Today we’d like to introduce you to Bella Kotak.
Hi Bella, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I slipped into photography after pursuing a passion in Photoshop. I was studying Architecture at university. However, as time went by I fell more and more in love with the art of creating and capturing a moment. It’s now my career and main form of artistic expression. I’m based in both the UK and the US and love to travel and explore the world.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I hit a huge creative block in 2017 and for the first time since I started this journey, I seriously thought of walking away. It no longer brought joy and instead, I felt anxiety and crushing insecurity. It’s been a journey to build myself up mentally to where I am now. It seems like I’m not quite ready to let go of this craft just yet. Something keeps drawing me back.
I found that giving yourself time and space helps. Also getting out of the house, traveling, going to museums, galleries, exploring other interests, connecting with family and friends. I also found making new connections in the industry through meetups, workshops etc, really helped. I now always carry a notebook with me and anytime an idea strikes, I write or illustrate it down. I journal a lot too.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I would describe myself as more of an escapist photographer. I love to create stories and characters that allow me to take myself on a journey but also my audience too.
I’ve always loved stories of magical worlds and proud, strong, feminine characters, I channel all this into the kind of pictures I create. I want to show people that we’re living in a beautiful world with beautiful people. I love creating with and highlighting this beauty that exists in ordinary places.
I’m most proud of being selected to be a part of a BBC1 show called Extraordinary Portraits. It was the first time that I got to see the reaction of my subject looking at the art we created together. This was really a profound moment for me that I’m still processing.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
Honestly, still the same. I’ve realized recently that I’m still very much connected to my childhood self. I look after her and our shared dreams with my present self.
As a child, I was always more of a daydreamer than a doer, I loved escaping through film, cartoons, books, comics, art, and not much has changed. I always used to think that once I was an “adult” life would make sense but the reality is what are we but just big kids? We’ll never know it all, and why would we want to? It’s much more fun to stay curious, keep learning, and giving whatever has our interest at that moment our best effort. I try now to live by the motto “done is better than perfect”. When I was in school, this was how I got through the workload of all the extra classes, I’ve learnt that it still serves me well today 🙂
Contact Info:
- Website: www.bellakotak.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/bellakotak
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/bellakotakphotography/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/bellakotak
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/bellakotak
