Martin Smatana je nielen môj spolužiak zo strednej školy, ktorý neprepadol z angličtiny len vďaka mne, je to aj svetoznámy a oceňovaný animátor. V čase pandémie vyslal do sveta knihu Rok dobrých správ , ktorá každý týždeň opisuje niečo pozitívne, čo sa stalo doma alebo v zahraničí. Pri jednej knižke nakoniec neostalo a dnes si môžeme vychutnať celú trilógiu dobrých správ. Poďme sa s Martinom povyprávať o jeho knižnej tvorbe, dobrých správach, či plánoch do budúcna – tretie pokračovanie Roku dobrých správ sa objavilo v kníhkupectvách len 2 týždne dozadu! Autorka rozhovoru: Dana Ševčíková Odkiaľ prišiel nápad na Rok dobrých správ? Nápad prišiel v čase začínajúcej pandémie, teda v marci 2020. Pre mnohých to bolo obdobie zlých správ. Pandémia zasiahla negatívne do života každého z nás, vrátane mňa. Čas od času som ľahko začal upadať do predstavy, že svet je každým dňom horší. Cítil som, že u mňa začína prevládať negatívna nálada. Musel som si teda nájsť rozptýlenie, niečo čo ma potešilo, nadchlo a inšpirovalo v týchto neľahkých dňoch. Začal som preto aktívne vyhľadávať dobré správy z celého sveta, ktoré sa okolo nás stále dejú, len o nich nie je niekedy tak počuť. Každý týždeň som si našiel jednu dobrú správu zo sveta a vyrobil k nej obrázok. A keďže ja príliš kresliť neviem, vyrobil som obrázok zo starého oblečenia. Takto som si priebežne udržoval dobrú náladu. Keď som však videl, ako pozitívne medzi ľuďmi rezonujú, povedal som si, že ich skúsim novým obrázkom potešiť každý týždeň. Dobré správy sú nádherne ilustrované a je vidno, že sa v nich ukrývajú stovky hodín práce. Odkiaľ si mal všetky materiály a textílie na ich tvorbu? Kde si ich tvoril? Pri práci na textilných ilustráciách do knižky mi pomohli skúsenosti z práce na animovaných filmoch. Asi pred tromi–štyrmi rokmi, keď som pripravoval scény do môjho animovaného filmu Šarkan, som si uvedomil, že textil je skvelý materiál, ako na animáciu, tak na ilustráciu. Celé prostredie filmu je vyrobené z látok a oblečenia, ktoré som zrecykloval namiesto vyhodenia. Pri animácii sa dá pohybovať s jeho štruktúrou, vlasmi, a vzniká tak veľmi pekný pohyb. Rovnakou technikou je vytvorená aj táto netradičná knižka, ktorej trojrozmerné ilustrácie vyrábam z recyklovaného oblečenia. Tie potom pekne nasvietim, nafotím, doplním o text a vložím do knižky. Textilné ilustrácie vyrábam v našom štúdiu v Trnave. Vyrobiť jednu ilustráciu mi trvá približne 5 dní. Najviac mi paradoxne trvá nájsť vhodnú správu. Niekedy prelistujem aj desiatky či stovky správ, kým nájdem takú, ktorá vo mne vyvolá radosť, niekedy ma až dojme alebo mám z nej husiu kožu. Vtedy viem, že je to tá pravá, začnem si o nej čítať viac, hľadať k nej fotky, overovať si skutočnosti, potom k nej nakreslím pár skíc na papier a snažím sa hľadať kompozíciu a tvar. Keď som s ňou spokojný, vyfarbím ju, aby som vedel, aké farby látok mám hľadať. Potom sa hodiny hrabem v starom oblečení a vyradených látkach, a až potom sa pustím do strihania, šitia, lepenia. Následne už len všetko pekne osvetlím, nafotím, upravím a doplním o text správy. Koľko vydavateľstiev si oslovil s publikáciou knihy a aká bola cesta vydávania s vydavateľstvom Monokel? S nápadom na ilustrované dobré správy som prišiel sám, postupne mi začali kamaráti a rodina posielať dobré správy, ktoré čítali alebo počuli. Tak mi pod rukami postupne vznikalo čoraz viac príbehov. Keď som o tejto mojej aktivite povedal Petrovi Michalíkovi zo slovenského vydavateľstva Monokel, navrhol, aby som tak spracoval celý rok: 52 týždňov = 52 ilustrovaných príbehov. Monokel vydal všetky tri ročníky knižky a tiež zabezpečil vydanie v zahraničí - v Amerike, Anglicku , Nemecku a Južnej Kórei. Ktorá dobrá správa z tvojich knižiek ťa najviac chytila za srdce? Mojim favoritom je vždy príbeh, na ktorom aktuálne pracujem. Z