Manali Manan Desai's Blog, page 71
January 31, 2020
When Your Creativity Turns Into Multiple Forays ~ An Art & Craft Entrepreneur + Marketeer Shares Her Journey
Oprah Winfrey says,
“With every experience, you alone are painting your own canvas, thought by thought, choice by choice.”
In our today’s #FridayFeature blog focusing on the #WonderWomen segment, we bring to you a woman who learnt from her experiences and grew personally and professionally, rather than accepting defeat. Meet, Trupti Shah, Art & Craft Entrepreneur + Marketeer. She is the Co-founder of New Fashion Trunk, Founder of Tees Art World & Founder of Craft360. As an inborn artist, Trupti Shah, from past 15 years has always been a curious soul and wanted to create something different. So far, she has shown this creativity in many facets of business as well as social activities. How does she manage between multiple ventures and her family, and what made her turn her love for creativity into a profession? Let’s find out in her own words.
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“ Handmade stuff, Home Décor and luxury products have always been a passion for me. I got married at an early age, so family responsibilities became a priority without me trying to figure out a career plan or path. However, within 6 months of my marriage, I decided to not let the creative passion in my die, so I started freelancing as a fashion designer. Along with this, I also started creating artifacts for gifting the near and dear ones on special occasions like birthdays, anniversaries and festivals. These drew in many compliments, so soon I converted this hobby into a profession.
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The struggle was huge during the initial 8 years wherein balancing a family life, especially with a toddler to take care of, became quite a challenge. However, my career graph, despite the many rejections, describes my professional growth through my work and success. Today, as the founder of NEWFASHIONTRUNK, I curate exhibitions for more than 75 brands under one roof and through Craft360 I collaborate with many interior and home décor companies & supply my artifacts across the world (USA). The one major motivator and confidence booster was getting a big corporate order of 1 .5 lakh pieces of gel candles by Colgate Palmolive back in 2011. It made me realize that if such a big name trusted my work then I must surely be good, right?
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Being the founder of Craft360 and thanks to my passion as an Artist, I have created 35 different workshop topics which helps many people to build their career. These workshops are useful for Architects & Interior professionals as well as Art & Craft lovers. Over and above this, some topics for these workshops are also specially designed as a means of stress buster for many corporate staff.
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In creating Geode Resin Coffee Table Master Class with crystal, stone & semi-precious stones, my name & along with that the brand of Craft360 has become popular not only in Mumbai but also in Ahmedabad, Surat and Pune. In fact, I’m soon going global too, where I’ll be taking international workshops in UAE. I’m proud to boast off the fact that many renowned crystal therapists and healers too attend these Craft360 workshops. My crafts have reached far and wide and among the creme de la crème where I have supplied corporate gifts to big names like UNILEVER, COLGATE PALMOLIVE and NESTLE.
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I strongly believe in giving back to the society and in order to do that and be an active member of this belief, I seek out to help through my post of Secretary at the Lions Club. Via this, me and my team members help the society, especially the downtrodden, disabled and senior citizens. For upliftment of women entrepreneurs I started a platform called “New Fashion Trunk” where under one roof, we encourage many women entrepreneurs to get the best results in sales, branding & marketing. With an innovative working module, I’m also serving as Vice President of “Mumbai Mompreneur circle” which has approximately five lakh women entrepreneurs all over India.
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It is through my husband Parag’s support and the motivation I draw from my son Krish, that I have been able to maintain a professional and personal life balance and am proud to say that I’m not only a good wife, mother and daughter-in-law but am a pretty good ‘boss lady’ too.
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The future plan is to travel all over world and spread awareness as well as love for art. The aim is also to supply my design artifacts, all over the world.
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My learning through all that life has thrown my way is that,
“You can always make time for the things you love”
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And that,
“Using your success and skills for the betterment of others is the best earning”
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To drop in a message to Trupti, have a look at her wonderful artefacts, or to inquire about and be a part of her upcoming workshops, follow the links below:
360Crafts Website
360Crafts Instagram page
360Crafts Facebook page
January 29, 2020
A Day In The Pink City ~ Jaipur Travels
In focus for today’s #WanderfulWednesday post focusing on our travel tales is the city of Jaipur in India.
