Since their launch, their first book, Elmerülő, was published by Libertine, and they also developed a self-knowledge workbook called Öntöző, and they also launched a poster campaign in collaboration with BKK Budapest. As they say, they already have many more milestones behind them than they could have imagined. In the latest episode of Printa Crush, we spoke with Dorina Pető, co-founder and psychologist of Mélylevgő Projekt .
Text: Réka Vicar
Although the world of Printa and psychology may seem like two distant fields at first glance, according to Dorina, the latter does show similar analogies with the brand's core values, i.e. environmental awareness, sustainability and upcycling. " We live in a world where a lot of things seem disposable and replaceable. Not just clothes and everyday items, but also human relationships and even our own health. This is related to psychology, as its helpful side is also about how to take care of what we have, what we are," she highlights. As she recounted, this field of study has interested her deeply ever since she learned to read: "I hid my parents' little book on body language as a primary school student," she recalls. Despite this, she felt for a long time that practicing psychology was not a realistic option for her, until she switched from German to psychology at the beginning of her university years. " Perhaps this was my first serious step towards self-knowledge; I realized who I am, who I can be, and most importantly, who I want to be," he emphasizes.
Since then, Dorina has embarked on her projects with genuine enthusiasm, as she adds, she tends to overdo herself. So, when she gets caught up in the hustle and bustle, in addition to the pursuits of silence, solitude, and comfort, she tries to pay more conscious attention to activities that are not about performance – be it pottery making or a theater performance with her grandmother.
How would you summarize the role of a psychologist?
It is important to emphasize that a psychologist is not just someone who provides therapy – I am a good example of this. The role of a clinical psychologist working in a school, prison, or hospital, as well as a work and organizational psychologist or a research psychologist, is different. It is such a diverse and multifaceted profession! Each area requires specific expertise, but the goal of each is to improve people's lives, support mental health, or expand psychological knowledge.
You also launched the Deep Air Project to support people with your three companions back in 2020, during the quarantine.
Nowadays, many people still treat mental health as a taboo. Many people are afraid to talk about their emotional difficulties because they are afraid of being stigmatized or seen as weak. That's why it was important for us to create a platform where people can both learn more about mental health and see that they are not alone in their problems, and where talking about mental health topics is normal and accepted.
We chose Instagram and graphic illustrations as the format for Deep Air because it is an easily accessible platform, and illustrations allow knowledge to be easily communicated and understood. In addition, visual content is easy to share and distribute, allowing Deep Air's message to reach as many people as possible.
People pleasing, grindset mindset or mposter syndrome: how do you decide what topic you want to share content on?
In this regard, it is important to see that there is now a larger team behind Mélylevégő. Most of the posts are not created by us founders, but by our content production team. Our content producers are at least third-year psychology students who choose a topic each month related to their studies or based on their own interests. We give advice on how to approach the given topic, and rarely offer them specific topic ideas, which if accepted, are then implemented. They then receive multiple rounds of feedback on their writings, during which we ask them for clarifications or simplifications so that the topic is truly accessible or engaging for anyone. All content is then sent to the graphic team, who also choose from them based on what is close to their hearts, and in the following weeks they create illustrations and a full appearance for it.We also really like video content, but unfortunately it is more difficult to maintain it regularly, as we are not set up for this, and the peculiarity of Mélylevgő is that the content is not consciously centered on one person. Solving this is more complicated than with a video format. Our podcast with Brain Bar, for example, was great in this regard; it is a new type of content, but it is still not our person or face that is the focus.
Although the Deep Air Project does not yet offer therapy, you are helping your more than 130,000 followers to become more mindful of themselves. As a psychologist, how do you focus on developing and maintaining your own mental health?
They say that doctors make the worst patients. This is true for many psychologists, so I guess I could say that it is true for me too. It is no surprise that helping professionals suffer from burnout at a higher rate than other professions. We tend to get so fixated on how to help others that at the end of the day we have no energy left for ourselves.But there are things that I also insist on. An area that is underestimated by many, but important to me, is getting enough sleep – I very rarely compromise on this. This is not just about physical health: if we don't sleep enough, emotional regulation is also much more difficult, stress is more easily out of whack and we are more irritable. The other thing is that I know myself well enough to know what recharges me and what drains me. Being alone is what recharges me most. So I make sure there are days or at least evenings when there is no one around me. What really drains me is acting and being in the public eye, so I practice saying no the most in this area. Last but not least, I regularly see a psychologist, which provides constant space for self-reflection.
It is important to emphasize that what is sleep for me may be a monthly theater visit, a concert, the daily morning coffee routine, the magic of creation, or weight training three times a week for someone else. And of course, there are those who are recharged by social programs and driven crazy by quiet, background-noise-free solitude. The point is self-knowledge, so that we know what are the “enablers”, the “nice to have” and the “no-go” factors for us personally. This cannot be saved.
What areas and topics interest you the most? What do you consider your mission?
Printa has already touched on certain areas of psychology in several of its projects: such as the Mental Hygiene exhibition or the latest XYZ serigraphs . How do creative fields influence you?
Fun fact: a strange, interesting or funny thing that characterizes you.
Three Printa products that are close to you:
ZW black V-neck women's top with tie
I especially like simplicity when it comes to clothing, I wear black most of the time.
Beige knitted oversized unisex sweater
Oversized pieces are my favorite.
Small black striped vase
My favorite plates or mugs are those that are not geometrically perfect, but have uniqueness and unrepeatability, whether in form or pattern. This vase is one such wonder.