poslednej knižky napríklad správa o tom, že keď sa 84-ročný vojnový veterán z Taiwanu dozvedel, že jeho rodná štvrť bude čoskoro zrovnaná so zemou, vymaľoval každý dom veselými farbami, čím sa celá štvrť zakrátko stala kultúrnym dedičstvom, ktoré nebolo možné zbúrať. Jeho dielo sa dnes volá Rainbow Village a hrdo reprezentuje mesto Taichung. Tiež som sa pri čítaní dobrých správ dozvedel, že ak chcem poslať poštou list alebo pohľadnicu na Island do odľahlej farmy alebo domčeku bez adresy, stačí, ak na obálku nakreslím mapku, podľa ktorej poštár nájde príjemcu. Túto správu i s ilustráciou nájdete, medzi inými, v najnovšom Roku dobrých správ. Ktorá recenzia, alebo ocenenie ťa najviac potešilo? Vždy ma veľmi poteší, keď čitatelia vďaka knižke povedia, že aj v tomto objektívne náročnom období sa udialo aj pár dobrých vecí, a pri listovaní knižkou nadobudnú pocit, že čas od času môžu urobiť malý dobrý skutok aj oni sami. Tu je jedna recenzia z amerického School Library Journal (preklad z anglického originálu): “Počas prvého roka pandémie, keď sa zdalo, že svet ovládol chaos, smútok a zlé správy, Smatana vyhľadával pozitívne správy a príbehy, ktoré dopĺňal originálnymi textilnými ilustráciami (viď. napr. ilustrácie Salley Mavora v My Bed od Rebeccy Bond). Príbehy sú krátke, zvyčajne popísané jednou či dvoma vetami s ilustráciou na vedľajšej strane. QR kód na konci knihy zobrazí zainteresovaným čitateľom pôvodný zdroj správ. Smatanove očarujúce postavy a scény sú vyrobené zo zvyškov látok, vlny, plsti a stužiek. Mnohé z príbehov sa týkajú priamo pandémie, iné sa zameriavajú na životné prostredie, komunikáciu napriek spoločenským spektrom a umenie.” Objavili sa v knihe postavičky, ktoré sme už mohli vidieť v tvojich predchádzajúcich projektoch? Myslím že nie. Pre každý projekt, či už animovaný alebo knižný, sa snažím vymyslieť a navrhnúť nové charaktery na mieru príbehu. Naučila ťa kniha sústrediť väčšiu pozornosť na pozitívne veci v tvojom živote a okolí? Áno, a veľmi to na sebe cítim. Hlavným posolstvom knižky je totiž posilniť vnímavosť voči malým, často nenápadným pozitívnym príbehom, ktoré sa dejú okolo nás. Pretože na to, aby sme videli pozitívne príbehy, sa často stačí rozhliadnuť okolo seba. Verím, že po tom, čo si čitateľ takúto knižku prelistuje, si uvedomí, že napriek záľahe negatívnych správ sa nielen vo svete, ale aj v našom bezprostrednom okolí, deje každý deň veľa dobrého. Ak by si mohol s niekým spolupracovať na ďalšej knihe dobrých správ, kto by to bol a ako by tvoju tvorbu obohatil? Veľmi rád by som znovu spolupracoval s niektorým európskym mestom a vystavil dobré správy vo verejnom priestore mesta. Prvé dve série ilustrovaných pozitívnych príbehov sa okrem knižky objavili aj na citylightoch a panelových výstavách vo viacerých mestách na Slovensku a v Česku. Vedenie hlavného mesta Bratislava sa rozhodlo potešiť pred vianočnými sviatkami obyvateľov mesta a skrášliť jeho rozmanité miesta dobrými správami zo sveta vo forme citylightov. Počas tohtoročnej veľkej noci boli vďaka spolupráci so žilinským primátorom a kultúrnym vedením mesta tieto ilustrované dobré správy vystavené formou dvojmetrových panelov na námestí v Žiline, aby mohli potešiť ľudí v týchto náročných časoch. A vďaka spolupráci so Slovenským veľvyslanectvom v Turecku si budú môcť túto výstavu pozitívnych správ pozrieť na jeseň aj obyvatelia Ankary a Istanbulu. Podelíš sa so mnou o nejakú dobrú správu z tvojho života z posledného obdobia? S mojou manželkou Simonou sme koncom septembra privítali do našej animátorskej rodiny syna Alberta, ktorý rastie každým dňom a i keď sa sem-tam nevyspíme, je to tá najlepšia správa tohto roku. Kniha Rok dobrých správ 2023 sa objavila v kníhkupectvách 16.11.2023 a lepší vianočný darček by ste ťažko hľadali! Zaobstarajte si svoju kópiu tu .