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We were recently in this city for two days. One entire day was spent at the Jaipur Literature Festival for which I had the delegate pass (single day).
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Since we had one entire day free, it was the perfect opportunity to explore this city, which is fondly also called The Pink City. We started the day with the most popular (and a global) attraction, Amer Fort. At first we thought of having a look-see on our own. However on reaching the spot, it seemed wise to hire a guide as otherwise we’d end up knowing nothing about such a culturally and historically rich place.
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With the help of this local, we were able to cover the entire palace in an hour. Because of the beautiful architecture and amazing views of the surrounding lake and village, this place is a must visit, irrespective of whether you’re a lover of history or not. The summer palace and winter palace (located within the palace area) blew my mind with the kind of ingeniousness put into how to survive different seasons even without air conditioners and heaters back in those days.
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The Sheesh Mahal (Mirror Palace) is a total eye-candy and our guide was something of an expert at photography as he clicked some amazing photos of our reflections in one of the mirrors!! In 2013, the Amer Fort was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site and after visiting it, one can surely understand why!
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Post this, we visited the Jal Mahal (Water Palace) which is inaccessible to the public and is maintained by the government. However, even from afar its beauty attracts many people and the spot is quite crowded at any given time during the day. Besides the palace, what I liked were the flock of birds, including swans, that were aplenty, just sitting on the lake water or flying around. It was this that definitely added more to the charm of the palace. (interesting fact: the palace was built because of this very reason! Apparently the king who got this palace built wanted a place from where he could gaze at these birds freely)
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Our next visit was to the Jantar Mantar observatory which is a collection of nineteen architectural astronomical instruments that were used to calculate time way before digital clocks came around.
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This was done by the position of the sun during the day and via the position of various stars during the night. Looking at these instruments made me realize just how intelligent we Indians were and are! But, it was here that I felt the lack of a local guide as we would definitely have understood the workings of each instrument better if someone had been there to explain it to us.
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Our last stop for the day was the very famous Hawa Mahal (Wind Palace). The structure is made with the red and pink sandstone and its exterior appearance is akin to the honeycomb of a beehive. It is named so because of the 953 small windows called Jharokhas (decorated with intricate latticework) that allows cool air from the Venturi effect to pass through, thus making the whole area more pleasant during the high temperatures in summer. However, this wasn’t the original intent of these windows. Actually, these were designed to allow the royal ladies within the palace to observe everyday life and festivals celebrated in the street below without being seen. As they had to obey the strict rules of “purdah”, which forbade them from appearing in public without face coverings this was a way for them to enjoy life outside the palace without having to step outside. Quite creative and intelligent, right? Another interesting bit about the palace is that most people see the Hawa Mahal from the street view and think it is the front of the palace, but in reality it is the back of that structure. However, since we were advised by many locals that the inside wasn’t as pretty as the outside, and also because we were extremely exhausted by then , we skipped seeing this attraction from inside.
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All in all, we had a great day of exploration and of admiration about our ancestors and their architectural, creative and scientific skills. If in Jaipur, do visit all of these as they’re what make the city what it is, which is the cultural hub of our nation.
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Pro-tip: Do hire a local guide to understand the places you visit in a better way, especially Amer Fort and Jantar Mantart(at some 200-300 INR, the costing is inexpensive and definitely more than worth the price) Also, we spent quite a few hours in local shopping (which is a must!!) and ended up having to cancel off a few places from our itinerary for the day, so we’d suggest dedicating a separate day for shopping.
January 28, 2020
Small Fish in an Ocean ~ My Experience @ Jaipur Literature Festival, 2020
Slyvia Plath, said,
“Everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.”
This ‘self-doubt’ is what came to my mind when visiting the JLF (Jaipur Literature Festival) 2020 on 25th January, 2020.
[image error]My delegate pass for the JLF 2020
Yes, my accomplishments as a writer so far have been proud-worthy, but stepping into JLF, looking at the lined-up sessions schedule and then witnessing the authors from across the world share their views on writing and much more, made me think that, “I’m a very tiny fish in a mammoth ocean”. The writing and authors community is indeed huge!
