Manali Manan Desai's Blog, page 65

#WritingInLockdown Challenge 3.0

We are now in the fourth phase of the national lockdown with Lockdown 4.0. Yes, it isn’t easy on any of us, but the one thing we can do is to stay positive. The thing that has helped me is the #WritingInLockdown challenge. With phase 1, 2 and 3 of the lockdown now done with, I have written over 50 poems, tales and quotes in this lockdown

I have already shared the posts of  #WritingInLockdown challenge 1.0 and #WritingInLockdown challenge 2.0 in separate blog posts. In this post, I’m sharing the posts of the #WritingInLockdown challenge 3.0. This one was all about going back to the roots, wherein I wrote (for the first time) in Hindi and Gujarati.

If any mistakes, and the writing seems to be abysmal, I apologize beforehand. Have a look anyway, though, please? They are all shared below. There’s a rough English translation with each post, just in case you aren’t fluent in these language, or don’t know them at all.

1. When the going gets tough
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Rough translation : It’s not a defeat when you stop or pause during tough times, but it’s definitely a victory of sorts if you continue moving ahead during such times.

 

2. The Beginning of The End

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Rough translation: Humans have tools of happiness but are still unhappy,

They have time on hand but no good use of it,

They have food but no eradication of hunger,

Aren’t these indicators of the beginning of the end of the world?

 

3. Karma

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The whole of humanity is suffering due to the acts of few humans,

The prosperity of a select few will lead to the adversity of everyone.

 

4. Mother’s Love

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Rough translation: The one who stays empty-stomach by first taking care of the children’s hunger,

The one who bears the cold but doesn’t fail to provide warmth to her children,

The one who always thinks of the children before herself,

That’s why she is no less than a ‘God’ herself

 

5. Human Anxiety

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Rough translation : So fickle and strange is the human anxiety,

Years passed in complaining that there’s no time from work,

Today when there’s time the complain is that there’s no work.

 

6. Good person vs Bad person

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Rough translation : Whether a human being is good or bad, right or wrong, can only be determined based on circumstances.

A person who donates whole heartedly into religious institutions, might be considered good and right,

But when he hesitates in paying the house help without them having worked for a long time, would he still be considered right?

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7. Emotional or Heartless?

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Rough translation : Is crying the only indication of being sentimental or caring?

Does this mean a person who doesn’t cry or cries less, cares less or doesn’t sympathise?

 

8. Love Bond

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Rough translation : The meaning of love is not binding,

But it is definitely one relationship which binds all.

 

9. Worthless vs Cheap

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Rough translation : Everything in the world has become almost worthless, but the thinking of some people is still ‘cheap’

 

10. Promise? Promise!

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Rough translation : There are many who don’t fulfill their promises,

There are few though who do fulfill them too,

Then there are those handful too, who fulfill promises without having made them too.

11. Fans or Loved Ones

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Rough translation : Even if you have lakhs of people who love you,

But if the ones whom you love aren’t by your side,

The love of those lakhs will be as good as zero.

 

12. Life Pleasant and Lessons
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Rough translation : What is life?

A mixture of pleasant and unpleasant moments.

The pleasant moments provide us happiness, and the unpleasant ones teach us some lessond,

In both the cases tales and stories are created nonetheless.

13. Performance

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Rough translation : Whether your work is good or bad, that will be conveyed to you by people anyway. However, whether or not what they say is true or false, can also be gauged once the results of your work are visible.

Hope you enjoyed these!

Thanks for reading.

To Create and Improve Regularly is The Key ~ A Digital Analyst and Artist Shares Her Story

George Inness said,

“The true use of art is, first, to cultivate the artist’s own spiritual nature.”

In our #FeatureFriday blog focusing on the #WonderWomen segment we present a woman who, true to what Mr. George said, found spirituality and inner peace through art and by being an artist. Meet, Aakriti Agrawal, who is a Digital Analyst by profession and an intricate art form Artist by passion. She is the founder of a creative venture, Arth by Aakriti, via which she explores her love for art and lets her artworks reach those who love and appreciate creativity. What made her turn to art despite having a full-time job and profession, and how does she manage between the two varied fields of work? Let’s find out in her own words.

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“A couple of years back, I was having a tough time both in my personal and professional life. I was becoming negative, prickly and sour to the world. Like many other things, art happened to me when I needed it the most. I started doing art as a distraction to fight stress and depression, but soon it became a passion and a sacred practice that I try to do daily.

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Being new to this world, it was a struggle to learn everything from scratch. In fact, even now, I don’t get most of the artistic terminologies. For me, “Just create” is the key. Bringing my imagination to the paper, playing with colours and patterns is all I do. I don’t try to give structure to it. It’s just, as I believe, an inspired activity of, ‘mind guiding and pens creating!’

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The turning point for me was the peace of mind I got whenever I created something new. Initially I got appreciation from my friends and family. And later on, I did many projects, from designing office walls to doing exhibitions. Each of these felt like I was slowly finding myself and have now finally found myself and my passion. I have never looked back since I discovered my love for art.

