Krištof Heger, jeden z členov Purple Foundation, sa netají tým, že od roku 2009 žije s epilepsiou. Skrz svoje pôsobenie v nadačnom fonde Purple Foundation začal spolupracovať s organizáciou Společnost E , ktorá v Českej republike podporuje ľudí s epilepsiou a ich blízkych. Práve tu sa Krištof stal členom tímu peer podpory a v nasledujúcich riadkoch nám prezradí, čo to koncept peer podpory je, čo znamená peer podpora pre neho a čo sa za čas pôsobenia v tomto tíme naučil. Prajeme príjemné čítanie! Krištof, čo znamená výraz peer podpora? Peer podpora je hlavne o zdieľaní vlastných skúseností s týmto ochorením a o podaní pomocnej ruky tým ľuďom, ktorí týmto ochorením trpia a nevedia si s určitými aspektami poradiť, majú o nich málo informácií alebo jednoducho len potrebujú svoje zážitky s epilepsiou zdieľať s niekým, kto im porozumie, lebo si tým tiež prešiel (a prechádza dennodenne). Je to za mňa super služba, ktorá prirodeným spôsobom dopĺňa odbornú prácu neurológov tým, že poskytuje praktický pohľad na epilepsiu v reálnom živote a dokáže poskytnúť vhľad, ako sa určité špecifické situácie dajú riešiť. A nemusia to byť nutne len epileptici, spolupracujeme aj so zdravými ľuďmi, ktorí majú v rodine epileptika a chcú sa dozvedieť viac o tom, ako mu napr. pomôcť, ako sa s tým vyrovnať, ako k tomu celému vlastne pristúpiť. Čo ťa motivovalo stat sa peerom?  Ono je to pomerne jednoduché, netreba za tým hľadať nič špeciálne – prišlo to prirodzene, pretože som odmalička vnútorne presvedčený, že keď si ľudia budú vzájomne pomáhať, bude sa nám ako spoločnosti žiť lepšie, kvalitnejšie a plnohodnotnejšie. A je úplne jedno, akou formou to bude, nemusí ísť vôbec o nejaké veľké skutky, pomáhať dokáže naozaj každý - aj maličkosťami a častokrát zdanlivými banalitami. No a keďže mám epilepsiu už relatívne dlho, disponujem rôznymi skúsenosťami a zažil som s ňou rozmanité situácie (či už v osobnom alebo pracovnom živote), ktoré mali buď priamy alebo nepriamy vplyv na môj stav a musel som sa s nimi sám nejakým spôsobom popasovať a vyriešiť ich (nemal som k dispozícii nikoho v okolí, kto by si prechádzal niečím podobným a poradil mi alebo by to so mnou zdieľal), bola by za mňa škoda nepredať to ďalej, keď sa to niekomu náhodou môže zísť a mňa to nič nestojí. :-) Koľkým ľuďom robíš peera a koľko času ti to zaberie? Zvládaš túto novú rolu spojiť so svojím profesionálnym a súkromným životom?  Naraz dokážem zvládať so svojimi ďalšími aktivitami a prácou 2 ľudí, ale závisí samozrejme na situácii, na potrebách jednotlivých mojich „parťákov,“ na forme a frekvencii komunikácie a podobne. Časovo to zaberie pár jednotiek hodín mesačne (moje maximum je zatiaľ 15 hodín za jeden mesiac), ale tu do toho výrazne vstupuje už spomínaný spôsob komunikácie a jej pravidelnosť (napr. veľký rozdiel v komunikácii cez text verzus naživo). Zo začiatku je peer podpora spravidla intenzívnejšia, pretože ľudí zaujíma množstvo vecí, ktoré doteraz nemali s kým prebrať, následne je kontakt už voľnejší. Vždy je to tak, ako to danému človeku vyhovuje, nikdy nikoho do ničoho netlačíme, zároveň každý peer v našom tíme je jedinečný a môže mať komunikáciu so svojimi parťákmi nastavenú inak. Takže zvládať sa to v 99 % prípadov dá úplne v pohode (niekedy sa mi dokonca máli :-D). Společnost E kladie dôraz na to, aby svojich peerov posielala do sveta poriadne vycvičených. Ako prebiehal tvoj peer výcvik? Absolvovali sme 3 celodenné prípravné kurzy, s ktorými pracujeme v praxi prakticky neustále, t.j. nie je to iba teoretické vzdelanie, ale je super, že je to okamžite aplikovateľné – kurz o spôsobe a štýle rozprávania nášho vlastného príbehu s epilepsiou (aby sme vedeli našich parťákov vtiahnuť do „deja“ a inštantne si s nimi vytvoriť väzbu a aby sme vedeli čeliť aj sebe samým a veciam, ktoré nám napr. nie sú úplne príjemné alebo s nimi nie sme stopercentne vyrovnaní), kurz aktívneho naslúchania (kľučový aspekt peer podpory, aby mala požadovanú kvalitu a mala pre klienta zmysel) a kurz krízovej intervencie. Toto všetko dopĺňame pravidelnými online stretnutiami, kde diskutujeme a zdieľame si navzájom v tíme skúsenosti s jednotlivými klientmi a taktiež pravidelnou supervíziou, kde preberáme naše pocity z peer podpory so psychologičkou. Musím povedať, že obe tieto záležitosti sú veľmi podnetné a poskytujú na jednu situáciu x rôznych perspektív, čo núti človeka neustále sa nad svojimi postupmi zamýšľať a zlepšovať ich, prípadne adaptovať pre potreby daného klienta. Navyše máme stanovené aj interné „Desatoro“ a etický kódex, ktorými sa pri peer podpore riadime. Čiže určite nestačí mať „len“ epilepsiu, aby človek mohol peera vykonávať, chce to aj mix získaných znalostí a vrodených vlastností (tieto sa učia veľmi ťažko). Čo ak sa chce niekto skontaktovať s peerom, ale váha, hanbí sa, bojí sa? Je to veľmi jednoduché – stačí napísať našej koordinátorke alebo vyplniť formulár na  PEER podpora – Společnost E a následne bude koordinátorkou kontaktovaný, buď mailom alebo telefonicky (každý si môže vybrať). Spolu sa pobavia o detailoch, o tom, ako peer podpora prebieha a čo od nej očakávať a následne si klient môže na základe spomínanej stránky buď vybrať svojho peera sám na základe popisu a sympatií, alebo mu bude pridelený, opäť na základe určitých interných kritérií vhodnosti. Dôležité je nebáť sa urobiť ten prvý krok a napísať nám. Dovolím si tvrdiť, že sme skupina vysoko empatických a chápajúcich ľudí a sme otvorení akémukoľvek príbehu – naším cieľom je pomôcť, nie vystrašiť. Takže ten prvotný kontakt rozhodne nebude nepríjemný pre nikoho, práve naopak. Takže neváhajte! Akú peer situáciu si zatiaľ považoval za najzložitejšiu?  Asi najzložitejší moment bol ten, keď som mailom komunikoval s jedným starším anglicky hovoriacim pánom, ktorého aktuálna situácia bola veľmi komplikovaná (problémy s epilepsiou, ďalšie zdravotné problémy v rodine, výpoveď v práci, malé deti, atď.) a vycítil som, že je frustrovaný, zúfalý a že možno nemá úplne ďaleko k tomu začať premýšľať aj nad radikálnejším riešením situácie... Ono to možno nie je úplne pravdepodobný scenár, ale aj takúto možnosť musí peer brať pri svojej práci do úvahy. Následne, keď sa odmlčal (a kontakt s ním sa nám už nepodarilo obnoviť), ľudský mozog si jednak hneď začne vytvárať katastrofické scenáre, čo nie je rozhodne v takejto situácii príjemné, po druhé si ale začne klásť otázku, či spravil naozaj svoje maximum a či mu paradoxne nejakým spôsobom neuškodil... Aj takéto situácie prináša peer podpora, má to rozhodne aj svoje tienisté stránky, nebudem klamať. V čom má byť peerom hodnotu pre teba? Z peer podpory si sám pre seba odnášam hlavne to, že sa naučím (či už vďaka mojim peer kolegom, alebo vďaka samotným klientom) sám o sebe kopec nových vecí, na základe ktorých potom môžem svoj život zlepšovať alebo upravovať svoje názory a postoje, zároveň mi táto práca poskytuje vhľad do myslenia, správania a charakterov rozmanitých osobností s rôznymi príbehmi a z rôznych spoločenských prostredí, takže ma potom v bežnom živote asi len tak niečo nezaskočí a viem pružnejšie reagovať na všetko, čo mi život položí do cesty. Všetky tieto skúsenosti sa dajú opäť krásne