Texas Showcase -- Ekaterina Konovalova
What led you to enroll in the University of Texas Masters of Advertising program?
When I look back, I realized that my journey began over ten years ago, when I was considering applying to an advertising program in Russia for my undergraduate studies. We had a very popular annual event called The Night of AdEaters – a video reel of the best commercials that won the Cannes Lions awards that was aired in movie theaters across Russia. At that time I decided to be a part of the advertising world. Also, as a student in Russia I read “The Advertising Industry” magazine. One of the most memorable campaigns was the “Eat Mor Chikin” crazy cows by Chick-Fil-A.
Since then there were a lot of transitions in my life. However, when I decided to reconnect with the industry, I chose UT because their Advertising program is the best in the nation. It opened many doors for me including an internship the Richards Group. I told the Chick-Fil-A story to the founder of the agency, Stan Richards, and he was quite touched.
What is your area of interest in advertising?
I shifted from art direction to account planning over time. I became interested in learning how people process information, how they think, what they think, and what we can do to affect their thinking and ultimately, behavior.
How has being an international student enhanced you time at UT?
It has been great! Inevitably, many international students experience some difficulties with the language and cultural norms. For example, in Russia, one belief that professors held was the longer the sentence you had in academic writing, the better. Over here, you should be short and concise. At the same time, I believe every challenge brings an opportunity. I became so memorable with my foreign name, accent, expressive manners, and fresh perspective. I’ve acquired literally hundreds of friends, been involved in exciting projects, and I have truly enjoyed my time at UT.
What inspired you to interview artists and those in the advertising field?
I admire successful people. I define success as pursuing your passion, doing what you really want to do and at the same time being recognized and well compensated for your work.
Too many people go into professions that are considered “prestigious” and “high-paid,” and they ended up hating it and collapsing because they are not passionate about their work. From an early age I was a very artistic person, but I had two conflicting notions in my head: being creative is good, but being in a creative profession is somehow bad. It doesn’t make any sense. So, I began to interview people whose work I admire and learning from them how to promote yourself and your work. I found my interviewees in magazines, TV programs and other media. It was intimidating to approach them in the beginning or sometimes it was hard to break though their agents or assistants, but over time the process became smoother and easier.
I’ve learned that if you pursue your calling you can become successful in any field – even if the only thing you love is planting cactuses or blowing bubbles.
What is your dream job?
Where I can incorporate my passion for creativity and understanding peoples’ psychology to affect the way people think and behave in an inspiring way
Where do you see yourself in five years?
I most likely will use the communication and analytical skills I’ve acquired through our Advertising program to do some inspirational work in the field of personal development to foster peoples’ creativity.
What is your favorite pastime?
Besides painting, learning something new and having a good time with my friends, I love to sleep. I am often aware that I am dreaming while I am sleeping and it helps me to shape the direction of my dream. I use the dream time and space for mental exercises and to generate new ideas. As Dmitri Mendeleev was able to organize his famous periodic table in his dream, I often carry new ideas and concepts from my dreams to the awakened state. I wish companies allowed a nap time after lunch – the productivity of many workers would go up tremendously.
To learn more about Ekaterina Konovalova, visit her website at www.katyareal.com and her blog at http://ekaterina-konovalova.blogspot.com.