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The world around me is what motivates me the most. I get inspired and motivated with anything and everything under the sky. The world is just so beautiful, and I get inspired from nature and its elements like leaves, trees, stories etc.

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Also the various objects and artists on social media, inspire me to keep creating every day. The journey so far has been rewarding and gratifying.

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So far, I have designed walls for reputed office spaces like:

Obeya Workspace – Designed a 17*10 feet wall for a conference room for Obeya using multiple Mandalas
Niki – Designed a 10*10 feet Mandala for the wall of Niki with their logo at the center
Niki – Designed a office doodle wall for the recreation room of Niki

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Besides this I have also,

Exhibited my artworks in Karnataka Chithrakala Parishath twice.
Been Awarded best artist in pen drawings in the Karnataka Chithrakala Parishath
Got published on Yourstory.com and plapp.in

The future plans include:

Launching my brand. Not limiting myself to just the paintings but also reaching the world through different meditative and intricate art products.
Working on collaborations and events
Taking online and offline workshops/sessions on Mandala and zenarts
Working on various new things and techniques that I haven’t worked on yet!

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My learnings have been that,

“Every day, every artwork is a new learning”

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I am a sole believer of continuous improvement and that’s what my motto is:

“Create – Introspect – Improve. I follow this on a regular basis and learn from my mistakes.”

  Because, there’s still a long way to go!

This journey of being an artist wouldn’t have started if my family had not supported me in it. Though we have a long way to go, I would like to thank my parents, my parents-in-law, my husband and my siblings for their continuous support!

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The intricate art forms like Mandalas and Zenarts have helped me during the time of my depression and have brought me to a world of happiness and calmness. With these artforms printed / hand drawn on Arth by Aakriti products and paintings, I aim to help people have a calmer and a happier life.

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To drop in a message to Aakriti, check out her gorgeous artworks, inquire or place an order for one or more of these, follow the links below:

Arth by Aakriti Instagram page
Arth by Aakriti Facebook page
Arth by Aakriti YouTube channel

Aakriti’s work and contributions as an artist have been featured on various blogs and online platforms. You can check these out through the links below:

YourStory
Plapp.in

Other professional and personal social media handles of Aakriti

LinkedIn

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When You Aim To Design Spaces Which Are A Mix of Modern, Contemporary and Classic ~ An Interior Designer & Founder of A Designing Venture Shares Her Story

Albert Hadley said,

“The essence of interior design will always be about people and how they live. It is about the realities of what makes for an attractive, civilized, meaningful environment, not about fashion or what’s in or what’s out. This is not an easy job.”

In our #WisdomWednesday blog focusing on the #WonderWomen segment we present a woman who feels similarly passionate about interior designing. Meet, Trishlaa Challani, an independent interior designer and the founder of an interior designing firm Bold Interior Stories. Besides successfully completing many prestigious designing assignments under her helm and conducting various workshops, Trishlaa has also bagged several awards in the field of designing and architecture. How did she get into designing and what has her entrepreneurial journey been like so far? Let’s find out in her own words.

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“I’m an Interior Designer cum Stylist. During school and almost all the while when I was still pursuing my schooling, I was never sure what I wanted to choose for my further studies or as my profession. After HSC, I spent the initial month in loggerheads thinking about what to do next in my life. And during time too, doing interior designing was never on my mind.

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I don’t know wha t came over me though, and I ended up pursuing B.Sc and M.Sc in Interior Architecture and Design. I would have to admit, that despite being an impulsive one, it turned out to be one of the best decisions I have made in my life so far.

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Before Bold Interior Stories, I was initially into a partnership firm but due to some reasons we split up after a while. Post this split, the biggest struggle was setting up everything from almost scratch. The turning point on the professional front was expanding and establishing myself through workshops. The kind of reach and the projects I have got through these has been truly amazing. Even during this quarantine, I am blessed and grateful to never have been out of work.

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In fact, in this lockdown period we have trained nearly 120+ professionals in the field of  home decor, styling, interiors and architecture.   My biggest motivation are my awards. They motivate me to not stop working and to do more so that I can continue my upward growth journey. My milestones are the 2 awards that I received last year and I cherish them a lot.

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The future plan is to do amazing projects globally and also establish our workshops in a different format so that we can help people grow a bit more. We are also going to launch another sector where we are going to support the budding entrepreneurs and free-lancers. 

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I really love reading and I am not a tech savvy person as I like the feel of books.

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“Books have been one of my best sources of learning and it is through my reading habit that I have learnt to be patient and resilient.”

I aim to help all the entrepreneurs, whether established or just starting out, to grow and help them understand and establish the work in a very professional way. 