Not only is Martin Smatana my high-school classmate who had only passed his English classes thanks to me, he is now a world-renowned and much-awarded animation artist. His book trilogy A Year of Good News has been documenting one piece of good news every week since the pandemic times, bringing a little ray of sunshine to all of us when our days are feeling blue. Let’s dive into our conversation about the books, good news, his future plans and more! Interview by Dana Ševčíková Where did the idea for A Year of Good News come from?  The idea came to me at the beginning of the pandemic, in March 2020. For many of us, it was a time of one piece of bad news after another. The pandemics negatively impacted all of us, myself including. It was easy to get caught in a downward spiral of negative thinking and watch the world get worse day by day. I had to find something to take my mind off things, something positive to cheer me up and inspire me to move forward. Thus, I set up to look for good news from all around the world of which there is always a ton, even though we don’t hear about them as often.  Every week, I found a piece of good news from around the world and illustrated it. As drawing is not my strong suit, I patchworked the picture out of old clothing and this process helped me keep afloat. When I saw my pictures making people happy, I decided to do it every week.  A Year of Good News is a beautifully illustrated book and it’s obvious that it took hundreds of hours of work. Where did you get all the materials and textiles for the creation of the individual images? Where did you make them? When working on textile illustrations for the book, my experience from working on animated films came in really handy! About three or four years ago, when I was preparing the scenes for my animated film Šarkan (The Kite), I realized that textile is a great material, both for animation and illustration. The entire setting of the film is made from fabrics and clothes that I recycled instead of throwing away. With animation, you can move with its structure, the individual threads, which creates lovely movement. The same technique has been used to make my non-traditional book, whose three-dimensional illustrations are done using recycled clothing. When finished, I choose the best lighting for the individual images, take pictures, add the text and put them in the book. All of the illustrations are made in my workshop in Trnava. It takes me about 5 days to finish one illustration. What’s interesting is that it takes even longer to find the right piece of news to illustrate. Sometimes I scroll through dozens, or even hundreds of headlines until I find one that makes me happy, moves me or gives me goosebumps. That's when I know it's the right one. I start studying the story, looking for photos, verifying facts, then I draw a few sketches and try to find composition and shape. Once I'm happy with it, I colour it in, so I know what fabric colours to look for. Afterwards, it's time to take a deep dive in my huge collection of old clothes and discarded fabrics, and only after a few hours spent there, I start cutting, sewing and gluing. How many publishing houses did you approach with the publication of the book? What was your publishing journey with the Monokel publishing house like? I came up with the idea of illustrated good news myself. In no time, my friends and family started sending me positive headlines they had read or heard; and more and more stories thus came to life. When I shared this little project of mine with Peter Michalík from the Slovak publishing house Monokel, he suggested that I organize the book by weeks: 52 weeks - 52 illustrated stories. Monokel then published the first two editions of the book and also ensured publication abroad in the U.S.A. , England, Germany, and South Korea. Are you looking to publish more books of good news in the upcoming years? I am, indeed. Right now, I am working on the finishing touches of the third edition of A Year of Good News that is coming very soon, on 16 November 2023. Is there a piece of good news from your books you’d call your favourite? My favourite story is always the one I'm working on at any given time. Right now, it’s a story of an 84-year-old war veteran from Taiwan who learned that his hometown neighbourhood would soon be torn down. He decided to take action and paint all the houses in vibrant colours, and thus the entire neighbourhood became a protected cultural heritage. His project is called Rainbow Village and is still standing proud in Taichung city. Last week, while browsing the news, I learned that if you want to send a letter or a postcard to a remote farm or house without an address in Iceland, all you have to do is draw a map on the envelope, and the crafty postman will find the recipient! Every fan of yours knows that you got tons of great reviews and awards for your Years of Good News. Are there any that stand out for you? I am always very happy to hear that the readers of my book realized that even in the hardest of times, there are still good things going on. What’s even better is when the book inspires them to do a good deed from time to time as well. Here is a review from the American School Library Journal that made me very happy: During the first year of the pandemic, when it felt like “doom and gloom and bad news had taken over the world,” Smatana sought out good news, and illustrated the stories he found with marvellous textile art (think Salley Mavor’s work in My Bed by Rebecca Bond). The stories are short, usually just one or two sentences on a page, with a facing illustration. A QR code at the end of the book takes interested readers to the original news sources. Smatana’s charming characters and scenes are made of fabric scraps, wool, felt, and ribbon. Many of the stories deal directly with the pandemic, but others focus on the environment, communication across borders and barriers, and the arts. In your books, can we find any characters that had appeared in your previous projects? I don’t think so. I am trying to come up with new characters for every story, be it animation or illustration.  