I met Monika while walking the streets of Oxford on a trip in 2024. I was immediately enchanted by Monika, her art, and her story. I'm thrilled to bring her wisdom on artmaking, sustainability, and creativity to the show.
In this episode of Be Alive with Kate Manser, Kate interviews Monika Filipek, an artist known for her unique upcycled cart gallery discovered in Oxford, UK. Monika shares her journey from Poland to the UK, detailing her passion for sustainable living, upcycling, and creating art from found objects. She discusses her artistic process, the importance of intuition, and the impact of embracing creative freedom.
In this episode:
🫠How to overcome self-criticism
👁️ On following one's creative intuition
🗑️ Finding beauty in trash, sustainability, & everyday life
00:00 Introduction to Art Creation
00:59 Meet Monika Filipek
02:00 The Journey of the Cart Gallery
02:56 Sustainable Living and Upcycling
03:48 The Magic of Oxford
04:39 Creative Intuition and Process
20:04 Advice for Aspiring Artists
26:37 Embracing Artistic Possibilities
27:06 Dealing with Criticism and Haters
27:50 The Collective Project of Art
29:54 Observations on Humanity
36:11 The Decision to Move to the UK
43:33 The Influence of English Art and Culture
48:08 Conclusion and Future Plans
About Monika Filipek, artist & founder of CArt Gallery
I am a Polish artist living and working in the UK, with a focus on ecophilosophy and sustainability. Over the last six years, I have been connected to Oxford and London, where I’ve developed my creative practice, experimenting with sustainable art movements and initiatives rooted in the circular economy and sustainable development. As the founder of The CArt Gallery—a mobile art space—and active participant in other initiatives supporting sustainability, I actively engage in creating innovative projects that bridge art, ecology, and social movement.
Connect with Monika:
monikafilipek.com
cartmobileartgallery.com
Monika's answer to, "What does it mean to you to be alive?" To be alive means to me to create my own vision of reality, where even small steps and actions have a powerful impact on the rest of the world and can make a big change. I believe that we are all connected somehow, and only through our unique skills and individuality we can make a change. By sharing our unique gifts and ideas with the world we can grow all together as a society. I believe that even small actions and initiatives have the potential to change the world. For me, being alive is to be aware of your mission and what your skills are and follow this path without fear, even if it seems to be uncomfortable. By choosing trust over fear, risk over conformism, and, by seeing the results of this, you can really feel alive:)
Connect with Kate Manser:
Be immersed in living an alive life. Get Kate’s weekly text: Text ALIVE to 512-898-7850
Thanks for being alive with me ⚡️