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You can drop in a message to Trishlaa, have a look at her completed assignments and illustrious portfolio, inquire about her work and hire her services to design spaces, through the links below:

Bold Interior Stories website
Bold Interior Stories Instagram handle
Bold Interiors Stories Facebook page
Bold Interior Stories YouTube channel

Other professional and personal social media profiles:

LinkedIn

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Pinterest
Instagram personal handle

Trishlaa’s work as an interior designer has been featured on multiple online platforms. You can have a look at one such feature by following the link below:

Easy Home Décor feature

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When Life Teaches You That No Two Days Are The Same ~ A Home Decor Expert Shares Her Story

Nate Berkus says,

“Your home should tell the story of who you are, and be a collection of what you love.”

In our #MondayMotivation blog focusing on the #WonderWomen segment we present a woman who too believes what Mr. Nate says and lives up to it every day. Meet, DIY and Home Décor Expert, Varsha Kalindi. My qualification she is an engineer, but life had other plans for her rather than a 9-5 job and thanks to her passion, she got into the field of Home Décor and now excels in it. What made her choose this field as a profession and how does she keep herself motivated to stay in it? Let’s find out in her own words.

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“Though I’m an engineer by qualification, decor styling has been my passion right from childhood. I used to help my mother in all kinds of household stuff right from dusting and cleaning to organising things. I guess, that’s when it all started. Another important factor that made me somewhat of a pro at home management and styling was the fact that we never had phones or video games. This gave us a lot of time to engage in DIYs and other indoor activities. In fact, I love doing these even now.

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The good thing is that my passion for decor never changed, right from childhood till today. I got married when I was only 19 and still pursuing 2nd year of my engineering degree. Against popular belief though, this did not affect my studies at all and I successfully completed my engineering post marriage. I conceived soon after getting my degree so I could not join any kind of 9-9 “software jobs”. And just like that, from an engineering student to a married woman, I became a home maker and a mother of two children by the time I was 23. Things changed when we had to move to Vizag owing to my husband’s business.

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This is where my home décor began once we bought a house of our own in this new city. As in most developing cities and metros, we too live in a concrete jungle. Our house is on the ground floor of a 16 story apartment because of which there is not much ventilation. This is when I started working on my house and put it every kind of effort that I could, to turn it into a beautiful home with minimal budget.

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How successful I have been in this journey can be seen on my Instagram handle where everyday I get overwhelming messages of how wonderful my home looks!

The journey has been rocky and challenging, and we have, as a family, had to face a lot of difficulties, financially as well as emotionally. However, together we have come out of each struggle, stronger and better.

As we have two small kids and many other financial commitments, it becomes difficult to manage things financially. My husband’s business is a start-up too, which makes it more difficult to survive sometimes, but through each step that we take together, we are learning how to overcome that particular challenge and face the next step.

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The current pandemic and lockdown situation had made it even more tough but we too are trying and working harder than before.

My Instagram decor page (@varsha_decor) has been the turning point in my life. #myhomefeel, the hashtag that I started and built on, has helped boost my confidence and made me believe that I too can do something sitting at home and prove my worth as a passionate décor stylist.

It is through Instagram that people started believing in me and my work and eventually I got projects of small budget makeovers. This helped boost my confidence even more. My mom and my husband are my motivators. I don’t think my journey would have even started or continued till today if not for the support of these two.

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Besides them, I have my decor community to thank and be grateful for. Every page and the people who handle them are just so sweet and encouraging; Divya and Urmila to name a few. These two have been the inspiration for my #tag. Besides them, there are many more sweet friends I have made through our Instagram décor community. They have all helped me a lot to handle my #tag.

My journey till now is just like a graph full of ups and downs. But that’s what life is. We get to learn many things every day and my biggest learning has been that,

“No two days are the same”

The first and biggest milestone was reaching 3k followers mark on my Instagram handle via which I gained immense self-confidence. The second milestone was when my work got featured in Urban clap homes.

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In future I intend on studying and learning more about decor styling with certifications and also help people who want to change their home with cost effectiveness. Workwise, my focus is on low budget makeovers now.

Through my work I have realized that

“Decor is a never-ending learning process and that the more you learn about it, the more new ideas and innovations will come to you, because décor styles keep changing day to day.”

It’s because of this that I love to explore more and more in this field, every single day.

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To follow Varsha’s work, check out her stunning home décor work, inquire about her services or to hire her for affordable home styling and makeovers, follow the link below:

Instagram

Varsha’s home styling work has been featured on Urban Company Homes (Formerly UrbanClap Homes). You can have a look at these below:

Decor Tip
Perfect Setup for Playroom
Budget-friendly seating

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When You Aim To Create Awareness About Sustainable Décor ~ A Professor & Fiber Artist Shares Her Story

Oscar Auliq-Ice says,

“By weaving your passion and unique skills with a need or cause, and standing with the people you want to serve, you will be well-positioned to make a meaningful dent in the world.”