Has creating your book helped you focus your attention on positive things in your life and environment? It did, and it really shows. The aim of the book is to strengthen our perception of small, often inconspicuous positive stories. Sometimes, all it takes to find something positive is to take a look around. I believe that after browsing my book, the reader will realize that despite the flood of negative news, a lot of good is happening every day. If you could choose someone to collaborate with on your next book of good news, who would it be and how would they enrich your work? I would love to work with large European cities againand display the good news in their public space. In addition to the book, the first two series of illustrated positive stories were displayed in large format in several cities in Slovakia and Czechia. The management of the capital city of Bratislava decided to cheer up its residents before the Christmas holidays and adorn various spots with good news from the world in the form of city lights. At Easter time this year, these illustrated good news were displayed on two-meter-long panels on the main square of my hometown, Žilina. And, thanks to cooperation with the Slovak Embassy in Turkey, the residents of Ankara and Istanbul will also be able to see the exhibition of positive news this autumn. Is there any good news from your personal life you can share with us? My wife and I are extremely excited to welcome our first son Albert who is expected to join us at the end of September. (Albert is now a proud member of an animator family, growing every day and making his parents 99% very happy and 1%zombie-like.) The third edition of A Year of Good News is coming out on 16 November 2023, so make sure to get your own copy here !

Adopt, don't shop! Animal shelters in the Czech Republic and Slovakia are full of fluffy souls who have been abandoned, hurt or given up by their former owners. Adopting an animal from a shelter means bringing a new source of joy in your life and giving a second chance to a pet who wants nothing more than to love-bomb their new owners to bits, a.k.a. an absolute win-win situation. Some of our Purple colleagues decided to visit a shelter and adopt a pet for themselves; and even though the beginnings might have been a bit difficult from time to time, they wouldn't trade them for the world. Read about the Purple pets from shelters who made our colleagues' lives exponentially better and learn why shelter adoption is a great choice! Dusty (and his owner Elizaveta) What’s your pet’s name and how old are they? Dusty, approximately 3 years old. Which shelter does he come from? World of dogs – helping Bosnian dogs and the Sarajevo “death shelter.” Do you know what his life was like before he got in the shelter? He comes from a part of Bosnia and Herzegovina where there are a lot of abused dogs. Unfortunately, we don’t know anything else.  What were the adoption process and the adoption day like? How did you communicate with the shelter? I followed the shelter on facebook. Once I had decided to go for it and known what kind of a dog I can handle, I sent them a message and stated my criteria in detail. Then I received a picture of Dusty with a short introduction and main info: his weight, approximate age and fur colour. Afterwards we had a call where I learned about the adoption process and answered questions aimed at finding out whether I’d be a good dog owner. Then I waited for a month or so before they got him ready to go and brought him to me. On 22 January 2022, he was transported to Prague together with other dogs from Bosnia for a fee of 120 EUR. The communication with the shelter was good, they answered all my questions about the adoption process and were even supportive during Dusty’s first weeks in his new home.  What were your first days together in a new home like? The first days were really sweet and fulfilling, but also difficult. Dusty was very scared and went into a panic mode when I attempted to take him for a walk. I decided to give him as much time as he needed to adapt to a new environment and gave him a week or so without walks. He slept through his first couple of days and was afraid to lie down in his new bed, but then he started being curious and his trust in me grew stronger.  What surprised you most about adoption? I had taken care of a golden retriever puppy from a breeder from the age of four months before and I have to say that there is not much difference between taking care of a puppy and an adult, traumatised dog.  