aplikovať aj v pracovnom a osobnom živote, takže vlastne ma to celkovo pomerne dosť obohacuje a robím to pre seba, zdá sa. :-D Samozrejme prvoradá a prioritná je pomoc druhým a ich spokojnosť – ten pocit, keď sa dozviem, že moja činnosť naozaj reálne niekomu pomohla, je na nezaplatenie, to je tá najväčšia hodnota, všetko ostatné popri tom je iba príjemný bonus. Čo ťa na peer podpore najviac napĺňa? Najviac ma asi napĺňa spätná väzba (akákoľvek, nemusí byť nutne pozitívna), ktorú dostávam či už od nášho tímu, alebo od ľudí, ktorí peer podporu vyhľadajú. Asi každý určite rád počuje, že mu práca ide a že ju robí dobre a je peer superstar :-D, ale aj keď sa dozvieš, že tvoj prístup druhému nejakým spôsobom nesadol, nevyhovoval alebo si mu vôbec nepomohol a má pocit, že ho nechápeš, otvorí ti to celkom oči a ukáže ti to zase úplne nový svet, ktorý môžeš preskúmať. Budeš sa do peer programu zapájať aj naďalej?  Ak ma budú v Společnosti E stale chcieť, tak určite! :-D Aké otázky môže mať človek, ktorý sa práve dozvedel svoju diagnózu - epilepsia?  Najčastejšie sú to otázky spojené s tým, ako ovplyvňuje epilepsia každodenný život, čo človek pravdepobne bude musieť zmeniť alebo upraviť a v čom naopak môže bez problémov pokračovať – tu sa bavíme o samotnej liečbe a jej vplyve na ľudský organizmus (napr. únava, vyčerpanosť, zmeny nálad, podráždenosť), o tom, ako zvládať rodinné a partnerské vzťahy v súvislosti s novými obmedzeniami a situáciami (pretože epilepsia môže nemalou mierou ovplyvňovať aj ľudí okolo), ako zvládať prácu a stres, ako pristupovať k športu, a tak podobne. Často sa ale bavíme aj o emóciách, ktoré toto ochorenie do života prináša – strach, neistota, obavy, frustrácia, hnev, bezradnosť, rezignovanosť a ako ich zvládať a pracovať s nimi. Toto je nemenej dôležitá súčasť celej peer podpory a aj celkového vyrovnania sa s epilepsiou a jej zvládnutia. Aké sú mýty a povery o epilepsii, ktoré ako spoločnosť musíme vyvrátiť a napraviť?  Tých mýtov a poloprávd sa nájde určite viac, za mňa by som spomenul ten, že má veľa ľudí epilepsiu asociovanú s nízkou inteligenciou, prípadne mentálnou zaostalosťou – toto vôbec nie je pravidlo a epilepsia sama o sebe inteligenciu nijakým spôsobom neovplyvňuje (pokiaľ mám správne informácie). V histórii nájdeme mnoho významných ľudí, ktorí trpeli epilepsiou a napriek tomu dosiahli veľké veci, napríklad Theodore Roosevelt, Prince, Dostojevský a ďalší. Ďalšie mýty sa týkajú asi hlavne typu záchvatov a prvej pomoci – ľuďom sa pri slove epilepsia určite hneď vybaví veľký záchvat so stratou vedomia sprevádzaný kŕčmi, no záchvaty môžu prebiehať aj úplne inými spôsobmi, napríklad chvíľkovým zahľadením sa, keď človek vyzerá, že je mimo a nevníma, prípadne dočasnou stratou kontroly nad časťami svojho tela, pričom je ale pri vedomí. Čo sa týka prvej pomoci, v spoločnosti je z nejakého dôvodu zažité, že ľudia chcú hneď vyťahovať jazyk postihnutého, prípadne ho nejakým spôsobom presúvať a manipulovať s ním počas veľkého záchvatu – to určite neodporúčam, nemuselo by to dopadnúť pre zachraňujúcu osobu dobre. :-D Ako posledné spomeniem, že sa často stretávam aj s tým, že si ľudia spájajú záchvaty automaticky aj s blikajúcimi svetlami a stroboskopmi, napr. na koncertoch či v kluboch – podľa Epilepsy Society však trpí touto formou len 5 % z celkového 1 % epileptikov v spoločnosti. Epilepsia je jednoducho veľmi rozmanitá a individuálna a svojím spôsobom aj preto zaujímavá. :-) Krištof, ďakujeme, že si nám otvorene porozprával o tom, aké je to žiť s epilepsiou a držíme Ti palce na Tvojej peer ceste!