In our #FridayFeature blog focusing on the #WonderWomen segment we bring to you a woman, who with passion and unique skills is out to make a meaningful dent just like Mr. Oscar says. Meet, Rutuja Kendurkar, who is an Assistant Professor by qualification and a Fibre Artist by passion. Having pursued and completed her education in Architecture and Urban Designing, Rutuja is currently a professor at Aayojan School in Pune and is also the Founder and Creative Director of Thread 101, a creative venture into sustainable home décor accessories and jewellery. How did she get into these two varied fields of profession and passion, and how does she manage time between them as well as personal responsibilities? Let’s find out in her own words.

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“I’m an Architect and Urban Designer by education, via which I’m an Assistant professor at Aayojan School, Pune. Besides this, I’m also a Fibre Artist by passion. Being from the architecture background from childhood, quick DIY’s were always a part of my everyday life. “If you can’t find it, make it”, was always the motto followed at home.

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I developed a specific interest in fibre arts when I was in the US. I did not have a full-time job in 2015 so had some free time on hand. It all started with a nylon rope I found lying in the storeroom and the rest is what you see now. The initial time was a trial and error method until I finally made a usable basket. After that there was no stopping or turning back. Since the passion was taking fruition, I thought of making it formal and hence was formed Thread 101. 

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Each and every product that I design and make, is done keeping in mind its environmental implications and getting something unique out there in the market. The major struggle while designing any piece is deciding how it adds value to someone’s life. If it doesn’t, the idea is scratched.

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Moving back to India after all this and setting up (or rather resetting) the business in an unexplored market was the biggest struggle as well as a turning point in my life.

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But along this entrepreneurial journey I met some wonderful people on Instagram who lifted my spirits and always kept supporting me in every crazy experiment that I did.

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Being able to showcase my art in top 5 exhibitions in India and take it forward to a level of large-scale installation is my end goal and motivation. The future plan includes employing and promoting this venture as a way of giving business to local vendors and needy women and staying on the path of providing eco-friendly and sustainable décor elements. Creating awareness about sustainable décor and reducing carbon footprint of any piece that I design continues to be the end step in my journey.

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My biggest and most shocking learning has been that

Eco-friendly décor elements despite being the need of the hour are not taken very seriously in the current world that we live in.

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As a follow-up lesson to this, 

I have become more determined to continue on this path and do whatever I can in my capacity to help more and more people understand and realize the importance of sustainability.”

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To drop in a message to Rutuja, check out her stunning eco-friendly home décor accessories and jewellery, inquire about them and order one or more of these for yourself, follow the links below.

Thread 101 website
Thread 101 Instagram page
Thread 101 Facebook page
Thread 101 Pinterest page

Thread 101 also does customization of fibre art products, so if you have a specific theme or design in mind, do let them know about it and they’ll ensure it’s done.

Other professional and personal social media handles of Rutuja:

LinkedIn

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Personal Instagram handle
Pinterest personal profile

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Personal Facebook profile

 

 

 

 

 

 

When You Deeply Love Nature & Consider it To Be Your Best Motivator ~ An Illustrator & Artist Shares Her Story

Claude Monet said,

“The richness I achieve comes from nature, the source of my inspiration.”

In our #WisdomWednesday blog focusing on the #WonderWomen segment, we present a woman who just as Claude, believes that nature is the biggest source of her motivation as well as inspiration. Meet, Hiral Mehta, who is an independent illustrator as well as artist. Having successfully completed a lot of creative assignments under her name, Hiral has made a name for herself as an artist. As an artist, Hiral works on canvas, wall, wood and even paints on fabric such as Lehenga. Her specializations include charcoal sketch, water paint, acrylic and oils. As an illustrator Hiral does digital as well as hand-painted illustrations. But the road to perfecting these skills and achieving success as an artist hasn’t been an easy one for her. How did she find her calling as an artist and what keeps her motivated to stay on this path? Let’s find out in her own words.

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“Currently I’m a full-time independent artist and loving my professional life. However, this wasn’t the case some years back. I have done my Masters in Human Resources and had worked in that field for two and a half years in Bangalore.

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The professional end of my life was fine (not great) and would have gone on the same way if not for an unexpected change at the personal end. I had  to quit my job in 2018 and in the same year, I got married and moved to Mumbai.

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There’s something about this city which makes you aim for more and go for your dreams, which justifies why it is called the ‘City of Dreams’. Once settled here, I didn’t want to join another job similar to the one I had just quit in Bangalore. While I was looking for professional options, I took to arts and started to upskill my painting abilities. So that’s when my journey as an artist began, about 2 years ago. Although I must admit here that I have been painting since years now, as art has been my passion since I was a kid. However, the thought of taking it up professionally only took seed and grew into an ambition after moving to Mumbai.

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The struggle during my desk job days was the daily hustle. The back and forth travelling 3 to 4 hours everyday just wasn’t something I wanted to see myself doing for the rest of my life. That’s when I decided to take up being an artist seriously. However, when I started my art career – (of course) not many took it seriously and thought I was doing it for “time pass”. I heard this phrase a lot many times and it continues even today in fact. I despise this thinking of the society in general where they people consider anything creative or artistic to be a hobby or worse a ‘time pass’ activity which cannot be something one can earn their daily bread from. 