What should one be careful about when adopting a pet? I think that the crucial thing is that the new owner is kind and patient. It is important to have at least some experience with dogs and their mentality before adopting one. It helps you understand what characteristics of a dog you are willing to accept and what dog breed would prosper with you as their owner. It’s a two-way street. I knew I needed a calm and small dog that won’t stress me out and one that I can pick up in my arms if needed.  What are some of your pup’s bad habits that keep you on your toes? He doesn’t have any bad habits that I dislike or anger me, really.  And what do you love most about Dusty? The fact that he is a very special doggy who looks like a fox. It is funny how much he loves sunshine and always finds a sunny spot to have a little rest. He is very independent and calm, he is not attached to me at all times, which makes it a lot easier. He plays in a really funny way and it is amazing to observe the way he is changing and his trust in me grows. We are a team.  Ronnie (and his owner Lucie Anna) What’s your pet’s name and how old are they? His name is Ronnie and he is around 7 years old.  Which shelter does he come from? The adoption was organized by Ms Knápková, a vet in Brno who takes care of animals in Brno shelters. I don’t know which particular one Ronnie comes from. Do you know what his life was like before he got in the shelter? He was in the shelter for one year before I adopted him and before that, he had lived in the streets. It’s hard to say what kid of life he led there.  What were the adoption process and the adoption day like? Everything was organized by Ms Knápková, the vet, so I didn’t have to communicate with the shelter at all. She always accepts a couple of dogs into her office where they are getting ready for adoption for a couple of weeks. She also places them in foster care. Ronnie was a foster care puppy and he was a very scared and aggressive dog without basic hygiene habits. He had to learn all of it and how to socialize properly, too. The adoption itself was very fast – I went to see Ronnie for the first time, talked details with the vet and a week later I was driving him home. She said that he had been fidgety all morning, as if he knew something was happening. Ms Knápková is an amazing person, animals love her and there is something therapeutic in the way she communicates with people, too.  What were your first days together in a new home like?  The first six weeks were difficult. He only went potty at home or in the office, because he couldn’t go outside. After a few weeks, however, things fell into place. I could tell on the way home from the foster care that all he needed this whole time was love. We became inseparable. You can see that he appreciates everything he has and he doesn’t take all the care I am giving him for granted. He is coming from a troubled environment and that makes him even more grateful. It cannot be compared to a puppy born into a loving environment who considers all these beautiful things normal. We are never apart; we spend all our time together and I wouldn’t have it any other way. If I leave him at home by himself for a couple of hours, he is fine, but I am the one who finds it unbearable! What surprised you most about adoption?  That it all happened so fast! What should one be careful about when adopting a pet? It’s hard to say, because every shelter animal has their own painful story and many times not even the shelter staff know what they’d been through. The new owners have to be very patient and loving so that the animal can rebuild their trust towards humans again.  What are some of your pup’s bad habits that keep you on your toes? It doesn’t really make me mad, but Ronnie must have had bad experience with homeless people – he is scared of them and doesn’t want to get near them. Another thing we are still working on is his aggression towards unfamiliar dogs, but once he gets to know them, they become friends and happily play together.  And what do you love most about Ronnie? Absolutely everything! I wouldn’t change a thing about him, he is perfect the way he is. He came into my life just like it was supposed to be. 

Adopt, don't shop! Animal shelters in the Czech Republic and Slovakia are full of fluffy souls who have been abandoned, hurt or given up by their former owners. Adopting an animal from a shelter means bringing a new source of joy in your life and giving a second chance to a pet who wants nothing more than to love-bomb their new owners to bits, a.k.a. an absolute win-win situation. Some of our Purple colleagues decided to visit a shelter and adopt a pet for themselves; and even though the beginnings might have been a bit difficult from time to time, they wouldn't trade them for the world. Read about the Purple pets from shelters who made our colleagues' lives exponentially better and learn why shelter adoption is a great choice! Ella (and her owner Barbora) What’s your pet’s name and how old are they? Ella, 10 months. Which shelter does she come from? OZ Chlpáčik Snina:  https://chlpaciksnina.kapastudio.eu/ . Do you know what her life was like before she got in the shelter? Ellinka comes from a Roma settlement. The shelter knew of her owner for a very long time (they saw them together and hoped he would bring her to the shelter, as he was not even able to take care of himself, let alone a puppy). In the end, her owner threw her over the fence into a strangers’ house who had two giant dogs. Luckily, they didn’t cause Ella any harm. With a scratch on her nose and in a very neglected state, Ellinka finally got into the shelter and then into foster care.   