One of our Purple Foundation members, Krištof Heger, makes no secret of the fact that he has been living with epilepsy since 2009. Through his work in the Purple Foundation, he came to cooperate with Společnost E - a non-proft organization helping people with epilepsy. He became a member of their peer support team and in this interview, he will introduce the concept of peer support, what it means to him and what he has learnt along the way. Have a great read! Krištof, what does peer support mean? Peer support is mainly about sharing your own experiences with this disease and lending a helping hand to fellow affected persons. Some of them cannot cope with certain aspects of epilepsy, lack information, or simply need to share their experiences with someone who understands them because they have been through the same (and continue to do so daily). I consider it a wonderful service that naturally complements the professional work of neurologists. It offers a practical perspective on epilepsy in real life and advice on handling very specific situations. Our help is not limited to people with epilepsy, though. We also work with healthy people who have an epileptic in their family and want to learn how to help them, cope with it, and approach the issue. What motivated you to become a peer? It came naturally to me, as I've been internally convinced since I was a little kid that when people help each other, living in our society is better and more fulfilling. No matter the extent of help, anyone can do it - even with tiny gestures or a couple of words. Since I've had epilepsy for a relatively long time, I have experienced several situations related to the illness (both in my personal and professional life) that have had either a direct or indirect impact on my condition. I had to deal with them and solve them myself (I didn't have anyone in my surroundings who was going through something similar and would advise or share with me) and I thought it would be a waste not to pass all the gained knowledge on. You never know when it might come in handy for someone else and it doesn't cost me anything to do so. How many people can count on you as their peer and how much time does it take? Is it manageable to combine this role with your professional and private life? I can manage being a peer for two people at a time outside my work and other activities, but it also depends on the particular situation, the needs of my individual "partners," the form and frequency of communication, etc. In terms of time, it takes up a few hours a month (my personal maximum is 15 hours per month), but the aforementioned method of communication and its regularity play a significant role here (e.g. a big difference in communicating via text versus in person). At the beginning, peer support is usually more intense, because people want to ask about many things they have not had anyone to discuss with before. In time, the communication becomes more sporadic. We always base the contact on the person’s specific needs and uniqueness and never pressure anyone into anything they aren’t comfortable with. And thus, each peer’s communication with their clients looks different and is up to them to set it up. In 99% of cases, it is completely manageable for me (sometimes I’d even prefer a bit more, to be honest). Společnost E is set on sending their peers out into the world top-level-trained. What was your peer training like? I completed three all-day preparatory courses that I put into practice basically all the time, i.e. it has not been just theoretical education. All the knowledge was immediately applicable in real life situations - a course on the method and style of telling our own epilepsy story (so that we can draw our partners into the "story" and instantly create a bond with them; it also taught us to confront ourselves about things we are not comfortable or 100% at about), a course on active listening (a key aspect of peer support in order to meet the required quality level of the program) and a crisis intervention course. We also attend regular online meetings, where we discuss and share our experiences with individual clients in the team of peers, and with regular supervision, where we discuss our feelings about peer support with a psychologist. I must say that both issues are very stimulating and provide different perspectives on situations, which forces a person to constantly think about their procedures and improve them or adapt them to the needs of a given client. In addition, we have established an internal "Ten rules" document and a code of ethics, both of which we follow when providing peer support. It is certainly not enough to "just" have epilepsy to be able to perform peer support. It also requires a mix of acquired knowledge and innate qualities of the peer (which are difficult to learn). What if someone wants to contact a peer, but is hesitant, shy, or afraid? What is your advice in this situation? It's very simple – all you have to do is contact our peer coordinator or fill out the form at PEER podpora - Společnost E and the coordinator will then contact you, either by email or by phone (you can choose). They will talk details with you, introduce peer support and what to expect and then you can either choose your peer yourself, or you will be assigned one, based on internal suitability criteria. Please don’t be afraid to take the first step and reach out to us! I dare say that we are a group of highly empathetic and