The Inspired Life
The Inspired Life
When Destiny Paints Friendship from Unlikely Places
Picture this: a chance encounter in a nightclub bathroom that blossoms into an enduring friendship and a deep dive into the world of art. That's the story of my connection with the uniquely gifted Apoorva Lanka, who joins me for a soul-stirring conversation about life's beautiful accidents and the brushstrokes of destiny. Our laughter-filled reminiscences set the stage for a dialogue that paints a vivid picture of art's impact on our lives, the power of genuine compliments, and the significance of forging friendships in the least expected places.
The canvas of our discussion stretches into the vibrant hues of Apoorva's artistic journey, one that grew amidst a family lineage of medical professionals with a shared love for the creative arts. Our heart-to-heart explores the internal tug-of-war between honoring family traditions and chasing personal dreams, highlighting the bravery required to carve out your own path. We wade through the complexities of self-expression, the solace found in art, and the cathartic act of painting, as Apoorva shares her story of defying expectations to pursue her true passion.
As we wrap up our exchange, we reflect on what it means to succeed in the art world. The conversation meanders through the concept of aligning one's lifestyle with artistic aspirations, celebrating the everyday joy found in the act of creation itself. Apoorva offers a glimpse into her ongoing projects, dreams of crafting a peaceful retreat, and the delicate juggle between passion and practicality. Join us for an enlightening discussion that honors the confluence of art, friendship, and the serendipitous moments that stitch the tapestry of our lives.
If you like what you hear, subscribe and follow us on Spotify, iTunes and Amazonmusic. A new episode will come out every 1st and 15th of a month. You can also follow us on Instagram on theinspiredlifepodcast. If you want to mail me to discuss some of the things we are talking here or have a story to share on this podcast, email me at theinspiredlifeindia@gmail.com. This is Deepika and I thank you for listening.
Welcome to the Inspired Life Podcast. I'm Deepika, and joining me today is Apurva Lanka, an artist and somebody that I've known for a very long time, and we have the best funny story of how we met, hi Apurva. Welcome to the podcast. Hi, deepika, how are you? I am good.
Speaker 1:So, like I just was mentioning that we are, the way we met was really, really interesting. I'm sure you remember we met at OTM, which was once upon a time a home to a lot of us, because we all spent a lot of weekends there. And I was just thinking about it today morning and the thought came in my head is it is now because of social media. So many memes are around how women meet in the bar or club's bathroom and force these friendships. And that really did happen, and it is so beautiful. I remember so many memories, such with not just you, but a lot of other women. I don't remember the faces or names anymore, but I remember the experiences of meeting in the bathroom, talking about, like, hyping them up oh you look lovely, your lipstick shade is great, do you want to share mine? Or leave that boy, don't text him and so many other things, and that's how we met too.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and yeah, um, we said hi, hellos, and I think we were looking at each other's tattoos and complimenting each other about it, and I think that was when you kind of mentioned to me that, oh, I'm a mom, I'm a decade older than you. I'm like, you don't look it, you look just like us. And that was a decade ago almost, yes, actually yes, it's like 2014.
Speaker 1:Yeah, sometime 2013-14 is when I spent a lot of time and money in OTM.
Speaker 2:I spent a lot of my time weekdays, weekends when it was raining, we were still dancing there.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and those were the days when it used to be open till 7am. Yeah, and yeah, I remember like how did I do that? I feel so ancient. The thought of now staying awake beyond 10pm is so hard. But yeah, and I also remember after a while I started pitching my friend to you in the bathroom saying how I have this single guy friend sitting outside and he's single, you're single, we should meet. I showed him your picture, showed you his picture, and you didn't disapprove. So you came to our table after a while. I think he felt really awkward and shy and was put on spot and he just didn't respond at all. I remember him not even saying a hi back and I was so upset with him. I'm like such a lovely girl and he's like what are you doing? Why are you getting these girls and making them talk to me? Well, that obviously didn't work out, but this worked out. I'm glad we stayed in touch.
Speaker 2:I am. You got me into pole class. You give me kombucha now.
Speaker 1:And I've been stalking you for years on Instagram. I love your paintings and I love your work. I love there is this sign of the artist in you and every little thing that you do. Even other pictures you post on Instagram, I love. I'm not really good at this so I can't really articulate what I'm feeling, but the angles and the lighting of just a simple thing, of a flower or your friend's wedding the things that you post I absolutely adore all the things that you do. You are extremely artistic and I am so glad to be at your home today and look at all your work. It's gorgeous.