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I didn’t let this deter me though and continued to focus and worked very very hard for one year crazily with not many returns. But that’s how every business starts, right? Despite and with all those tough initial days, I have managed to draw in a appreciation from all and sundry for my art and more importantly for my work and assignments as an artist. Though I’d be lying if I say all my work is always great because not all artwork turned out to be right; but the key is that you have to keep doing it to learn and improve with each piece of work.

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The turning point without a doubt was the year 2018 after quitting my job and starting with my journey as an artist.

Nature has been the best motivator for me. I deeply love nature and respect all its elements like the sea and forests. Anything connected nature is a source of nature and inspiration for me. Also, the feel-good factor of starting a new piece of painting and the end result of it when it turns out to be beautiful is another motivating factor for me to continue my professional journey as an artist.

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The journey so far has been a slow but steady upward growth and I am very grateful that my art has started gaining recognition and appreciation. 

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My biggest learning has been to

Believe in oneself which is very vital as a lot of entrepreneurs leave their profession or work very soon.

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One must remember to

Keep learning and upskilling in their field of work as there is a wide wide ocean out there to swim across.

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Also,

Persistence and patience are key to keep going as success doesn’t come right away, but if you keep working it will come eventually.”

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To drop in a message to Hiral, to check out her amazing artwork pieces and stay updated with her latest assignments, or to inquire and hire her for her services as an artist, follow the links below:

Instagram artist page of Hiral Mehta
Facebook artist page of Hiral Mehta

Hiral’s work as an artist has been featured in an article in Midday. You can have a look at this feature through the below link:

Lining up Mumbai (15th March 2020)

Other professional and personal handles:

LinkedIn

 

 

#WritingInLockdown Challenge 2.0

I started the #WritingInLockdown challenge on the Facebook and Instagram pages of A Rustic Mind, where I have been writing and posting a poem on each day, beginning from 21st March, 2020. The 1.0 version of this challenge ended on 14th April and I wrote 24 poems during this time.

For the 2.0 version, I wrote a mix of few poems and microtales. Presenting all 20 of them (written in the #WritingInLockdown 2.0) in this blog.

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1. Who Would’ve Thought

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Who would’ve thought?

Temples, churches, mosques and all religious places either shut or empty.



Who would’ve thought?

World leaders who never agreed on most things, coming to agree on one thing, which is to save the world.

Who would’ve thought?

Finally humans would realize there’s no bigger religion than humanity.

Who would’ve thought?

All it needed was a few months of human inactivity for nature to be active again.

Who would’ve thought?

People’s creativity could come out best during such a global crisis.

Who would’ve thought?

Staying indoors rather than going out for a walk or run, could make people healthier and fitter than ever before.

Who would’ve thought?

There’s an innate ability to cook in all of us.

Who would’ve thought?

Most jobs could be done remotely without wasting fuel, time and efforts in the daily commute for work every day.

Who would’ve thought?

Life without fancy clothes, dinners at restaurants or movies at theatres can go on just fine too.

Who would’ve thought?

It would take a global health crisis to realize just how important science, technology and medicine is.

Who would’ve thought?

Being grateful for a home, and the services of so many people (healthcare, security, police, media) would come through being in such a situation.

2. Special Days

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Birthday in lockdown ,

Miles away from his loved ones and all by himself,

The day was still memorable, because despite being physically apart, those who cared were all virtually there with him, as he cut the cake and they sang ‘Happy Birthday’ for him.

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Anniversary in lockdown,

Though they couldn’t go out as planned,

It was still special, as she was asked to do nothing, and he took care of everything, right from cooking her favourite meals, baking a cake, to cleaning it all up, and even set up their room for a movie date.

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Wife’s birthday in lockdown,

With no cake available, nor any ingredients to make one at home,

He made the midnight ritual of cake cutting possible with a little twist,

Making use of some chocolates, fruits and biscuits the alternate to a cake looked, tasted and made her feel even more loved than an actual cake ever could.

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Wedding in lockdown,

Though there were only five instead of the five thousand invitees present,

And despite being simply dressed rather than the designer and exclusive outfits intended for the bride and groom,

The vows were the same, so were the people they’d have wanted and needed by their side while taking those vows.

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The one thing these special days in lockdown taught them all,

It didn’t require expensive gifts or lavish parties for these days to be celebrated,

Even with the basic things and in the simplest of manners,

These occasions could still become memorable.

3. Real or Virtual

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Friends who used to hang out everyday at each other’s place,

Now use hangout to catch up about their days.

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The weekend plans to catch a movie or drinks together,

Now happen separately but still virtually together.

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Late night long drives with partners and friends,

Now changed to long conversations late at night, with friends, partners and now even family.

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Workout partners at the gym,

Now turned to virtual partners who worked out at their own homes.

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Teachers and students who shared and received knowledge and education in institutional classrooms,

Now doing the knowledge sharing through technology and e-classrooms.

