://www.facebook.com/melinda.puho
  My personal Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/melinda.puho/
  My personal YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@melindapuho

Image Credits
Melinda Puhó, Attila Borbás