[image error]My delegate pass with the reason (my book) I got to be a part of JLF 2020
This realization came with self-doubt for sure, but was soon replaced with an ambition; an aim to reach at their level, by learning from them and growing in my field. I recalled that I had got a chance to attend the JLF 2020 because of my writing skills itself. My story had won the ‘Best Script Award’ from among 150 entries, 40 final selections and 9 short-listed ones, so I must be good too, right?
[image error]I won the JLF 2020 delegate pass because my story ‘The Walls Have Ears’ (from my anthology book ‘Zista’) won the Best Script Award
At the JLF, I got to meet, greet and interact with celebrity authors from across the world including Christina Lamb (co-author of books like I Am Malala, Nujeen and many more inspiring books)
[image error]Christina Lamb (renowned author of books like I am Malala and Nujeen) and I exchanging signed copies of each other’s books at the JLF 2020
and Madhur Jaffrey (Actress & Author of books like Seasons of Splendour, Climbing the Mango Tree and many such cooking based books)
[image error]Madhur Jaffrey (Actress & Author of books like Seasons of Splendour and Climbing the Mango Trees) and I exchanging signed copies of each other’s books at the JLF 2020
Besides the writers, I also got to talk to and know about people outside the reading and writing community. For instance, I met this inspirational lady who is one of the four co-founders of KPCT Foundation, which sells and promotes artwork done by differently-abled children. Isn’t that wonderful?
[image error]Gifted a signed copy to the co-founder of KPCT Foundation (which sells and promotes artwork done by differently-abled children)
I also met one of the core team members of Pratham Books, a publishing house which focuses on children’s books and literature.
[image error]Gifted a signed copy to a core team member of Pratham Books (a well-known publisher of children’s books and literature)
But among the stalls at the JLF, I was most impressed by Datri, a Non-Profit Organization & India’s Largest Unrelated Blood Stem Cell Donor Registry, which aims to save the lives of blood disorder patients. They have a worldwide reach and their operations are completely transparent which was apparent in the way they interacted. Thanks to them, I registered as a stem cell donor and am hoping to match with someone in need soon, so that I can become a donor and make at least some noteworthy contribution towards saving a human life!
[image error]Registered as a stem cell donor for Datri ( a Non-Profit Organization & India’s Largest Unrelated Blood Stem Cell Donor Registry)
As I was only there for a day, I wanted to make most of it by attending as many sessions as possible, however this turned out to be quite an impossible feat, as 6 sessions (of one and a half hour each)were happening simultaneously at various junctions within the same venue, which made it a total of 36 sessions in a single day! Despite the wish of being present at them all, I only managed to attend session number 82 (TRANSFORMATIONS: THE BUSINESS OF BUSINESS which included Tarun Khanna, Arun Maira and David McWilliams in conversation with Hindol Sengupta), session number 87 ( CLIMBING THE MANGO TREES: FOOD AND MEMORY which incouded Madhur Jaffrey in conversation with Chandrahas Choudhury), session number 93 ( WE THAT ARE YOUNG which included Angellica Aribam, Varun Thomas Mathew, Pallavi Raghavan, Rafiul Alom Rahman in conversation with Pragya Tiwari), session number 94 ( THE GIRL FROM ALEPPO: NUJEEN’S ESCAPE FROM WAR TO FREEDOM which included Christina Lamb in conversation with Suhasini Haidar), session number 100 ( EXCELLENCE HAS NO BORDERS which included BS Ajaikumar in conversation with Varghese K. George, launch by Shashi Tharoor), session number 103 (BOOKS TO DIGITAL which included Sandeep Unnithan and Sumrit Shahi in conversation with Nalin Mehta), session 108 (CRICKET: THE SPIRIT OF THE GAME which included Shashi Tharoor, Gideon Haigh and Rajdeep Sardesai in conversation with Keshava Guha) and session number 119 (SWACHH BHARAT, SWASTH BHARAT which inlcuded Amitabh Kant, Namita Waikar, and Parameswaran Iyer in conversation with Sanchaita Gajapati)
Out of these, CRICKET: THE SPIRIT OF THE GAME was hands down my favorite one because it included two of my favorite personalities, Shashi Tharoor and Rajdeep Sardesai, and more importantly because it was on my favorite sport, cricket!
