My conversations with Yan Zoritchak - Samuel Pitonak (@sampittko)

I was honored that I got a chance of spending 5 days besides Yan Zoritchak during my vacation that is still going on. During my stay in Annecy, I was eager to learn everything I could from the world renowned master of glass art. I was just a little boy when I visited Yan in France together with my family for the first time. At that time, I couldn't have known how much interest his work and life would spark in me later on in my life.

During this cozy evening in Grenoble, I've decided to write down a few thoughts I gathered from dozens of conversations I was happy to have with Yan.

Single vacation in a lifetime

Being an artist brings a different kind of a lifestyle. I would say that art blends with your life naturally & effortlessly. This is exactly the feeling I had when I entered Yan's house. It was a space where Yan both lived & created. Yan would show me the process of creation and methods they needed to invent in order to be able to do the kind of art they did. Then, I would go a floor up to have a glass of good Savoy wine. Another floor up to go to visit a gallery, or wash my teeth and go to bed.

I believe this is a predisposition for not needing a vacation in a lifetime. OK. There was one that Yan mentioned but that's it. They did not need to go on a vacation because their art is their life. There would not be a life without the art.

60% hard work, 40% luck

Yan's accomplishments are astounding. Yan had an exposition that took place not only on the North Pole, but also all around the world. Their glass touched hearts that live on all continents. Most recently, more than 50 000 people visited exposition in CERN, Switzerland.

I asked Yan about the ratio between hard work and luck involved in their success. The answer is in the headline and it does not surprise me. However, they added that luck does not exist without hard work. If you don't make a step forward (extending luck surface), don't expect luck to come to you. Luck is directly associated with a deliberate practice.

Energy is everything

I have to admit that I knew it as I've been practicing mindfulness through journaling for something over 2,5 years now. But it was refreshing to hear it directly from the master. Energy is also a concept Yan uses as the main source of inspiration for the art they create.

This could also be the reason why free with tech captured Yan's attention when I told them about it. My brief description: transformation from digital slavery to freedom. I've realized that I am not trying to do anything different than Yan. The concept behind fwt. existence is more abstract than concrete, which presents it's own challenges.

TLDR

I need to experience more conversations like the ones I had with Yan last week. When comparing to Yan, my process of creation is still in it's infancy. Nonetheless, there are many mindset shifts I needed to go through already in order to persist and reach today's stage. I know there are many more to come as you learn something new every day.

The biggest takeaway for me is the confirmation that I am not weird. I need to create reality that fits me. Also, there are opposite forces that are trying to destroy that energy in me and steal it for themselves. Discomfort that Yan experienced when they emigrated to France in the 20th century caused Yan to conquer the negative forces with matching if not higher amount of energy. Eventually, this made them a hero.