14 Things You Should Know About Me

My career started when I was 6. My parents discovered my talent for drawing, and from that moment on, my entire life was mapped out.

Me and my sister in 90’s

I remember my first Mac in 96′

By 10, I was enrolled in “preschool” for young artists—art school. Graduated with honors at 14. Then came a year of design school, followed by 4 years for my bachelor’s at an art university, and another 2 years for my master’s in design and fine arts. So in total, I spent about 10 years drawing a bottle and an apple.

Don’t mind the guy with the toilet paper beard—that’s just our professor of art in art school.

Despite the intense workload, I still managed to play electric guitar and drums in a rock band and protest against society. Don’t even ask how.

In 2007, I got my first design job as an intern, and until 2014, I was on the grind, balancing work and school, surviving on 7 cups of coffee a day and almost no sleep. Somewhere around this time, I also started coding and learning front-end development.

Me posing for Schecter Guitars Calendar

Me working in the international scientific company (blondy)

By 2014, I was done. I quit and launched my first company. I had so many clients that I often slept in the office on chairs lined up next to each other. Why? Because IKEA failed to deliver the couch on time! What do you expect? I was 24, full of energy and belief that I could conquer the world.

I personally painted the walls

We are doing renovations in a new office

My first clients were small businesses, but soon bigger clients came knocking. And after them? Major government projects. Can you imagine? I was this 24-year-old kid sitting in meetings with big-shot execs from huge companies, telling them how to do design the right way. I wouldn’t have believed it myself if I hadn’t been there.

Me a design contractor for a developer of cottage villages

Me a design and marketing contractor for a famous dairy factory

Me a design contractor for famous *** bank

I launched a ton of client projects. Barilla, Pepsi, Chrysler, Renault—and other corporate giants worked with me. I built an intranet portal for the railways, software for an airline, a social network, a government portal for entrepreneurs with a $1.4 billion budget, four blockchain projects, and even one legal brothel.

Me working for Warwick Family 2010-2011'

Me working with rock stars 2010'

I’m a bit like Matt Bellamy from Muse—just in design. I take an unconventional approach and can “play” multiple instruments at once: web, e-commerce, apps, software, branding, and art direction. By the way, I love Muse.

You’re probably wondering why I’m not leading a team of recruits at Google or Facebook? Simple: I’m an immigrant from a “non-preferred” country with mediocre English. Kind of like Arnie in the ’80s.

I identify as an ethnic outsider because I’m a mix: 25% Polish, 25% Ukrainian, 25% Russian, and 25% Tatar. But none of them fully accept me because I never quite meet their criteria.

If the art direction industry were Hollywood, I’d be Leonardo DiCaprio. Not just because he also has Russian roots, but because if you translated my achievements into Oscars, I’d be Titanic—winning 11 statues in 11 categories. Too bad they don’t give Oscars to art directors.

My superpower is creativity. I have no idea how I do it. I’m like John Wick in design—a person of focus, commitment, and sheer will.

In 2017, I fell in love, got married, and moved to California. I quickly realized all my achievements meant nothing here, and I had to start all over again. From scratch.