After each session, there was a separate book/author signing session within a dedicated booth where fans could get their copies of the authors from that session signed. At these, I grabbed the opportunity to handover signed copies of my books as well! Since, this was like a dream come true to not only come face to face and interact with Shashi Tharoor sir, but even get a signed copy of my favorite work of his ‘The Great Indian Novel’. So, I got that done and even gave him a copy of ‘The Untold Stories’. Here’s hoping he reads it and likes it!
[image error]Shashi Tharoor and I exchanging signed copies of each other’s books at the JLF 2020
So here’s me signing off on my experiences with the concluding thought of self-belief and of growth, rather than of envy, when looking at those who have achieved more than I have in the field of writing!
Cheers to more writing, more creativity, organic growth, support and solidarity.
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Here are the details of all my published books:
A Rustic Mind
The Untold Stories
Ten Tales
Zista
January 27, 2020
Self-Discovery Leading to Professional Growth ~ An Interior Designer & DIY Enthusiast Shares Her Story
Phillip Starck says,
“A designer has a duty to create timeless design. To be timeless you have to think really far into the future, not next year, not in two years but in 20 years minimum.”
In our today’s #MondayMotivation blog focusing on the #WonderWomen segment, we bring to you a woman with this vision that Mr. Philip talks about. Meet, Interior Designer and DIY Enthusiast, Bhumika Sehgal, who is the founder of BMozaic Interior Design Studio and the Co-founder of Bhumika & Ankita Studios. Alongside these designing ventures she is also the Co-founder of Confetti Desserts by Aarti, wherein she handles the PR & Marketing of a home-based bakery venture. How does she manage such a diverse work portfolio and what made her turn into designing as a full-time profession? Let’s find out in her own words.
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“ Being a science student, I have always had an inquisitive approach to everything, so when I saw my own house renovating, it was a bombardment of knowledge from a career path I never even considered. So that’s how I got into this field. If not for that epiphany moment, I might have stayed stuck to a medical career thanks to my science background.
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Beating nepotism was and is the biggest struggle in the field of interiors and architecture. It may come as a surprise but yes it does exist (and how!) even outside Bollywood and more so here. Because of this, it has been difficult, and the toughest part is to get a steady workflow all year round.
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The turning point came after my 12th boards. Once I was done with my HSC exams, I began preparing for medical entrance exams like CET AND NEET (at that time). However, it soon dawned on me that, that was not for me; because how much ever I had studied over countless nights, it wouldn’t have mattered even if I cracked the exams with top marks. So, all of the fatigue of that toil and hard work faded away the minute I started design school.
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I put in even more hours of study, all by myself, which resulted in no mummy screaming at me to study drama anymore! Once I decided to pursue design, those sleepless hours all faded away the minute I started creating something with a bunch of papers, pencils, pens and colours!
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When looking for a source of motivation, I believe one doesn’t need to search hard or beyond their own circle. At 53, my mother remains more active than me, hence for me, she will always be my biggest motivation.
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Helping her out with Confetti remains the highlight of my day, where she weaves magic through her bakes and I put in my PR, Marketing and Designing skills into making it reach out to as many people as possible.
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The journey has been ‘so far so good’ and I am extremely content with where I am , but I want to soar really high really soon! My promise to myself is that by 2021, we (me and BMoziac team) need to go higher and build more experience and I need to cater to projects only to my liking and dabble a bit into the set design world.
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This career has changed me completely; from a girl struggling to complete her “ syllabus” and the endless science chapters + math theories, to a woman who will put sleep and hunger aside and get her work done on time; from an impatient mess to a calm ,composed and extremely patient person getting the job done properly, on time and handling a hundred bullets fired at her simultaneously, and dodging them off too!
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So, I learnt the meaning to life and acquired immense patience. I feel a lot of gratitude towards my entire team that works tirelessly towards bringing my mind to life!