What were the adoption process and the adoption day like? How did you communicate with the shelter? We stumbled upon Ellinka while browsing  https://www.pesweb.cz/ . We filtered out shelters closest to Brno and asked about a couple of dogs. In two days, a Slovak number called back. It was the owner of the Chlpáčik shelter who asked us why we were interested in Ellinka, about our experience with dogs and described the process of adoption.  Are you wondering why it was a Slovak number that called? In order for Czech citizens to adopt a dog from Slovakia, a Slovak shelter with the pet in question needs to be sheltered by a Czech shelter. The filter thus showed a Czech animal shelter, but in reality, Ellinka was located in the east of Slovakia! Because it wasn’t a regular shelter, but an organization more than 500 km away, the whole adoption process was quite strict.  The second call came from a Czech lady, who played the role of the bad cop we needed to get through to. She was asking pretty personal questions, for example if we had saved enough money as having a pet is not cheap, or how long had we been together with my boyfriend and who would keep the dog in case we broke up.  Looking back now I realise that their goal is to place the dog with good people without the risk of them being returned to the shelter, but this lady really had no mercy on us. She wanted to see pictures of our flat, offices where we planned to take Ella sometimes and even of our previous dogs.  Thank god we didn’t get intimidated and I told her openly that I didn’t understand why we felt like she’s trying to bust us and that we had previously had a shelter dog and thus know the responsibility it takes to have one.  The third round was a visitation by the Czech shelter lady. She came to check that the pictures of our flat were really of our flat and not, for example, our parents’. She also wanted to have a chat and get to know us a bit. The next day, we got a call from the owner of the shelter saying that we proved ourselves to be good adoptive parents for Ella. She also said there was a family driving back to Brno that day who would bring Ella home for us and we didn’t have to drive all the way to eastern Slovakia to get her.  It was just meant to be. What were your first days together in a new home like? Ella fit in immediately. She was only 5 months old back then and so it was enough to blackmail her with treats and tire her out before her first night. She was used to living in a flat. Because she was in foster care before, there were no shenanigans at home and she was taught all the rules of hygiene. It was like she had always been here.  What surprised you most about adoption? I think the very strict process did. But, as I said, you don’t have to be scared. Try to communicate openly. The reason the process is so strict is to filter out people who are not seriously interested.  What should one be careful about when adopting a pet? Don’t get intimidated, definitely don’t lie about anything. Don’t send any money in advance. What are some of your pup’s bad habits that keep you on your toes? Her reactivity – she is not afraid of bad-tempered dogs and doesn’t hesitate to start a fight. She is a hunting dog, too, which means cats and voles are like a drug for her and she almost managed to dislocate my shoulder a couple of times.  And what do you love most about Ella? I love everything about her! She is our little baby bat who loves to be active and adores being in the forest, just like her owners.  Sheva (and her owner Roman) What’s your pet’s name and how old are they? Sheva is almost 3 years old. Which shelter does she come from? She comes from the Tuláčik shelter in Brezno, Slovakia:  https://utuloktulacik.sk/ . Do you know what her life was like before she got in the shelter? She was found in a Roma settlement. Unfortunately, I didn’t learn anything more about her story.  What were the adoption process and the adoption day like? The process was quite fast. The vet administered the rest of the necessary vaccinations, I signed a contract, paid a €100 fee and that was it! How did you communicate with the shelter?  The communication was really easy. We talked through their Instagram page, where I actually saw Shevinka for the first time.  What were your first days together in a new home like?  Our beginning together was incredible, we were best friends from day one.  What surprised you most about adoption?  What surprised me the most was that I was not 100% ready for the adoption. Before you adopt a pet, you need to learn a ton of things – read some literature on the adoption, watch videos, etc. What should one be careful about when adopting a pet? It is very important to pick a dog who matches your lifestyle. Active dogs need a lot of exercise and action, they shouldn’t be locked inside for a long time.   What are some of your pup’s bad habits that keep you on your toes? As she has a bit of hunting gene in her DNA, she loves to disappear and hunt for hares and cats. Luckily, she hasn’t brought me any trophies yet! And what do you love most about Sheva? She is just an Energizer battery. She turned my life upside down and I am incredibly grateful to her for that.

