On the 3rd of December, 2011, the participants of the “Human Code” (“Žmogaus kodas”) interview contest (9th-12th-formers from all around Lithuania) organized by National Students’ Academy were gathering in the National Gallery of Art to find out the answer to this question.
When all the seats were filled, Eglė Daunienė, the director of the Academy, told us the story about the people who are considered masters, what similarities they share, when their path start and for what reason we appreciate their work and remember them. She has also shared her thoughts about a master’s way to recognition and the difficulties he has to overcome.
People who became successful attracted attention of specialists from many different areas – psychologists, sociologists and many others. They were and still are trying to identify and understand what the formula of becoming a specialist in your field is while getting your work recognized. Scientists spotted that generally future masters get acquainted with their field in early childhood. It was also shown that if you want to become a professional in one specific field, on average, you have to develop your skills and gain experience for about 10 years. Some walk that path longer, the others can be faster but regular and purposeful work is a trait that unifies the greatest part of masters.
While perfecting one field, you must not forget to enhance your social network, because the sharing of your thoughts and hearing ones of others is the key to completing your tasks and aiming your goals. Even more, a helpful hand and a good word, besides, is a great stimulus on your way to success.
Likewise, the authorities, the ones you feel alike with, are really important. While there is a person who walks the same path in front of you, at once the path looks clearer and lighter.
About the mastery from the beginning
Living examples – prima ballerina Eglė Špokaitė, film director Gytis Lukšas and board chairman
of “Turtas” bank Arnoldas Burkovskis, proved scientific insights. Celebrated masters of their field were sharing thoughts about their experience, creative work and the path they had to take.
The professional path of ballerina Eglė started in her early childhood, when she was just four and a half. According to her, this is usual for ballet artists, because at the age of six, you already have to take a decision whether you really want to become a ballet dancer.
Arnoldas Burkovskis, the board chairman of “Turtas” bank, recalls a little bit different start. At first, he was working with semiconductors after finishing his Bachelor of Physics. At that time, Lithuania was experiencing the transition; there was a lack of people who could talk foreign languages. Arnoldas couldn’t resist the temptation and started his Master studies on Economics.
The path of the film director Gytis Lukšas has been very diverse and unpredictable. It was not easy to decide what interested him the most. It began with music after learning to play the piano from his grandfather, then a youthful sympathy led him to Spanish language courses, whilst finally, he made a decision to enter the competition for studying film directing in Moscow. The chance slipped away first two years but the third time was lucky. The competition was really strong. 70 future film directors were fighting for the right to take one place, but this time the determination of Gytis won, he was accepted and became a student of film directing in Moscow.
In fact, it is impossible to predict when you will find your way to success but an important conclusion can be made, that if you listen to your heart and listen really hard, you will find the way to freedom and could really sculpt your luck, step by step with every goal coming closer to your dream.
When asked if they feel happy these days, all three masters answered positively. Not one of them pities their path or their choice.
Next step – be free!
The discussion about masters, professionals and how a person becomes one was followed by creative activities for students with NMA volunteer Arūnas Matačius. The tasks began with 20 seconds to generate as many ideas as possible. Everyone soon understood that to create a fine and interesting idea the team is just as essential as having enough time. Next, student groups formed on the spot spread out in the exposition halls at the National Gallery of Art, each group with a task to find and bring a message or an experience.
The works that students created during the tasks reflected their inspirations, important beliefs and virtues as well as aims to be open-minded and consider different points of view. All the ideas were gathered into a big tree of ideas, which was presented, to the National Gallery of Art in gratitude for their hospitality and the opportunity to get in touch with art.
After completing the tasks and lunch, after talking with each other and exchanging telephone numbers and e-mails, the second part of this seminar began – a discussion with journalists Dainius Radzevičius, Artūras Račas, Andrius Konickis and Audronė Daugnorienė.
Together the journalists tried to find out what is the role of a journalist today, to what extent a
journalist is and should be responsible for spreading news and educating society. Slightly provocated by Dainius Radzevičius, the journalists discussed values of entrepreneurship and responsibility in the Lithuanian media. Gradually the talks shifted to a rather different topic – the demand and relevance of cultural press in this society. It seems, there are no doubts whether cultural press has the right to exist but do we ever wonder if we really need and are prepared to receive highly relevant and analytical cultural media?
The Final of Decoding
Finally, the most important moment arrived – awards for the interview competition „Human Code“. On the whole, 21 works were nominated and the authors of the interviews presented with books donated by a publisher „Alma littera“. An invitation to attend NMA Winter Session for free was awarded to Emilija Švobaitė and Martynas Norvila, 11th graders from Vilnius Simonas Daukantas Gymnasium, for their initiative to look around beyond their acquaintances and interview a seminary student, asking him provoking questions about the Church as it is today, the value of religion and faith in our lives.
Eglė Daunienė was especially happy that the winner interview reflected the essence of “Human Code” competition. As the winners of the competition Emilija ir Martynas comment in the conclusion of the interview: “After talking <…> with seminarian Gabrielius we realized that even nowadays there still are people who live in accord with their calling and stick to their aims persistently. We changed the attitude towards the seminary and the contemporary Church – which we regarded as quite unattractive to young people – and finally sorted out a few long-bothering questions on religion. An hour with seminarian Gabrielius, who desired to treat bodies but ended up treating souls, was full of sincere and passionate faith and ideals of Christianity. We believe that the visit to the Seminary made us at least a little better persons.”
Hopefully, all the participants of the competition gained something from the interviews, just as Emilija and Martynas. We are eagerly looking forward to the next year to try to decode the uniqueness of those near us and indulge in communication again.
Also, the most interesting interviews of the competition „Human Code“ will be posted on a website Bernardinai.lt and published in a youth culture journal „Pašvaistė“.
You can find us on www.zmogauskodas.lt . See you next year!
Article by – Ieva Uogintaitė, NMA public relations representative.
Photos by – Arvydas Baronas, a participant of the competition.
