Meet Kristina Munvez of Atlanta

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristina Munvez.

Hi Kristina, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My story with clay didn’t start in a studio. It started with my hands, some quiet, and a feeling I couldn’t quite name.
For as long as I can remember, working with clay gave me something I couldn’t find anywhere else: a complete stillness. The moment your hands touch the material, the noise of the day just fades. No notifications, no deadlines, no rushing. Just you, the clay, and the present moment. I was drawn to that feeling long before I ever thought of turning it into something more.
Over time, I trained, deepened my craft, and kept that passion close. But it was becoming a mother that truly changed everything. Holding my firstborn, I felt this surge, not just of love, but of purpose. I wanted to create something meaningful. Something that wasn’t just for me.
I started thinking about how many people move through their days completely overwhelmed, rushing from work, from responsibilities, from screens, and never getting a single moment to just breathe. And I thought: what if I could give them that? A place to slow down, use their hands, and actually be present?
That’s how Creative Candlelit Events was born. We create intimate clay workshops, warm candlelit spaces where people come together not just to make something beautiful, but to feel something. To meet others who share that same quiet longing for a creative outlet. Whether it’s a date night, a solo escape, or a new friendship forming over a shared table, something real always happens in that room.
It started as a hobby. Now it’s a gathering place. And honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Smooth? Not exactly. But looking back, I wouldn’t trade the struggle for anything.
The biggest challenge was deeply personal. I moved to the United States ten years ago, and for a long time, the language barrier was something I carried quietly. English was not my first language, and stepping into rooms full of strangers, leading them, inspiring them, making them fall in love with an idea that lived so deeply in my heart, that was terrifying at first. I had to learn not just to speak, but to connect. To let my passion do the talking when words felt uncertain.
And then there was the role itself. Running a workshop means you are not just a creator anymore. You become the host, the guide, the energy in the room. Everyone walks in as a stranger, and you are the one holding that space, making it feel warm and safe and intimate. Learning to open yourself up in that way, to be present for every single person who walks through the door, that was its own journey.
On top of all of that, there was no roadmap. No template to follow. I was building something from scratch, figuring out how to grow an Instagram page, find the right venue, and shape an experience that people would actually want to come back to after an exhausting workday. That also meant inventing the offering itself along the way, from open community workshops to private celebrations like birthdays and group events, each format requiring its own thinking and its own heart.
But every time someone leaves one of our events glowing, I remember exactly why I pushed through.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
At the heart of everything I do is clay and the belief that something made by hand carries a kind of energy that nothing mass-produced ever could.
My personal work lives in a very specific world. I am drawn to intricate, symbolic pieces, and my absolute favorites are elephant head incense holders, sculpted with gold accents, gems, and crystals woven into every detail. The elephant is not just a beautiful subject. It is one of the most universally cherished symbols in the world, representing prosperity, wisdom, good fortune, and strength. When I create one, I am not just making a decorative object. I am making something that carries meaning into the home it lives in.
Each piece is born from a moment of inspiration rather than a production schedule. I do not replicate. I do not rush. When an idea comes, I follow it, and the result is always one of a kind. The combination of raw clay, rich gold, and the shimmer of natural gems and crystals creates something that feels ancient and modern at the same time, like it belongs on an altar as much as it belongs on a shelf in a beautiful home.
What I am most proud of is that people feel that intention when they hold one of my pieces. They can tell it was not made in a factory. They can feel the hours, the care, and the love that went into it.
And that same spirit carries into our events. Whether someone is joining a candlelit workshop for the first time or booking a private celebration, what sets Creative Candlelit Events apart is that nothing here is generic. The atmosphere, the guidance, the experience itself, it is all crafted with the same devotion I bring to every piece I make with my own hands.

What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Passion, intention, and inspiration. And I mean that genuinely.
Passion is what started all of this. Not a business plan, but a feeling. Clay gave me something deeply personal long before it gave me a purpose, and people sense that the moment they walk into one of our events.
Intention is what shapes every detail. The atmosphere, the experience, the pieces I create with my own hands. Nothing here is accidental or generic.
And inspiration is what keeps it alive. It is what drives every sculpture, every workshop, every candlelit evening we create together.
In a world full of noise, I believe people can feel the difference. And that difference is what Creative Candlelit Events is built on.

Pricing:

• Pricing varies by event type and group size. Reach out via Instagram or email for details.
• Private events and birthday bookings available upon inquiry.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: creative.candlelit.events.atl