Adopt, don't shop! Animal shelters in the Czech Republic and Slovakia are full of fluffy souls who have been abandoned, hurt or given up by their former owners. Adopting an animal from a shelter means bringing a new source of joy in your life and giving a second chance to a pet who wants nothing more than to love-bomb their new owners to bits, a.k.a. an absolute win-win situation. Some of our Purple colleagues decided to visit a shelter and adopt a pet for themselves; and even though the beginnings might have been a bit difficult from time to time, they wouldn't trade them for the world. Read about the Purple pets from shelters who made our colleagues' lives exponentially better and learn why shelter adoption is a great choice! Jake (and his owner Ivana) What’s your pet’s name and how old are they? His name is Jake and he is 4 years old. In the shelter, they called him Cooper, but that name just didn’t fit him right.  Which shelter does he come from? He is from the Tuláčik shelter in Brezno, Slovakia: https://utuloktulacik.sk/ . Do you know what his life was like before he got in the shelter? Most of the puppies in the shelter have been rescued from an abusive environment. Jake was brought there from a Roma settlement. What were the adoption process and the adoption day like? How did you communicate with the shelter? The communication was amazing. I was originally interested in a different dog, but someone had already adopted him. The shelter then offered me puppies that hadn’t been posted online yet, because they had been rescued only a couple of daysprior. I have always wanted a puppy, as I didn’t dare to adopt an older dog, even though I had raised a couple of dogs before. Shelter pups are often traumatized and I was a bit scared of that. The shelter asked a lot of questions before the adoption – where will the dog live, who will raise him, in what conditions, and I also had to send the shelter pictures of the place where Jake would live so that they could decide if it’s the right fit for him. On the day of adoption, we picked him up, I learned about his vaccinations and medical appointments that needed yet to be arranged, I got a passport for him and after paying a fee, I could take him home.  What were your first days together in a new home like? Difficult. Because Jake came from a bad environment, he wasn’t your typical reckless and playful puppy ready to explore the world. He was really scared of us, as he had horrible experience with people, and kept hiding away. I was hand-feeding him granules one by one and slept by his side on the ground so that he would get used to my presence and start trusting me. What surprised you most about adoption? It is quite a demanding process, which is actually pretty great, as the shelter wants to ensure that the dog goes to good owners who won’t return him back to the shelter.  What should one be careful about when adopting a pet? Make sure to find out as much about the dog as possible. Ask if they are good with other animals and whether there are any traumas from their past. If you don’t know this, you risk a lot, because working with a traumatized animal is hard and requires 24/7 care to turn them around. In the end, however, it is absolutely worth it and the person gains the most faithful companion.  What are some of your pup’s bad habits that keep you on your toes? Not really a bad habit, but the trauma that he’s been carrying with him since puppyhood. He is scared of new people and other dogs before he gets to know them, but I am trying to get him to socialise constantly so that he can let go of his fear.  And what do you love most about Jake? Everything. Even though we haven’t spoken a single word in the 4 years I’ve had him, he is my best friend. If I don’t feel good, he will come to me and stay with me until I’m better. He makes me happy every day and is the best buddy one could ask for.  Miata (and her owner Daniela) What’s your pet’s name and how old are they? Miata celebrated her second birthday this year. Which shelter does she come from? From the Tibet shelter in Bučovice: https://www.utulektibet.cz/ . Do you know what her life was like before she got in the shelter? She was one of the many kittens saved from the tornado in Břeclavsko and Hodonínsko in 2021. Back then, she was not even a month old.  What were the adoption process and the adoption day like? How did you communicate with the shelter? One weekend we went to the shelter to take a look at their cats and this little minx completely won us over. We took her home two weeks later. The communication was amazing, there were no issues, we got very clear instructions and some dry food for the road.  What were your first days together in a new home like? She didn’t stop purring for the first two weeks and was the cuddliest little girl, always glued to someone’s side, she used to sleep on my head… She had no problems adapting to the new environment. William (her dog roommate) was the one who was terribly confused about the creature we dragged home.  What surprised you most about adoption? Not much, really, except the fact that we were fostering Miata for a year and only then she became 100% mine.  What should one be careful about when adopting a pet? To really adopt, not shop. What are some of your kitten’s bad habits that keep you on your toes? She is sometimes more stubborn than me and thinks she can do anything. These days, for example, she learned how to jump on the kitchen counter and when I try to get her down, she looks just about ready to call the animal protection services on me. And what do you love most about Miata? How chatty and cuddly in the morning she is. She is my cute little lovebug who accompanies me even to the bathroom and will let me annoy her as much as I want. 

