Jelena Aleksich is the creator of the Confetti Project, a photography project that douses amazing humans in confetti while asking, “what do you celebrate in your life right now?” She is driven by connection and makes it a point to explore what each subject celebrates. The Confetti Project was started as a photography series but has also transformed the lives of so many people with its therapeutic process that helps people let go and play. Over the past 4 years of working on this project, she’s learned that we all celebrate the same things and that all of life’s moments are deserving of celebrations. After dealing with her own devastating loss, she hopes to remind people that you can find purpose in pain and beauty in grief and I am so excited for you to hear the wisdom she shares in today’s episode. 

 

What’s in this episode:

• How Jelena got into the creative space and what inspired her to start the Confetti Project
• How the project helps people to stop and check-in with themselves
• Her advice for people facing seemingly insurmountable obstacles 
• Using passion as your prerequisite to keep pushing yourself
• The power in co-creating with the people and the joy gets from creating moments in time 
• The rush of emotions that come with looking at the Confetti Project photos
• Navigating skepticism within her work and keeping energy sacred
• The transformation that happens when people throw confetti and drop into the moment
• How to stay positive when your facing hardships
• Realizing that there’s a silver lining in everything
• Extracting the beauty in every moment and using her grief from the loss of her dad to keep her grounded
• Measuring your life by the impact you made on others rather than successes
• What Jelena’s book, Cancer and Confetti, is about and how her experience led her to write it
• Being grateful for our circumstances in life 
• How much of a ripple effect a creative pursuit can have on the world
• What Jelena does when she’s feeling uninspired 
• Being guided by her intuition and redefining your life to do what you dream of

 

About Jelena:

Hi! I'm a graphic designer and photographer that douses amazing humans with confetti, exploring what they celebrate in their lives. As a creative entrepreneur with a background in Psychology and Design, I'm always trying to create powerful visual storytelling, which is how The Confetti Project was born. Not only was this project the first thing I ever finished, but it's changed my life in being able to tap into daily gratitude even amidst grieving the loss of a beloved parent. Now, my goal is to deeply connect with as many humans as possible, giving them space to fully let go of everything and be comfortable being vulnerable. My few loves: coffee table books, 20-second hugs and doing one thing a day that scares me.

 

Connect with Jelena:

Confetti Project | Instagram | Facebook

 

Links:

Craftcation Conference

When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi & Abraham Verghese 

The Alice Network by Katie Quinn

Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

MODERN LOSS: Candid Conversation About Grief. Beginners Welcome by Rebecca Soffer and Gabrielle Birkner

 

Hope you’ve enjoyed this episode! Would love to hear from you. What is one thing you can do with the wisdom and guidance you’ve extracted from this episode to make positive and lasting change in your own life? Connect with me on social media you can find me @amytangerine on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook and pretty much anywhere. If you’re enjoying this podcast, please rate and review on iTunes, subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts and let your friends know about it too! The more we spread the creativity and happiness that comes from pursuing our passions, the better off our amazing community will be. Hope you feel uplifted, energized and inspired. You are awesome! I’m Amy Tangerine encouraging you to share your gifts and keep those creative juices flowing.