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My advice to all, young and old, would be that,
“Your growth as a person will lead to your growth in the professional front”
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To drop in a message to Bhumika, look at her diverse work portfolio as an interior designer and as a brand manager of Confetti, follow the links below:
BMozaic Insta Page
BMozaic FB Page
Bhumika’s personal Insta handle
Bhumika & Ankita Designs (Bianka) Insta page
Confetti Insta Page
Besides the above pages, Bhumika also has a page dedicated to her adorable pet dogs, Sasha & Misha. You can check out their cutesy pics (highly recommended if you’re an animal especially a dog lover!!) through the link below:
Sasha &Misha Instagram page
January 24, 2020
When The World Around You, Inspires You ~ An Engineer Student Cum Artist Shares Her Journey
Henry Ward Beecher, said,
“Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures.”
In our today’s #FridayFeature blog focusing on the #WonderWomen segment, we present a woman, or rather a girl, who believes in dipping her paint brush in her soul just like Mr. Henry. Meet, engineering student, Soumya Sawkar, who alongside pursuing her computer science engineering, is also an artist. How does she manage her studies alongside her creative pursuits and what made her turn her passion for arts into a profession? Let’s find out in her own words.
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“I primarily like introducing myself as an artist rather than as a student. So, that’s how we’ll start this conversation. Hi, my name is Soumya P Sawkar and I am an artist. My speciality is oil and acrylic paintings, but I also work with watercolours, alcohol inks, and resin.
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Besides this, I’m also currently pursuing a graduate degree in computer science engineering. It’s so easy to recall as to what got me here because I have been an artist for as long as I can remember; you could say I never stopped creating art! From my childhood days I have always wanted to be an artist, in fact, it was my first choice for a profession! The biggest challenge for me, at least right now, is the balance between books and painting!
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I usually struggle with managing my time between college and art. The other struggle and challenge is to establish my name as an artist. I am trying to find a strong foothold in the consumer market of art and am also looking for suitable art galleries. There wasn’t such a turning point because like I mentioned, I was always drawing and sketching as a kid.
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As I grew older, I realised that academics played an important role and as a smart choice I decided to choose a career based on that. However, my passion for art did not fade away. And, realising the creative talent I had in me, I decided to pursue art as more than just a hobby, and put it out into the world. So, I started selling my artwork and taking up commissioned projects a few years ago.
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My motivation is our beautiful world! I find my creative inspiration from the world around me. I like traveling and spending time in nature. My artwork reflects the scenic beauty of the places I’ve visited. The feel of the canvas texture, the various hues and shades of colours and the process of mixing these colours on my palette, inspire me to create something beautiful. Artists like Bob Ross and Van Gogh have been a great source of inspiration in my artistic journey so far.
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From doing it as a hobby in my childhood days, to taking it up professionally: selling it through Instagram, putting up art stalls in cultural festivals of colleges, my journey has been one of growth and self-discovery. I’m happy to share that people love my artwork, they tell me it brings an aesthetic value for and to their homes.
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Over the years I’ve discovered many techniques of art, such as glass painting, wood painting, pour painting, alcohol inks, acrylic paints, oil paints, watercolours, creating pieces of jewellery like resin pendants, and have even once or twice used a rotating cake stand to create patterns in art! In the coming days, I would like to display my art in galleries, sell my artwork to interior decorators, and keep discovering new methods of creating art because it brings me immense joy!
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From being scolded for colouring on the walls to being appreciated and valued for doing the same on the canvas, it has been an incredible journey so far!
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As effortless as it may seem, creating a work of art requires time and energy and it has taught me quite a few things in life. For instance, the repeated process of applying the base coat on a canvas over and over again, has taught me the value of routine and patience in life. Another instance I’d like to share is related to oil painting.
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I’ve come to realise that oil painting is forgiving and lets one correct their mistakes by painting over them, as is true in life. Finally, I’d like to say that
“Art has taught me to embrace my imperfections and uniqueness, as art doesn’t have to be perfect. You just need to express what you feel!”
I’d like to end by saying that I’m grateful for all the opportunities given to me and would like to thank everyone who has been a part of my journey so far and continue to do so. We are all artists of our own destiny, in the sense that
“Life is a blank canvas when we are born, and we fill it with colours by the choices we make!”
