Ulya Stanislavskaya: “I had low self-esteem and a lot of complexes!
Well-known Instagram-blogger, feelmaker and just a positive, open-minded girl Ulya Stanislavskaya told in an exclusive interview for Woman Magazine about what inspires her, how the Internet helped her to overcome her complexes, and also shared her dreams and goals.
Ulya, how did you start your blog? Could you have imagined that you would become so popular?
No. I had complexes, low self-esteem and strict parents who did not support this kind of activity. I accumulated all these “BUTs” into a motivation for myself, and it helped (smiles).
Did you initially consider blogging as a serious professional activity or was it all at once, so to speak, for fun.
At first blogging was a challenge for me, as I had never done this kind of activity before. I wanted to succeed creatively, and I’ve always been good at making people laugh, so I gave it a shot.
Do people recognize you on the street: passersby come up, perhaps asking for autographs or taking pictures. How do you respond to this?
They recognize it on the streets, in shopping malls and airports, even in other countries. I love it, I love hugging these people. Sometimes I ask: What am I useful to you? I never say no to a photo, no matter how I look, I will take a photo even with a mouthful of food (laughs).
In the video you give the impression of a very confident and brave girl. What would make you uncomfortable?
Really? Thank you! It took me a long time to get there, actually. If something embarrasses me, I won’t show it, I’ll just make a joke.
You work with the popular YouTube channel “Chotky Patsa”. Is there a lot of competition, directly, in YouTube, how to win subscribers and enter the Western market?
We have little competition, because we make content in Ukrainian. Therefore, it is difficult to say how to enter the Western market.
Ulya, the muse is known to be a capricious young lady. Has it ever happened that inspiration hasn’t visited you for a long time? What do you do in such cases: look for ideas “at hand” or wait until the muse comes by itself?
I always write down all the ideas that come to me in inspiration. Then I use up this supply when the muse leaves me. It is true that it is whimsical and depends entirely on your inner state. My advice is to always be in harmony and be in a sense of inner happiness and self-love. Then the muse comes by more often (smiles).
What was the most unusual thing that inspired you to create a mini-movie?
Relationship Breakdown. But it’s not really unusual. It’s just that I’m always inspired by the problems I experience and draw some conclusions.
Do you watch other bloggers’ videos yourself or take ideas from big names in the film industry?
I don’t take ideas from other people’s videos to create my sketches. I borrow them from life. But if we are not talking about Instagram, then from books, paintings, music and, of course, movies.
You also make music videos. Tell us more, what videos have you already shot, what ideas have you implemented? Do you look up to other music video makers? Which of the pros in this field do you sympathize with?
So far, I’ve only taken four jobs. Three of them are already out, videos by bloggers Ruslan Kuznetsov and Nastia Gontsul. The latest work is a music video by Alena Alena and Kievstoner, which will be presented in February. I stick to storytelling in music videos and always strive to reveal a mini-story. I love meanings in everything. I am very impressed by slash music video directors like Alan Badoev, Aisultan, Max Shishkin, and Nainshuller.
You position yourself as a “director in a skirt. Are you going to try your hand at a big movie?
Yes, this is my dream, which has already become a goal and is written on my list. Already bought a new skirt for it (laughs).
Which professional directors inspire you personally?
I can be inspired by a lot of directors, and there’s no division between personal and professional. I like the way a lot of my director friends create. Also my favorites are Tarantino, Nolan, David Lynch, Gaspar Noé, Kusturica, Lars Von Trier.
What was the last movie you saw, and which impressed you the most?
I watch a lot of movies, and I try to absorb like a sponge. Each one impresses me in a different way: it could be the shooting, the script, the acting or the idea. But I try to find and see beauty in everything. The most recent of these is “Marriage Story”: about the breakup of a relationship and all the intricacies of the process. I was impressed by the wonderful performance of the actors and the realness of the situation, which is close not only to me, but almost all of us.
What do you think, to become successful in the film industry, is it necessary to have a professional education or the main thing – the talent?
It takes a will. The desire to make beauty and delight every day. Without that, neither talent nor a lot of knowledge will help you. And in general, knowledge is useful. I don’t believe in talent.
I would also like to talk a little bit about your non-professional life. Tell us, please, what is going on “off-camera” that now occupies the main place in your life?
Self-development: spiritual, physical and moral. I read a lot of books, work out in the gym, study dance, yoga, meditation. And I go on dates, of course. No inspiration without male attention (smiles).
Do you have any other interesting hobbies? Perhaps you want to explore a new field or learn something?
I’ll tell you a secret: now I’m seriously into dancing. I want to master this field completely, to take it by the horns, so to speak. After all, a good director knows everything in this world. Otherwise, there will be nothing to show and tell the audience.
Many note that it is important for them to “realize themselves as a girl. What does that include for you? Would you like to become a mother in the near future?
Not in the near future, but in the future, yes. For me it is important to realize myself as a person, and family is also included in this concept.
How do you see “women’s happiness”?
When you are loved. When you are realized. When you’re high on yourself. That’s happiness.
Author: Tatyana Zaitseva