In this series, I want to introduce my personal heroes who deserve recognition and inspire you to do right by the world, even though it sometimes feels like our efforts might not make even the smallest difference. Believe me, they all do. Happy reading! Jan Richter is a doctor, business owner, first-aid trainer and author of LinkedIn articles that are educative, hit the nail on the head and, most importantly, really fun to read. He is also a long-time friend, collaborator and supporter of our foundation and a wonderful human being. How do so many talents and activities fit into his week and still leave him some time for his family and an occasional beer or two? What were the biggest lessons he learned in his medical practice and in which obscure location did he and his wife meet? Find out this, and much more, in the interview.  In your LinkedIn profile, the #LepšíLékař (#BetterDoctor) hashtag caught my attention. What does it mean for you to be a better doctor? Have you set any goals that will make you one? Allow me to add a bit to this, as I think it's very important. My profile says: "On the way to be a #BetterDoctor." I don't wish to nit-pick, but I wanted to highlight that it is, indeed, a journey. I don’t think that there is a particular goal I can reach that will magically turn me into a better doctor. I am convinced, however, that a better doctor should, first of all, treat their patients with great respect. Whenever I am in my office tending to a patient, I think to myself: " Honzo, how would you want to be treated if you swapped places with them?" After all, good communication makes up 70% of a doctor’s good impression.  A better doctor never stops studying and educates themselves not only in the field of medicine, but also in soft skills. A better doctor is incorporating modern technology into their practice, which is why I am working on digitizing our ECGs, learning to work with the ultrasound and wish to deploy AI to discover hospital infections. I also use AI to evaluate some ECGs. A better doctor can save a person's life in times of illness, and the very best doctor makes sure that the illness does not occur in the first place. In 2015, you and your wife founded the Učíme první pomoc (We teach first aid) company. How is it doing and what do you consider the most important milestones in its existence? When it comes to the financial side of things, we have grown every year so far, except for the covid years. Last year we had a record turnover. There have been two substantial milestones on our journey. The first one was hiring an operations manager who makes the business run smoothly and doesn't require my wife or me to be as involved. The second milestone was definitely when we managed to pay off all the debt and got into green numbers. At one moment, we suddenly discovered that buying a new mobile phone, electronics or an expensive vacation every year does not really fulfil us; and we started donating a part of the profit to charity every year. Last year, we donated a total of 100,000 CZK. The majority went to help Ukraine in the form of medical supplies, medicine, disinfectants and other necessities, and 20,000 CZK was donated to the children's hospice – Dům pro Julii (House for Julia). After all, you were the ones who connected us with the hospice, for which I want to thank you. In the midst of the pandemic, you started working in the Nemocnice Milosrdných Bratří (Hospital of the Merciful Brothers) in Brno. Did the pandemic change you in any way? Have you learned anything new about yourself? Before the pandemic, I worked as a head doctor in a small pharmaceutical company producing medicine from blood plasma. There were definitely moments that I would consider stressful and on the verge of crisis in that environment, but it was always about money. None of this compares to a typical day in the ER. This is where life is at stake every single moment, be it the pandemic or not. How do you take care of your mental well-being after a hard day in the hospital? Every day, I come back home to my wife and our little Agátka. An occasional pub visit with my friends is, of course, equally as important. I like to ski in the winter and cycle in the summer.  You must have experienced situations in your practice that are forever written in your memory. Is there a positive experience that stands out which you could share with us? There are many such situations, but as doctors, we have a very dark sense of humour, so I would rather not share them. However, I can perhaps mention one. This one time, I went to a room with three patients for a morning visit. According to the schedule, though, only two patients were supposed to be in. I examined them all and then went to ask the nurses if we happened to have a newcomer. They did not know of any new patients and did not see or hear of the third person. So, I went back to see this "stranger" elderly patient, who very confidently claimed that she was at home and not in the hospital. She tore off her name bracelet and introduced herself to me with three different names. In the end, we called all the LTC departments and found out that a patient was missing from the C ward. What were your student days like and what advice would you give to medical students today? My student days were beautiful, after all, it was in the autopsy room that I met my wife. However, the studies were demanding and we learned thousands of pages of material that we will never use in practice and, on the contrary, we were never taught the practical things. I would advise students to apply for extracurricular internships and see the realities of the job, but this piece of advice probably applies in general to all fields. If you weren't a doctor, what career path would you choose? I am a very ambitious person. Before I decided to go back to medicine, I used to manage 12 doctors and countless non-medical staff. I would probably choose a fast-growing environment with great scalability, transparent corporate culture and soft spot for charity, ideally in Brno. I think I might go for a fintech company. :D Is there a particular field of healthcare you consider often overlooked and deserving of more attention - one whose innovations would significantly contribute to improving the overall situation of the national healthcare? In our country, it is certainly prevention. I would put the prevention of cardiovascular disease in the first place, as it is terribly neglected and thousands of people walk around with undiagnosed high blood pressure or elevated cholesterol. I don't even need to mention oncology prevention. What is currently the biggest challenge for you, work-wise? It is, without a doubt, my work-life balance. According to my work schedule alone, I spend 240-260 hours a month at the hospital, plus teaching first aid, managing the company or writing articles on LinkedIn, which takes up another 40 hours. As you can see, I am not too successful yet. What do you consider to be your greatest professional success and what was, on the contrary, the greatest lesson learned for you? I will perhaps answer a little more in general. Thanks to my entrepreneurship, I have adopted a different mindset than most of my colleagues. For me, every problem has a solution, and every problem is an opportunity. If I don't have a radiologist available in the ER at night, I learn to work with ultrasound. If there is no neurologist available, I sign up for a neurology internship. All this then makes me, bit by bit, a better doctor. One that I myself would like to have. I learn a different lesson every day. I consider it important to admit my mistakes, which is not really usual in our industry. To sum up, I see my greatest success in the fact that I am always "hungry" for improvement, growing and using my professional lessons learned to do better next time.