understanding people and we are open to any story - our goal is to help you, not scare you away. The initial contact will not be unpleasant for anyone here, on the contrary – we will be happy to hear from you! Which situation have you considered the most difficult so far? My most difficult moment was probably when I was communicating by email with an older English-speaking gentleman whose situation was very complicated (problems with epilepsy, other health troubles in the family, getting fired from work, small children, etc.). I sensed that he was frustrated, desperate and that he might not be far from considering a more radical solution to the situation... It may not have been a completely likely scenario, but even a tiny possibility of it must be considered by a peer in their work. Subsequently, when the gentleman fell silent (and we were unable to restore contact with him), the human brain immediately started to create catastrophic scenarios, which is definitely unpleasant. On the other hand, a peer then may start to ask themselves whether they really did their best and whether, paradoxically, they didn’t cause any further harm instead... Peer support brings such situations, too. It definitely has a darker side, I won't lie. How is peer support valuable for you? The main thing I take away from peer support is learning a lot of new things about myself (be it thanks to my peer colleagues or the clients themselves) that I can use to improve my life or adjust my opinions and attitudes for the better. At the same time, this work gives me insight into the thinking, behaviour and characters of diverse personalities with different stories and from different social environments. As a result, I am not thrown off by much and I can react more flexibly to everything that life throws my way. All the experience can be easily applied in my work and personal life, so it enriches me overall. The top priority is helping others and their satisfaction, of course - the feeling when I learn that my activity really helped someone is priceless. That is the greatest value, everything else is just a pleasant bonus. Which moment of the peer support has been the most rewarding? The most rewarding is probably the feedback (any, not necessarily only positive feedback) that I receive, whether from our team or from people who seek peer support. I guess everyone likes to hear that their work is going well and that they are great at it, basically a peer superstar. :-D On the other hand, even when you learn that your approach somehow didn't suit or help the other person and they feel misunderstood, it opens your eyes in a different way and offers you a whole new world to explore. Are you planning to continue working in the peer program? If they’ll still have me in Společnost E, then definitely! :-D Imagine someone got just diagnosed with epilepsy – what are the questions they need answered?  Most often, these will be questions related to how epilepsy affects your everyday life, about new changes and adjustments or, on the contrary, activities you can resume without any trouble. They might need to ask about the treatment itself and its impact on the human body (e.g. fatigue, exhaustion, mood swings, irritability), how to manage family and partner relationships in connection with new restrictions (because epilepsy can also affect people around you to a large extent), how to manage work and stress, how to keep engaging in sports activities, and so on. We often talk about the emotions that this disease brings into life, too - fear, uncertainty, worries, frustration, anger, helplessness, resignation and how to manage and work with them. This is an equally important part of peer support and overall coping with the disease and its management. What are the myths and superstitions about epilepsy that we, as a society, need to dispel and correct? There are certainly many of these myths and half-truths. I would like to mention the one where people associate epilepsy with low intelligence or mental retardation - this is simply not the case and epilepsy itself does not affect one’s intelligence in any way (as far as I am informed). In history, we have learned of many important people who suffered from epilepsy and achieved great things nonetheless, for example Theodore Roosevelt, Prince, Dostoevsky and others. Other myths probably relate to the types of seizures and first aid - when people hear the word epilepsy, they immediately imagine a major seizure with loss of consciousness accompanied by convulsions. Seizures can, however, occur in many different ways, for example a momentary spacing out, or a temporary loss of control over parts of their body while being fully conscious. As for the first aid, people tend to prioritise moving the affected person’s tongue out of the way first or move and adjust it during a major seizure - I definitely do not recommend doing that, as it might not turn out well for the person rescuing. :-D Finally, I would like to mention that I often encounter people automatically associating seizures with strobes and flashing lights at concerts or in clubs - according to the Epilepsy Society, only 5% of the total 1% of epileptics in society suffer from this. Epilepsy is simply very diverse and individual, and in its own way, that’s what makes it interesting. :-) Thank you, Krištof, for opening up about your experience with both the peer program and living with epilepsy, and we wish you all the best in your peer journey forward!