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To drop in a message to Soumya, have a look at her many wonderful and eye-candy artworks, and to inquire or order one of her amazing paintings for yourself (or to gift them to someone) follow the links below:
YouTube
Blog
Etsy
January 23, 2020
Of Childhood Memories, Christmas Feelings & New Year Resolutions
Mason Cooley says,
“Reading gives us someplace to go when we must stay where we are.”
The year 2019 had been kind to me professionally. Besides getting three back to back books published under my name, I managed to check off another one from my writing wishlist. Towards the end of the year, I was able to fulfill an ambition I had wanted to accomplish since the time I became a professional and published writer; which is writing a regular column for a newspaper or a magazine. And few months back this actually came to fruition.
I’m immensely grateful to LitGleam magazine for getting this ambition of mine fulfilled. I have been a part of their talented and creative group of writers since November 2019.
[image error]Immensely proud to be a part of
So far I have written four short stories for their November, December, January and February issues, respectively.
Three out of these four issues are already out and so are my short stories in them!
Here’s a little glimpse at the covers of each of these issues:
[image error]Litgleam’s November edition
[image error]LitGleam’s December edition
[image error]Litgleam’s January edition
They look amazing, right?
My story from their November issue captures childhood nostalgia and memories through a story titled ‘My Favorite Class’
[image error]A glimpse at my story (My Favorite Class) from Litgleam’s November print issue
In their December issue, I wrote a Christmas story titled ‘Secret Santa’ which talks about this festive season’s celebrations in a corporate setting.
[image error]A glimpse at my story (Secret Santa) from Litgleam’s December print issue
For their January issue, I penned a story around new year resolutions and how we all fail to follow them.
Would you like to read these stories? Then I have some great news!
You can buy their digital subscription using my reference. A yearly digital subscription actually costs INR 480. But since you guys have been true followers of my work, you can can avail a whopping discount of 80% , which means the subscription will cost you just INR 96/- (super-duper cheap, right?)
This is the link for their yearly digital subscription
https://litgleam.in/product/digital-subscription/
Please enter the code: MAN80 before checking out.
So you not only end up saving a whole lot of money but even get monthly access to some awesome literary content including poems, book reviews, celebrity features, columns by well-known authors on varied topics, and of course a new short story by yours dearest (me) too!
They also have a print edition, so if you’re one of those who prefer print over paper, buy their latest issue through the link below (it is priced at just 75 INR!!) :
Litgleam December Issue
The stories from November and December are now also uploaded on their website, so you can even go ahead and read them there (for free!!)
Read both these stories through the links provided below:
My Favorite Class
[image error]A glimpse at my story (My Favorite Class) now available on the Litgleam website
Secret Santa
[image error]A glimpse at my story (Secret Santa) now available on the Litgleam website
January 22, 2020
Interactions With The Intellects
In the past couple of months, I have received a lot of attention. Probably more than I have ever received in my lifetime. After doing my first author interview,
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and then doing multiple reading and book signing events, I thought the buzz would fizzle out.
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However, post the publication of three books back to back, two of which were anthologies, I came to be in touch with so many talented authors from across the world that the doors of opportunity and interactions with fellow authors, writers and poets opened up wide.
The writing and authors community has been so kind and accepting of my work that all the attention feels surreal. It was through these interactions that I came to be in touch with two very talented female authors/poets.
Anangsha Alammyan & Anusha Sridharan have multiple books published under their name. But they are so humble and willing to learn through others, and even provide guidance to newbie writers and authors, that they asked me to share my knowledge through a fun-filled interview. In fact, both these interviews were more like having interactions with the intellects.
Here’s a short glimpse at the conversation I had with these multi-talented, yet warm and welcoming ladies.
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I take this opportunity to thank both of them for having me over. I had a great time!
And here’s me signing off (on this blog post) with the hope of #WomenSupportingWomen and more than that of #AuthorsSupportingAuthors as we’re all in need of that.