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When every normal activity became possible virtually,

People realized the importance of reality.

That’s why when stepping out became possible,

Reality seemed better than before!

4. Gender Biased Lockdown

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For the men,

It was time to sit, chit chat, look at the news all day on TV, read newspapers, and for some to work from home.

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For the women,

It was worse than before, with everyone being home all the time and no house help to help even a little , their workload had tripled.

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For the nation,

They were saying there was progress in all fields by contribution from both men and women,

Why then it showed the least when it came to contributing towards the house other than financially?

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For the men,

There was the virus outside the lockdown and then another one inside, in their locked minds.

Though the virus outside would eventually find a vaccination, is there any way to cure the one inside?

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For the women,

Their tasks included cooking, cleaning, taking care of the children and everyone else, and for some along with their professional works too.

Was it any different from their routine?

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As both men and women craved for the lockdown to lift,

Their reasons for it were quite different,

The big question though is, “Will life by any different after this?”

5. Creativity in Lockdown

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The writer wrote more,

The painter painted more,

The crafter crafted more,

The designer designed more,

The chef cooked more,

The baker baked more,

The singer sang more,

The composer composed more.

All around there was an outlet for creativity abound and for new creations all around.

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As consumption for such creative outcomes increased too,

The world came to appreciate those who weren’t like most,

Those they had so far considered less worthy.

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The ones who had so far struggled financially,

Finally received the value and respect that their creativity and talent deserved.

6. A Month of Lockdown

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A month of staying at home,

What did we learn?

That we can do our professional work from home too.

A month of staying at home,

What did we learn?

That doing household chores isn’t as easy as we had assumed.

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A month of staying at home,

What did we learn?

Some shocking, amazing and pleasant stories about people we stayed with everyday, but hardly got time to talk to.

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A month of staying at home,

What did we learn?

To use technology to the best of our ability, for professional work as well as for entertainment.

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A month of staying at home,

What did we learn?

To enjoy simple things in life, like having meals together and playing long forgotten games like Bridge and board games.

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A month of staying at home,

What did we learn?

To help each other in every task, right from cooking to cleaning.

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A month of staying at home,

What did we learn?

To live peacefully with each other, despite differences in opinions, choices and habits.

7. A Birthday to Remember

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8. Favorite Character

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This piece is dedicated to all book lovers on World Book Day.

9. Daddy’s Girl

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This post dedicated to my number one man (my dad) on his birthday (24th, April)

10. Eating Together

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11. A Journey to Remember

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This piece dedicated to those travel companions who leave behind memories and stories to remember.

12. Rich vs Poor

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This #microtale about the stark difference between how the lockdown is affecting two sections of the society.

13. Home Unsafe Home

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Home isn’t safe for everyone in this lockdown.

14. Dance It Away

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On World Dance day, here’s one for all who are ridiculed for choosing this profession, but go on to make it to the top nonetheless.

15. Mother & Son Unite

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This post is in remembrance of an actor par excellence and more importantly, an extraordinary human being. R. I. P. Irrfan Khan sir. You’ll be missed by cinema lovers across the world.

When You Learn To Prioritize & Maintain A Work-Life Balance ~ An IT Professional & Zentangle Artist Shares Her Story

Thomas Merton said,

“Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.”

In Our #MondayMotivation blog focusing on the #WonderWomen segment, we present a woman who feels similarly about her love for art. Meet, Neha Agrawal, who is an IT professional, a Zentangle Artist as well as a Certified Zentangle teacher. Besides doing a full-time job in the IT sector, Neha engages in Zentangle art, by not only doing it herself but also by teaching this innovative and creative art form to eager learners. In her IT job, she has been awarded as a SHERO for 3 times in a row for her excellence in IT work and art field, and in her Zentangle Art she is India’s 9th Certified Zentangle Teacher, who has been professionally trained by Maria and Rick – the Boston (USA) based original creators of this art form. How did she get into Zentangle Art despite having a full-time job and how does she manage time between the two varied professions alongside her personal life responsibilities? Let’s find out in her own words.

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“As a child, I always loved drawing. But my natural inclination has always been towards pattern drawing. When I discovered about Zentangle in an art exhibition, I knew this is what I want to pursue.

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I am India’s 9th Certified Zentangle Teacher, who has been professionally trained by Maria and Rick – the Boston (USA) based original creators of this art form.

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My work captures concrete representations or abstract symbols in varying tangle forms. Tangling to me means pouring all focus into the tip of pen where it meets paper. My art is spontaneous, and my creations evolve with my free-flowing thoughts. For me, tangling is a means to escape time, space, and enter the magical zone where only energy remains.

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My creations have been appreciated by patrons from across the globe including UK, USA and Australia.

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An IT professional turned artist, l passionately shares my Zen art and philosophy with art lovers nurturing their creativity.

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It is always tough to manage time with office work, house chores, especially when you have kids but I guess that is what makes you realize your priorities. And how much ever you struggle, you end up taking out time for things and people you love.

