Today we’d like to introduce you to Maria Tkachenko.
Maria, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My journey started almost 22 years ago in Kherson, Ukraine. Late ’90s was the time of transition. I was born into a barely independent country, hence the economical and political instability. In the ’90s, if you’re making good money, you are either a politician or a part of the mafia. My parents were neither. They’re the beautiful, hardworking souls. We’d live in a dorm where we had to share the bathroom and the kitchen with everyone else who lived on our floor. Was it tough? Well, I don’t remember but from what I’ve heard – hell yeah. In 1997, my mother, Anya, was a clerk in human recourses department at the police academy and my father, Mykola, was a peacekeeper. It was a time of desperate measures, so my father was away for months at a time. When I was born, he was located in Macedonia where he worked for the United Nations, so whenever the school was of my mom and I would hop on the plane, sometimes a train or a bus, essentially anything that could take us across borders to see my dad. My childhood was filled with constant travels. We would tour around Europe and wherever my dad was placed. Those trips will forever have a special place in my heart.
Growing up, I was always occupied with something. Besides having regular school, I would get busy with extracurricular activities. Dancing, tennis, karate, violin, guitar… you name it. Frankly, it all felt like drudgery. I’ve never truly enjoyed any of that, so I kept discovering myself. For the longest time, it just felt like I’m not good at anything until I tried myself at art and singing. I’d spend my after school hours singing, learning music literature and composing. I would paint with gouache, watercolors and oil paint. It finally felt like I’ve found myself.
At the age of 12, my parents sent me to a summer camp in England and that’s when my life changed inevitably. When I was 15, I joined The Royal Hospital School, a 325-year-old boarding school. Knowing only basic English, it was a struggle but I adopted quickly. This place offered me a lot. I was studying art and music. This is the place where I discovered my love for photography. I tried myself at sculpting and I continued my passion for painting. I spent two years studying the history of art and let me tell you – I LOVED IT. However, the true reason behind why I’m beyond grateful for this place is because it sparked my interest for film.
After my 1st year into the Film Studies course, I realized, that I want to tie my life with film. This was the time when I realized that I want to pursue acting.
In September of 2016, at the age of 18, I took a leap of faith and moved to LA to pursue my dream of acting. I enrolled at The New York Film Academy where I’ve spent three years studying the craft of acting. Now, I am a fresh alumna, ready to WORK WORK WORK. I’ve recently written and produced my own film and I continue to make art. I’m working on a few short films and trying myself as a voice-over actor. I still enjoy photography and I am still as excited about the film world as I was five years ago (maybe a little too excited).
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It feels like I’ve had obstacles my entire life. I was never good at school, so it made me feel stupid and it sucked to disappoint my parents. I just couldn’t do it. It was boring and I didn’t see the point. With time, I got over it, as one does. I quickly learned that math and science were my worst enemies. Both me and my parents realized that the only time I felt like I’m in my plate was when I was busy making art.
My biggest struggle is that I’ve never learned how to make friends. Back in Ukraine, I was bullied in school. Primarily, for my “odd” sense of fashion. When everyone hit the age of puberty, I got bullied for my small breasts. Later on – for my braces.
Moving to England was a challenge and I kept thinking to myself: “I’m screwed. I’m never going to make friends.” That was almost true. I’ve had my close friends that kept me going but I was never a part of a bigger group. I never had sleepovers with girls, I was never invited to the parties. Two years into my program, I’d call my parents every day, begging to take me home. I spent most of my days in my room, I cried a lot. After some depressive episodes, I came to realize – who the hell cares? I know exactly what I am striking for. People who surround me at this particular moment are the once worth being with, so why should I worry?
I didn’t graduate with the best grades but I graduated believing that I am going to make my dreams come true. This was a big transition for me and it helped me with the cliché, “Oh being an artist is not a real job”, comments. I was no longer afraid to be who I am. I was no longer afraid to speak up. I was no longer afraid.
LA gave me a freedom of speech. It continues to teach me how to be an independent woman, sometimes the hard ways. I’ve been through a lot here. This big city has the power to make you feel like a grain of dust. It is no secret that LA people tend to not keep their promises. They come and go. They take advantage of you. There was a point where I barely had a roof over my head and the only things that kept me going were my dreams and family. People keep asking me: “why do you want to do this?”. I kept telling them, that I cannot imagine my life without it but also that there is no use in finding the meaning because this life is what we’re given and that is all we’ll ever have. You must keep fighting with all you got because there is a sunny side to all of this – we live during the time of unlimited possibilities. You have to believe that overcoming any kinds of obstacles will only lead you to a better place in life. It really doesn’t matter if you’re an accountant or an artist, whether you freelance or work a job from 9 to 5. With all of that, I will wake up tomorrow as my alarm strikes 7:30 am. I will pour myself a freshly brewed cup of coffee and I’ll keep reaching higher and higher.
Please tell us more about what you do, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
What is it that I do? For the most part, I act but I do not limit myself. I paint, I take photographs, I model. I strive to make art with all possible mediums. I make sure that I take care of the planet with my low waste lifestyle.
I usually accept projects that support my artistic views or portray someone else’s unique point of view.
Who do you look up to? How have they inspired you?
All women are inspiring to me because being a woman means that there will always be someone who’ll screw you over. There will be someone to tell you that you’re too fat, too skinny. There will be someone who will tell you, that your art isn’t good and your writing is mediocre. There will be men taking advantage of you. This is changing but at a very slow pace. It is not to say, that it’s something to be okay with but it is something to be ready for as a woman.
I have, myself, experienced most of the “downsides” of being a woman. Yeah, it sucks. There are a lot of challenges that we’re facing these days but we have to notice how much we, as a society, have improved. I don’t believe that there is something that a woman cannot do nor do I believe that there’s a thing that a man isn’t capable of doing (apart from baring a child, of course). Why should we categorize and limit ourselves? Why are women considered as the weak and sentimental ones despite Princess Diana, Anne Frank, and Rosa Parks? Why are we raised to believe that men are meant to bring the money to the table and aren’t allowed to cry? Why are there so many restrictions? These are the questions that float in my mind day after day.
Once we begin to realize how much tolerant and understanding we’ve become as a society, then we’ll see that it isn’t so bad to be a woman in 2019. Justice for misogynists is on the rise, we’re close to equal pay, we see more and more art from women, more female directors, and actresses but there’s always a room for improvement. The thing is, we don’t know if it’ll get batter in our lifetime. We can hope that it will, we can participate in its improvement but we cannot know for sure. As Rupi Kaur once taught me: “Woman, be strong, be educated, be opinionated, be independent. You will only offend the weak. You will only frighten the closed-minded and you will never be appreciated by those who don’t deserve your presence and that’s completely fine.” That goes out to everyone who struggles to give the power to their inner voice.
Contact Info:
- Website: tkachenkomary.wixsite.com/portfolio
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @evilmasha
Image Credit:
Vitoria Mitsuyo Wada, Mansoor
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