You can go through both the interviews in their entirety through the links
Interview with Anangsha Alammyan
Interview with Anusha Sridharan
January 21, 2020
Inspiring The Young & Developing Minds
Samar Mubarakmand, says
“Wherever you go and whatever ends you pursue, you must always fulfill the trust reposed in you by your nation, your parents and your alma mater”
For any adult, their childhood days are always the most memorable and best days of their lives. The same goes for me too! I believe in gratitude and in giving back to those who helped me reach where I am today. I grew up in a small city called Surat which is situated in the state of Gujarat in India. It was through my two schools and the only library in the city back then that I grew up loving the English language and then developing the hobby of reading books. That laid the foundation for my writing and today thanks to that love and hobby I have gone on to become a published author four books. Hence, when I recently visited my hometown, I did something I had been meaning to since the time I got four books published under my name. I gifted a copy of each of my books to each of these institutes!
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It gives me immense pleasure and proud to be able to share my journey with others, learn from it, and more so not repeat the mistakes I made. Hence, when an institute in my city asked me to share this with young minds, I jumped at the opportunity. Presidency School in Surat asked me to talk to their students about how I reached where I am in my professional life right now.
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So this event happened on 20th January, 2020 and I couldn’t be more humbled and proud. The event and the place where it happened was even more special because this institute happens to be the place where mom has been a teacher from the past 23 years.
Seeing her listening to my speech, and clapping as for my words as a member of the audience was the proudest moment for me as a child.
Ms. Deepika Shukla, the Principal of this prestigious school, was full of praises for me and my achievements. In her introduction, she said,
“Manali is like my own daughter and her success as a writer and author brings me immense pride.”
Listening to such an introduction, I was humbled and maybe that’s what led to my speech and the entire event being a success. Sharing my life story, my many misgivings and failures, what I learnt from these, and how I found my calling as a writer, gave me immense fulfillment of inspiring so many young and developing minds.
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Their responses to my questions, and their active participation in the small activity I conducted at the end of my speech, was indicative of my words making an impact on their minds. After the speech and the event ended, many of them came and thanked for my advice.
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I knew right then that my purpose was served as I though to myself, “If my work can bring about a positive change in even one student or person’s life, I think I have made it as a successful and inspiring person in this lifetime.”
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I take this opportunity to thanks all teachers and students of this institute, and especially Ms. Deepika Shukla madam for giving me this opportunity. It was a pleasure becoming a source of guidance and inspiration to and for the coming generation. It was also very gratifying and emotional to be received and felicitated as a guest by my mother.
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You can know more about my books through the below link:
A Rustic Mind
The Untold Stories
Ten Tales
Zista
January 20, 2020
When You Find Your Calling Amidst A Busy Life ~ A Mosaicist Shares Her Story
Thomas Merton, said,
“Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.”
In our today’s #MondayMotivation blog focusing on the #WomderWomen segment, we present a woman who did just that; she found herself and her calling by losing herself in the artwork. Meet, Art Enthusiast & Mosaicist, Sheena Talwar, who quit her senior-level corporate job to pursue her love for mosaic art. What made her love for art become a full-time profession and how did she draw the courage to quit a successful corporate career? Let’s find out in her own words.
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“I was a satisfied as well as successful career woman. There’s no sob story of being unhappy at my desk job or in the corporate world. After thoroughly enjoying my 10 years successful stint with IBM, where I managed multiple roles in Operations , Human Resources & Corporate Functions I found my calling in Fine Arts.
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You can say that I finally discovered my life’s purpose through my love for art, which never wavered even during my upward climb in the corporate ladder. I decided to not just hold on but let this love grow and hence I drew the courage to quit my job and go into artwork full-time. I’m glad I took that plunge because thanks to that courage, I am now an Entrepreneur and manage my work from my Studio at Delhi.
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So far, I’m proud to say that it has been a great run, as I have been associated with varied National and International Forums on Mosaic Art. I have even conducted multiple Solo and Group workshops related to mosaic art. My work in this field has received immense appreciation and recognition too, wherein I have displayed my work in art exhibitions held at Delhi like All India Fine Arts and crafts society AIFACS.
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The main struggle, even today, is about getting the work done when it comes to mosaic art. Comparatively, this work is still unrecognized and new in our country. Hence, un like other art forms getting the tools and material has always been a challenge in India.
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The turning point was when slowly everyone started to recognize my work. When I started my journey in arts it was as hobby, but once people started liking and appreciating my work, I went commercial.
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I draw my motivation from my better half who has been my biggest strength and supporter. He always encouraged me to start practicing my art professionally, and it was this which finally led to my studio.