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The turning point came in the form of my first art exhibition, where I got to know about this art from another certified zentangle teacher. After that I explored it more and decided to take up the certification from the Founders of Zentangle INC. Since then, there has been no looking back.

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My biggest motivation is my little daughter, who also happens to be my biggest critic. When any new piece of my artwork fails to impress her, I know its not showing my best efforts.

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The journey so far has been extremely humbling, with various achievements and accolades to honour these as well. My best ones include these:  

3 of My paintings are selected and bought by Kasturbhai Lalbhai Museum, in Ahmedabad for display
My art has been covered by various prestigious national newspapers like Economic Times, Times of India, Deccan Herald etc. and also in various state newspapers and art magazines.
At my work front (as an IT professional), I have been awarded as SHERO for 3 times in a row for my excellence in IT work and art field

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My biggest learning has been that,

“Regular practice is the key to everything!”

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To drop in a message to Neha, check out her stunning zentangle artworks, inquire about her art pieces and zentangle teaching, or to buy either of these products or services from her, you can follow the links below:

Instagram
YouTube
Facebook

Other personal and professional handles

LinkedIn

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Behance
Pinterest

Neha’s work as an artist and her life story, has been featured in various newspapers, blogs and magazines. You can have a look at these features through the links below.

Times of India
Z-inspiration
White Box Live (Part 1)
White Box Live (Part 2)
IBC World News
Bangalore Mirror
Deccan Chronicle
Ahemdabad Art Exhibition 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When You Learn To Work Smart & Let Your Work Speak for Itself ~ A Social Media Manager, Graphic Designer & Food Photographer Shares Her Story

Mary Kay Ash says,

“Don’t limit yourself. Many people limit themselves to what they think they can do. You can go as far as your mind lets you. What you believe, remember, you can achieve.”

In our #FridayFeature blog focusing on the #WonderWomen segment, we present a woman who is a living embodiment of this quote. Meet, Social Media Manager, Content Creator, Graphic Designer & Food Photographer, Jill D’Souza. She dons these multiple roles and skills through her venture Punk Lemon, a Social Media Marketing agency, which was founded by Jill in 2018 and wherein she is currently the Creative Director. Besides, Punk Lemon, Jill is also working towards an online wellness store called ‘magickpie’, runs a food blog called ‘Fish & Feni’, and also has a charity art project called ‘Follow the sun’. How does she manage between these varied professional roles and from where does she draw the motivation to continue in all these fields of work? Let’s find out in her own words.

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“I have always been the kind of person who wanted to learn and engage in all forms of creative works. I like to keep exploring ways of personal and professional growth. Being a person with multiple interests, I needed a platform where I could showcase and do everything I was interested in, right from writing to photography and my love for social media too.

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With Punk Lemon, it gave me the opportunity to explore all my favourite passions – Graphic Design, Social Media, Writing, Food Photography and Fashion Styling. Punk Lemon began only about 2 years ago after I finally made up my mind to settle in Goa for a while.

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It was difficult to get to know people and stepping into a new market which is quite different from Bombay, which is where I have lived for most of my life.  Where Bombay is a thriving metropolis and has people, who are up for newer ways of doing and engaging in business, Goa is a quite place where the people believe in sticking to the roots.

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Though it took a while and is still a challenge to convince people to take up digital marketing as a tool to promote their business, Punk Lemon has managed to find a footing in the Goan market. As I had always hoped, the work spoke for itself and we are now two years old. I felt that Goa needed a bright, young company unafraid of challenges in the digital world, which is what pushed me to drive this company to what it is right now.  

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It began as a challenge, and continues to be one (especially because of the current situation in the world). But, being a digital company, change is now in-built in our day-to-day work. We aim to grow a bit more in the near future, since everything is moving online (if it hasn’t already) and break the hesitation of people here in Goa to consider online marketing, rather than conventional forms of marketing.

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Along with Punk Lemon, I am also working towards an online wellness & healing store called ‘magickpie’.

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I run a food blog called ‘Fish & Feni’, where the goal is to encourage people to ‘go local’ and I try to spread awareness about finding the best local foods and related items.

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I also have a charity art project called ‘Follow the sun’ through which we train and teach the underprivileged and less fortunate children of the Goan community.

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I draw the motivation of all the work that I do by reminding myself that it is something that I love doing and also through the aim of being able to make a difference.

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My biggest learning has been to

“Work smart, not hard. And, let your work speak for itself.”

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Also,

“Don’t be afraid of a challenge!”