Speaker 2:Thank you. I mean, I feel like I am not intending to do artsy things with them, but they just fall in place Like that painting. It happened. And then I was looking for a lamp on Amazon and I got this lamp and they match and people think I painted that lamp.
Speaker 1:But and then I have to tell them about the chronology of what came first yeah, I can imagine and understand why people find it hard to believe, because they just match perfectly together. It looks like you actually designed them and and I love the painting also, by the way, thank you. I think you'll get tired of me saying that all day today.
Speaker 2:I honestly don't get used to it, because every time somebody says that I feel like such an imposter because it happened in a day. It was just a silly little thing that happened. You are just indirectly trying to.
Speaker 1:What is that word? Being being very, not being modest at all by saying it just happened in a day. It's not a big deal, do you realize? For people like us it's such a huge thing. That whole thing is a day. That I could teach you how to do it in a day, yeah, but I would love to actually. I recently will come to our journeys with Arch and my not so much journey and yours and then we can talk about it.
Speaker 1:But I would love to. I'll take you up on that offer, for sure yeah, I love hosting people at home.
Speaker 2:You know, when they come and just paint together, because I think I've realized when I have friends over and we're just sitting and watching TV, it bothers me so much. Same. So I'm just like I'm going to paint, you do whatever you want and eventually, the minute they're bored as well, they just know where all the products are, so they come with their own. I'm going to do a pencil. Today. There's a couple of coloring books around the house, so then they sit and eventually they're like make me paint something. So I give them a picture, or they pick a picture and I start breaking it down into how they can paint it or draw it.
Speaker 2:And one of my favorite conversations I've had with a friend was a debate about why the sky was pink. And she was like sky is supposed to be blue, I'm going to draw it blue. And I was just like but your reference, it's pink. She was like sky is not pink. And I love just getting into these conversations with people about what they feel versus what they see, versus what they put on paper and honestly, it's just been a learning experience both ways, usually for me when I see other people talk about it.
Speaker 1:Correct. No, that sounds really interesting. By the way, I've seen a pinkish sky in Bali, and yeah See sunsets make the sky go pink?
Speaker 2:Yeah, but I think we're so conditioned to believe sky is blue, yeah, that I mean people made a movie about it Actually. But yeah, I think a lot of conditioning really applies to when people start off with drawing. And yeah, I'm just sitting here making conversations with people saying sky can be whatever.
Speaker 1:Of course it can be. I think that's the whole idea about art, right. Like you said, it's about not just what you see, but it's what you feel and what you want to translate it down onto the canvas, and that actually makes a difference. You can draw whatever color and do whatever you want. So how did this begin for you? How did you? Was there a moment when you realized this is what I'm good at, or it was just something that you went with the flow? Did you do something special to nurture these skills? What exactly happened?
Speaker 2:I think I'd like to give the credit to my family. My mother and father are doctors and they've always thought that me or my brother or both would become doctors. But I think, seeing the back end of what goes on in a doctor's life, what goes on as an everyday thing, as much as I was obsessed and interested in the subject, I felt like I didn't have that thing in me that wanted to just save lives directly in the field. I felt like it was something too serious and that you know the general fear that it requires a lifetime of studying and I felt like, honestly, since the childhood okay, now two busy parents and maybe and the grandparents living at home, the. We grew up pretty independently because it was a big house back in Varangal and we were left to our devices. My only rule was if you're leaving the property, make sure you come back before it's dark, correct? So I would mostly stay at home.
Speaker 2:I would be in the garden just playing with the clay, trying to make something of it, and I think my father was my father's always been very artistically inclined, so there would be summers where he would learn animation. Ask me to learn how to do it and I think I was in class three back then and there were summers where he would just give me books with paintings of the grandmasters Picassos and the Van Goghs and he would just be like copy practice you have to make what they've made on paper and I feel like a lot of my training happened as a child that way. And my mother she's very into the other arts, so there was a lot of singing, there was a lot of dance classes, fabric, painting. They were very much into me using my time to learn skills Correct. And I feel like when I now look back I was asked by a gallerist recently where I trained and I had no answer.
Speaker 2:I was just like I didn't, I just paint as is. But when I do look back I realize I've been trained for art my entire life, just that my family wasn't super pushy about pursuing one art but they let me explore everything and that really helped in knowing that I don't have to love one thing. I could love and learn and keep getting better at many possible things. And there was a time where I would paint when I was moody and that used to really help. I wouldn't really understand why it was happening, but I think I was a 14 year old and I didn't paint in about five, six years. But suddenly I was just really sad and I remember saying okay, there's some paints lying around, I'll paint, I'll distract. And it changed my mood completely. I think I sat and painted some really bad looking drawings and I realized.
