History of a man, who used to have it all

When we are looking for inspirational people to learn from, we naturally turn to those who achieved success and are doing well. We look for those whose path we want to follow in our life. But can we also learn from those who actually are not doing well, yet who know what it was like to be successful in the past? Mr Pawel is an example of such a person. He used to be a DTP graphic designer, with very prominent client base. Now he is a homeless painter and his 'customers' are random people who ask him to draw portraits of themselves or their friends. There is no doubt that his life deteriorated dramatically, and there was a reason behind that - mostly sacrificing relationships with his closest ones for a career. Mr Pawel was very eager to share his words of wisdom about threats waiting for people pursuing success, and what to avoid in life not to fall down really hard.

Who are you?

I am a musician and a former graphic designer. I used to live in Kielce where for 18 years I had a small marketing agency that specialized in large-format printing. Now I live in Krakow in a homeless shelter and draw for fun and some money.

How do you make money on your drawings? 

I spend most of my days on the streets of Krakow, walking around with my pencils and pieces of paper. I sit somewhere in the city center, take out my drawing accessories, and draw nature, people on the streets, anything that catches my eyes. Sometimes people approach me and ask me to draw them a portrait or a caricature of them or their friends. That’s how I earn money on drawing. 

How much do you earn on your drawings and do you make ends meet on it? 

People normally pay me about 10 to 15 PLN for a drawing. I don’t earn enough money to be self-sufficient. That’s why I live in a homeless shelter and get my meals at St. Albert canteen for the homeless. 

Could you tell me more about your graphic designer career?

So, it is past and I don’t do it anymore. The problem with a creative job is that you may burn out someday, which actually is very common. When I was younger, I thought I am entitled to rule the world and other people are worse than I am. I hated basic and unambitious projects and customers who never knew what they wanted. Nevertheless, I was spending a lot of time (and propably too much) at the job, working for different customers. Therefore, I was neglecting my family, and never had time for my children and my wife. Consequently, she had left me with our sons and I was left alone. After 18 years of working in this industry, I started burning out and got a nervous breakdown. I went bankrupt and decided to move to Krakow, looking for a job, which I never found, starting the miserable life of a homeless man, who used to have it all. 

What was your greatest achievement? 

I was very proud when I was walking around streets and saw posters or billboards I designed. My agency was often participating in competitions for print-based campaigns, often announced by companies from the film industry. One of the biggest ones I remember was a campaign for a polish distributor of 'Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest'. The distributor provided us with 6 thousand of footages from the movie. I chose 4 of them and designed posters and prints for the campaign. The distributor chose my project and I was very proud that my posters and billboards were present in cinemas and streets in the whole of Poland. 

What advice would you give to your younger self?

First of all - work/life balance. Believe me, it is not possible to be constantly productive and creative, especially when you forget about relaxing, sleeping/eating well, exercising and taking a few days off, from time to time. Workaholism is really an issue, that may have terrible repercussions in the future.

Secondly - being arrogant won’t lead you anywhere. You may think that you are powerful and strong, and nothing can stop you in life, but the power you have (or illusion of power) is not given forever.

Thirdly - you don’t (only) live for yourself. Remember there are people around you that may need you. You should foster meaningful friendships and relationships with your loved ones. Not money, but relationships are things you should care more about. 

Last (but not least) - be compassionate and learn to listen not only yourself but people around you. It is important to have the inner voice that guides you and help to make choices, but this inner voice may also criticize everyone, and make you think that you are the only one person in the world that knows best. Listening to your customers with patience and no judgment will help you to meet their needs better. 

And also - alcohol is not an answer. Yes, I admit - I am an alcoholic, and never wanted to be one. When you feel down or you are stressed out, find a healthy coping mechanism - for some people it is a sport, for some it is a good laugh with friends, breathing techniques or taking care of animals. Find something that really relaxes you, yet won’t let you feel guilty. 

I explained Mr. Pawel the purpose of this interview - that it is for a school project and will be published on the internet. He found it very interesting and was happy to participate. I asked him if he doesn’t mind being photographed, and not only he agreed, but also came up with an idea of writing a message he wants to share with people on a piece of carton. He said that nowadays people don’t bother with reading long chunks of text, therefore it is better to catch their attention with a photo that says everything.