JOASIA CIESLAK

Joasia is a creative professional who holds a university degree in cello and classical music, a second degree from the Sibelius Academy, a cultural management degree from the University in Łódź, and a soloist degree from the Royal Academy of Music in Denmark.

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Q: Tell us a few things about you! Your background, your childhood and early beginnings! 

I am Joasia, which is an abbreviation of Joanna - when I was a child, elders occasionally used this sweeter sounding version of my name. I was born in Poland, Wrocław, less than two years after the pivotal moment of the deconstructing of the Berlin Wall. I have two older sisters. My parents are honest, hard working people. As a little girl, my grandmother saw the Warsaw Ghetto being formed and escaped the capital with many others. My great-grandfather survived Auschwitz looking death in the eye just as the camp was liberated. He never physically recovered, his gut from extreme hunger stayed severely ill, so his wife carried their house. I come from a family of non-musicians, but I grew up being aware of one artist in our small family who died about a year before I was born. Brother of my father - Ryszard Cieślak - was the main actor of the revolutionary Grotowski’s Laboratory Theatre. In Autumn 1969 he was declared the year's best off-Broadway actor by New York theatre critics - and to this day, on three continents, his accomplishments and contribution to the world of acting are being celebrated and further studied. I grew up being aware of it; his and the theatre’s boldness to dare to explore and express what was, back then, unthinkable; the purity in approach, the profound meaning of art making, the devotion to perfecting the technique, in order to transcend and be physically and emotionally ready to connect with audiences around the world. As for my childhood, I was headhunted in Kindergarten to take entrance exams to a school in which I spent 12 years, filled with both music on the highest level and “normal” subjects. I was good at maths, music and physical education. It was clear from the beginning that my music and art making was fully supported by my family and it was solely influenced by the teachers I met on my path. Childhood was full of emotional extremes. Within one day my household could be the best place on earth, and in the next moment - it was the polar opposite. I lived a double life - behind the sealed door of my family home, in an environment which could change at any moment - and at school, where I had good, happy relations with everyone. The honest link between the two was the sound of cello and the language of music and art. I had such favorable circumstances, born in free Poland, in a house where all economical needs were met - it’s as if the only price for such lucky circumstances was the emotional cost.

Q: What are some of the key challenges in your society currently?

My heart and connection to society lie in both Poland and Finland. In my current view, Poland doesn't value enough respectful, thoughtful dialogue - I observe numbness to how messages are conveyed, with black-and-white language, anger, and half-truths becoming commonplace. Despite Poles being brilliant and hardworking, distrust marks many interactions between citizens and the government, with frequent corruption scandals and, alarmingly, 6.6% living in extreme poverty. Finland faces high unemployment, above 10% and favours old circles of connections, yet maintains deep trust in government, respect and kindness in the way people talk with each other and the society has an exceptional connection to nature.

Q: Share with us some of the hurdles that you had to overcome in your life so far? How did you handle them? 

I am the kind of person who has binged on almost everything. I got myself into a serious problem with bulimia, accepted numbing forms of escapism throughout my life. I fell into some deep, dark corners on multiple occasions. Yet, sooner or later, I managed to get out of each of them.

Not many know that playing an instrument helped me get out of some of the most self-destructive forms of behaviour. After I turned 30, I started to notice the healing aspect of what I’d been doing since I was a child. So I began to wrap my learnings from life’s lessons. Out of this passion, my educational and well-being platform started to take shape - so that others won’t fall into the traps I did and they can purposely use music to improve their lifestyle!

I like to positively reframe, so “binging” in my mind became something productive and meaningful. The word started to carry the energy of taking regular time off, filled with healthy escapism such as art and music making, spectating, meditating and spending time in nature.

I find it genuinely fun to be practicing an instrument and “binging” art - as a form of “medication,” reconnecting with the stillness for emotional regulation. And what’s best - since it’s scientifically proven - it can prevent cognitive decline caused by aging, increase focus through deliberate practice and lower anxiety levels.

My hurdles - empirical learnings and the growing body of research made me perceive music as a tool to recover the brain and nervous system.

Q: Why is the role of a mentor important for you? 

There were some blind areas for which I never had any role model to reflect on, and I realise that without a mentor in adult life, my growth has been limited. Thanks to Mirjana, my mentor, I am making a new genuine friend who, despite being a busy professional, meets me at my crossroads and supports my growth. That’s unprecedented for me.

Q: Do you have a lesson that life has taught you and you would like to share? 

I learned far more from my failures. Responding instead of reacting and asking for support are acts of vulnerability. That vibrating frequency in which I share what I am working on as a young creator opens the door of possibility of supporting me in this fragile process.

Q: Name a project, a foundation or a person in your country that you think is doing great work in helping improve other people's lives! 

Obviously my mentor - Mirjana Prljevic. As well: Vipassana Meditation, Helsinki Debating Society, Effective Altruism and Yoga New Vision.

Q: What are some of the challenges that women in your country face and what efforts are being made towards gender equality?

I am in search of a life partner but I learned that egg freezing and storage are illegal in Poland. I noticed many Polish women going to the gym fully made up - something unthinkable to me. Cities and villages are flooded with cars blaring propaganda against abortion and LGBTQ+ rights. When these issues reach parliament, Polish women worldwide unite in protest. In Finland, I observed gender bias in trust within professions: male instrumentalists dominate academies, perpetuating “traditional” sounds. The media often glorifies “male geniuses”. This made me reflect on the scale of the problem of invisible women.

Q: Share with us a motto you live by. 

Everything is changing. And - it is good, and it will be even better.

Q: If you had all the money needed to launch the project of your dreams, can you describe what you would do? 

I would spend it all on what I am currently working on! Binging Art's mission is simple: if you’re between 5-95 I know you will have a lot of fun learning to play an instrument like a pro, while blending art, music, community, meditation and a biophilic approach to your living - that’s a killer combination of healthy escapism!

Q: How is technology utilised for social impact in your country? For example are there mobile apps that support gender equality, inclusion, understanding of cultures?

During my time with Extinction Rebellion, both in Denmark and Finland - we used apps to communicate and navigate social impact actions. During studies in Denmark, a fellow student was a blind person, fantastic pianist, composer, working in a tech company, contributing to web development for visually impaired people.

Q: Anything else that you may wish to add?

I am a GTF mentee, but I have experienced the gratitude of people whom I helped, seeing their life change as they grew in confidence on the cello. I am ongoingly grateful for supporting me as a young initiative leader!