2023 in Purple Foundation was a busy year full of changes, news, wonderful meetings and cooperation with our Purple team colleagues and all our favourite organizations. We managed to divide an amazing sum of 4 401 455 Kč (€178 514). Wondering which projects we decided to support in 2023? Check them out below! Nemocnice Milosrdných bratří, p.o. Sum donated: 1 110 137 Kč (€43 827) What a year we had with the NMB! We purchased two massage chairs for patients with chronic pain and a pocket ultrasound for the hospital; and equipped a beautiful new Purple room for mothers and their newborn babies. Find out more here . Janus, z.s. Sum donated: 224 000 Kč (€8 843) Offering help and guidance to children from children's homes on their way to adulthood - teaching them about finances, housing, relationships, and much more. Find out more here . Člověk v tísni Sum donated: 400 000 Kč (€15 793) The largest project helping both on the spot in Ukraine and Ukrainian refugees in Czechia. Find out more   here . Mezi námi, o.p.s. Sum donated: 270 000 Kč (€10 660) Purple Foundation is the single donor to the Brno branch of Mezi Námi, who run a program for seniors where they read and spend time with kindergarten kiddos. It is the cutest thing ever. Find out more here . Dětská nemocnice Brno Sum donated: 650 250 Kč (€25 671) We purchased a panoramic X-ray machine for the stomatology department of the Children's hospital in Brno. Find out more here . Krtek, nadační fond dětské onkologie Sum donated: 50 000 Kč (€1 974) The foundation helps children oncology patients and their families. Find out more here . PATRON Sum donated: 25 000 Kč (€987) The project connects children from children's homes with buddies who offer guidance in their lives. The sum helped find, establish and support a new pair for a year. Find out more here . Linka bezpečí, z.s. Sum donated: 100 000 Kč (€3 948) Assisting children and young people in dire need of help. Among other things, we supported recording of their podcast Utržené sluchátko for children, too. Find out more  here . Klub svobodných matek z.s. Sum donated: 100 000 Kč (€3 948) Helping single mothers in need with financial and material support. The NGO also runs three successful charity shops that we supported, too! Find out more here . Masaryk Institute of Oncology Sum donated: 380 427 Kč (€15 020) We purchased 12 new infusion pumps that are used to deliver chemotherapy drugs in oncology patients of the Masaryk Institute of Oncology in Brno. Find out more  here. Café D'Astra Sum donated: 50 000 Kč (€1 974) A café in Prague employing people with Down syndrome and mental disabilities and their assistants. Find out more  here . Cesta domů, z.ú. Sum donated: 50 000 Kč (€1 974) A hospice in Prague with exceptional services for their clients and their own publishing house we love to support. Find out more  here . Pozitivní zprávy z.s. Sum donated: 50 000 Kč (€1 974) A Czech news portal bringing positive news to brighten up your day and focus on the good around! Find out more here . SOS dětské vesničky, z.s. Sum donated: 100 000 Kč (€3 948) We are so happy   to support the amazing organization SOS Dětské vesničky, helping and offering guidance to foster and socially disadvantaged families. Find out more  here . Nový Prostor, z.ú. Sum donated: 100 000 Kč (€3 948) Helping unhoused people get back on their feet by employing them as magazine vendors and through their social support program. Find out more here . DOBRÝ ANDĚL, nadace Sum donated: 200 000 Kč (€3 948) Financially helping families affected by a serious illness in the Czech Republic. Find out more here . Dům pro Julii, z.ú. Sum donated: 107 641 Kč (€4 250) Dům pro Julii are building the first hospice for children in Czechia. We sent their employees for an internship in the Bluebell Hospice in England to find inspiration on how to run it! Find out more  here . ProFem, o.p.s. Sum donated: 204 000 Kč (€8 054) We are proud to have supported the reconstruction and opening of the first ever centre for victims of sexual violence and abuse in Czechia! Find out more  here . Společnost E - Aranžerie Sum donated: 100 000 Kč (€3 948) Employing people with epilepsy and mental disabilities in their flower arrangement studio. Find out more here . Hospic sv. Alžběty o.p.s. Sum donated: 130 000 Kč (€5 133) Our support will finance the equipment of a new room for terminally ill patients and their family members in the largest hospice in Brno. Find out more  here. AND, OF COURSE, A HUGE THANK YOU! To our amazing Purple team. Without their hard work and dedication they show every day, none of this would be even remotely possible.  Love,  Your Purple Foundation team D + F + J +K

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.