Miroslav Boljević (2010-2011)
Host university: Grand Valley State University | Graphic Design – Photography
Home university: Mediterranean University – Faculty of Visual Arts | Design of Visual Communications
Website: http://leo.ac
After a great cultural and academic exchange in the US, I had a chance to visit the East through a wonderful program from the Taiwanese government. After returning home, blending back into the society I lived in for most of my life was not an easy task. Keeping myself busy was a priority. I couldn’t find a decent job that would help me expand my capabilities or force me to improve in other segments of my life so I improvised. At that time I learned that not every problem is necessarily an obstacle, bur rather an opportunity. I’ve dedicated time for personal art projects that found a place not only in the aesthetic, but in practical and social space. Working with the Roma population on the outskirts of the capital I learned to love simple things that we perceive as given. Running, drawing with them, and photographing their raw emotion was a step toward humanitarian work that I tasted years ago through volunteering. The humanitarian organisation ADRA gave me an opportunity to coordinate a project through several stages during the unprecedented snow blizzards that locked the country down. With the resources and great help of the UNHCR, Red Cross, HELP, Army of Montenegro and others, many families received food, hygiene and firewood parcels to cope with the winter. Lots of stories were heard, and many images were carved in my head in order to keep me away from selfish everyday appetites.
Thanks to smart and dedicated people and their hard work, as an Art Director and external consultant I helped with making the biggest Montenegrin community for students studying abroad come alive. It serves as a hub and networking area for students, but also deals with current issues through dialogue, workshops and conferences.
Before I had a chance to get my degree a friend of mine approached me with an interesting business idea. After gathering a few more professionals we co-founded TourViaMe – a startup that simplifies the booking process for group-guided tours in an efficient and visually appealing way. It’s a lot of work, but I’m trying to squeeze some time in between to prepare my final work for that diploma that my mom always asks about.
I’m involved in a lot of projects in various areas, not driven by vague fantasies of success, but because there are things we need to do right. I am currently preparing a final project for my university diploma, chasing a health instructor certificate, waiting for an opportunity to get involved in more humanitarian work, founding a web magazine dedicated to the visual world and culture and getting a startup on its feet among other projects waiting in cue.
Although I mostly work in the digital realm, my life would be incomplete without the beautiful seaside and wonders of nature experienced through an adventure that resets my pace. Hard work and less free time for unimportant things now serve me as a tool to get me to the point where I can serve others, without thinking about my daily job. Until then, I’ll enjoy life one day at a time.