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The journey so far has been truly amazing. I t’s been 3 successful years with Mosaics. My proud moment was when I got the opportunity to make an Air Force Insignia which hangs in their Units museum till date. I have lot of plans to spread awareness on the art form in India and plan to take workshops in different parts of India.
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My major learning is to
“Never fear to try anything new at any point of time.”
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To drop in a message to Sheena, check out her amazing mosaic art work, and to inquire about or buy these artwork pieces, follow the links below:
January 17, 2020
When Ambition Takes You Into Varied Professions ~ A Course Instructor & Published Author Shares Her Story
In the movie Paa, Vidya Balan says,
“Becoming a mother changes your life for the better. I am saying this out of personal experience.”
In our #FridayFeature blog focusing on the #WonderWomen segment, we present a similar woman. Listening to her story immediately made me think of Vidya’s character from Paa and this dialogue from the movie. Meet, Course Instructor cum Master Trainer at SIP abacus academy, and now also a published writer with two anthologies under her name, Nidhi Kaushik. What’s her story and how does draw inspiration for her varied fields of work through her son? Let’s find out in her own words.
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“ Becoming a mother is what changed me completely. This quote by Drew Barrymore perfectly defines motherhood that, “ My favorite thing about being a mom is just what a better person it makes you on a daily basis” because I have experienced this firsthand. I never wanted to be a teacher as I was too ambitious for such a profession. Hence, I always dreamt about starting something of own. To achieve this dream, I worked at Johnson & Johnson for two years, as I was a medical student. But after marriage everything changed and I changed my profession too, from being a chemist I became a teacher.
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I even went on to complete my MBA and B.Ed after marriage and thought of teaching in school. But irony is that I never joined any school though I cracked many interviews, because I was not mentally prepared for it.
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With the birth of son, the choice of becoming a schoolteacher seemed unfeasible. But being someone who had started working right from the age of 19, I had never stayed home for so long and that too taking care of a kid alone. Hence, I started getting bored and irritated, so I began taking tuition classes at my home.
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The turning point of my life was the year 2012. I can surely that it was the worst year of my life as I lost my first baby in womb due to a miscarriage. Post this tragedy, I was gradually leading towards depression and even started getting suicidal thoughts. During this time, a friend suggested to me that I should try reading and so began my foray into the world of words.
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Reading not only saved me but even lead to my own humble beginnings as a writer myself, which have now been realized professionally too. I have edited one book for an author, and two published anthologies under my name. In fact, two more are now on the way too! These achievements have surely been motivating and proud worthy for keeping me on track of my writing career and journey.
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My biggest motivation is my son. When I see his face, I realize that I want to be his role model, so that he won’t need to search for motivation outside his home. My husband too has been a great supporter and motivator, as never doubt my abilities and never even question my decisions.
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I don’t feel I have achieved anything as such, but it has been a great journey so far, professionally as well as personally. I started working at the age of 19 and have worked in 3 multinational companies, then as an assistant professor in a Management Institute and am currently working as a course instructor at SIP academy and this month only, they promoted me as master trainer. For someone from a small town, that’s a growth curve worthy of appreciation and I do get that lot, which only makes me grateful and even more motivated to keep going!
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Other than my job, writing keeps me going. I love to write my thoughts under my pen name @my_diary_reads on Instagram. Two anthology books of mine – Voice of Hearts and Towers of Inspiration, have already been published.
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My learning has been that
Life is the best teacher and struggles are best examinations
and so far, I’m glad that I almost cleared all the exams so far and I have also learned from my experience that
Kindness, gratitude and hard work are the keys to success. No ego and shortcut will help.
Future plans? Well, for now I am also working on and writing my solo book and hopefully I will be able to get it published by this year end. The long-term plan is to continue doing both my professions with honesty and sincerity, and I’m positive that it will lead to growth in both.
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To drop in a message to Nidhi, read her inspirational quotes and poems, follow-up on her upcoming publications or to buy one of her already published anthologies, follow the links below:
Instagram handle
Website/Blog
YouTube Channel
Amazon -Voice of Hearts
Amazon- Towers of Inspiration