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To drop in a message to Jill, check out her varied professional works, or to inquire and hire her for one of the many services that she provides, follow the links below:

Punk Lemon

Website
Instagram
Facebook
Pinterest
Twitter
LinkedIn

Magick Pie, Fish n Feni, Follow the Sun

Magick Pie Website
Magick Pie Instagram handle
Fish N Feni Blog
Fish N Feni Instagram handle
Follow the Sun Facebook page

Other personal and professional handles

Jill D’Souza website

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LinkedIn

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Personal Instagram handle

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An article written by Jill was published on GQ. You can read this piece by following the link below:

Goa: Where to eat, drink, party, shop and crash in the Sunshine State

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When You Learn Not To Give Up On Your Dreams ~ A Dancer, Macrame Artist & IT Professional Shares Her Story

Martha Graham said,

“People have asked me why I chose to be a dancer. I did not choose. I was chosen to be a dancer, and with that, you live all your life.”

In our #WednesdayWisdom blog focusing on the #WonderWomen segment, on the occasion of World Dance Day, we bring to you a woman who feels in the same passionate manner about dancing. Meet, Mathuvarshinee Sekar, an IT professional, a Bharatanatyam Teacher and performer, and a Macramé Artist. Besides doing a full-time job does a at an IT firm, Mathuvarshinee runs her own dance academy by the name of Nrityapravah and even sells her handcrafted macramé products through her Instagram page. How did she get into varied and creative fields and how does she manage time between these professions and her personal responsibilities? Let’s find out in her own words.

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“I grew up in a progressive family. My father always encouraged me for pursuing dance,  but his thinking was that I should complete my graduation and have an engineering degree before making a decision about choosing dance as a career.

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That’s what led me into the IT field. But never did I ever give up on my love for dance. I completed my arangetram and my love towards dance as a form of art, and more so as a means to let out my inner self and forget all my worries, continued, as I learned more about the field. So, once I completed my training in Bharat Natyam by pursuing Master’s degree in Bharatanatyam, I couldn’t just give it up. Hence, I began teaching to the girls in my neighbourhood from a very young age.

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My IT field and the current job landed me in Hyderabad, away from my family and hometown Chennai. And this has been the turning point in my life. It was the first time I was completely independent. Things were tough, but I’m glad I made this decision, as this is where three of the best and most important things happened, meeting my husband, starting my own dance academy and my love for macramé.

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I was always a plant lover and loved having them in my living space. Having always lived in a rented space since I’d moved out, I never got complete freedom to experiment with plants in my home. So, after marriage when we bought our own apartment, the plant lover in me got a full rein. My balcony garden is my pride and love! When we had moved here, nobody had a plant or even any small pots or flowers in their galleries. But today, I see a few of them having beautiful plants outside, which I only take as meaning that I must have inspired or motivated them to do so! And let me tell you, this is just an out-of-the-world feeling. It was due to my love for plants that I took to macramé and handcrafting because I needed something to not only hold my plants but also to make sure they looked as beautiful as I could make it possible for them to.

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Today, through this love for plants and macramé, I have been able to touch so many lives that it feels immensely gratifying. Each order for my handcrafted products that I successfully make and deliver, makes me proud and keeps me motivated to continue in this field. As for my dancing profession, after moving to Hyderabad, I did continue teaching. However, there was always this ambition of making it bigger and more real. That’s why, after establishing myself and once I was sure of my footing in Hyderabad, I took the plunge and started the Nrityapravah dance academy in July 2017.

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My husband, whom I met as a colleague in my current job, has also been extremely supportive and motivating in all my choices, be it of dancing or related to my handcrafting. My other motivation is the satisfaction which I get when performing, teaching, creating and choreographing. This always keeps motivating me. Even my family has always been extremely encouraging and supportive. Plants too have made a very big difference for me in my life. They give me peace and they even strengthen and motivate me.

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As a married woman, it is sometimes challenging to balance all this along with the household responsibilities, but I keep reminding myself that I love it all and that’s what gives me the strength to not to give up on any of it. The other challenge is facing and overcoming the orthodox thinking around the field of dance that ‘Girls belonging to a respectable family do not engage in such activities’. But I ignore these kinds of negative comments because I have my husband and my family’s full support and also because dance gives me more happiness than anything else. The future plan related to my handicrafts and macramé is to have my own store where products made by me are sold, whereas regarding my dancing, I just want to continue learning and teaching, and let that journey take me wherever possible!

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My biggest learning in my professional and personal experiences has been that

“Things change in time, and so do people”

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And also, one must

 

“Learn to accept a few things even though they’re not up to expectations. But at the same one must not give up and should continue to pursue their dreams no matter what.”

But most importantly, one has to,

“Learnt to do things on their own.”

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To drop in a message to Mathuvarshinee, check out her amazing macramé and handcrafted products, and the pictures of her plants, follow the links below:

Instagram

Mathuvarshinee’s work as dance performer and teacher has been featured on Life of Tamizh. You can have a look at this feature through the link below:

Feature on Life of Tamizh

Other personal and professional social media handles

Personal Instagram handle
Personal Facebook profile
LinkedIn profile

You can check out Mathuvarshinee various solo and group dance performances through the links below:

Krishna Nee Begane
Tum Tak
Musical Tribute to Sri Indradeo
Duet performance by Mathuvarshinee and Soumya
Re-d-f9 performance