Speaker 2:I didn't care about what the end picture was, but it was in the strokes and it was in me feeling angry and just scribbling hard at it, or it was in me almost wanting to wipe a tear off, but I was kind of doing that with a paintbrush and that changed how I was feeling instantaneously, so that I think I kind of put it in my mind that every time I'm moody I start painting. And then education took over, and when I told my family I wanted to go to art school, my dad was just like then you will only know one thing how about you try another subject if you don't want to do medicine so badly? Because I made sure I wouldn't be pushed towards medicine by taking math, something I am horrible at. Oh my God, and it was two years of me pretending to understand math.
Speaker 1:I struggled in high school with. I let go of math in 10 because I accepted that I was really, really bad at it. I didn't understand anything. Of course, there's reasons to why I was bad at it. Clearly we didn't have a better foundation or the way it was taught to us. I also think a lot of people have the knack for it. Naturally, some people are good with numbers, but it doesn't mean we all can't be above average. We could be. I think there's a lot lacking in our education system. At least I experienced that. But I did take biology. I've been relating to everything you're saying and I'm so bursting with my story, but I don't want to break your flow, which I clearly have done already.
Speaker 1:I was, I took biology in 11th mainly because till 10th, I wanted to become an architect. I don't even know why, because it's not like buildings ever interested me that much. But I don't know why. I think clearly somebody somewhere said architects is cool, some some architect was cool, or I don't remember why. I think clearly somebody somewhere said architects is cool, some some architect was cool, or I don't remember why.
Speaker 1:But I realized how it needed maths and I was so bad at it, like my 10th grade uh, final results right the board exams, I got 87, 88 percent something and I remember like in tears. I've always been this person, even now, excuse me, everything has to be really, really. I have to be good below. Great is bad for me. I don't have them. There is no moderation in my head for that. It has to be either completely in or out.
Speaker 1:So I wasn't happy with 87 because I was expecting 90 and above and my father was like what's wrong with you? Cbc, 87 percent is wonderful. Till he saw my actual mark sheet, everything was 94, 95, 96 and maths was 43 or 47 one of them. And then he was like idiot, like what do you do? But that made me realize, deepika, just give up your dreams of becoming an architect. Just take biology, which also I loved. I was good at it, but I was very sure from day one that I will not become a doctor. My father did try to convince me to follow medicine but I, like you said, the idea of dedicating my whole life to something it as a 17-year-old, it seemed so daunting.
Speaker 2:Now.
Speaker 1:I realize eight, nine years is nothing. Man, whole life has gone doing things like. At 40 I'm still figuring out what I'm doing exactly.
Speaker 2:We're still learning. I think all jobs and all occupations kind of require you to update yourself frequently. So it's not just a medicine thing, yeah, but I'm just glad I'm not handling people's lives in my not very careful, careful hands.
Speaker 1:I think I would have made a really good doctor. But yeah, the idea of studying and also I think I was very I didn't want my father to spend that kind of money, so I come from a very lower middle class background, so I knew it would be a huge strain on my parents to pay, and this is like in the late 90s, so the education loans weren't that easy at that time. It wasn't, you know, as well designed as it is now. So the idea, totally I was like I'm not doing that. But of course I did continue in health and medicine and this is history. But I do understand what where you're coming from, and the idea of not wanting to become a doctor?
Speaker 2:Yeah, because I love biology the human body, animals, plants. They've always fascinated me, I think thanks to my mother's garden more than anything, and I think it's also a little bit of the genetic code. I understood these things faster and I think my father also got me to read a lot since I was young, so I understood the latin roots, etymology of things, and that made a lot of the medical terms also very easily understood for me. Yeah, yet just the sheer thought that if I decided to pursue medicine I would have to stay back in Varangal, that I would have to possibly marry another doctor, birth two more little doctors, and that idea seemed so odd to who I was back when I was 15 or 16 that I just did the math classes and all I wanted to do was come to grad school and pick something fun. And so when my family was just like, just please, anything but art school, practice art at home, yeah, I went through all my other interests. And the thing is, I think if I understood that if you pursue biology there are other careers than medicine or pharmacy, I probably would have actually tried it because it would have given me a better base of knowledge for the things that I paint, because clearly I mostly paint things from nature.
Speaker 2:So my other side of interest was always in textile and fashion. It was fascinating for me because there are so many rules of what you can or can't wear when you're in a small town that I'm assuming my reading books and growing up on Archies affected how the kind of clothes I chose and it used to be a point of conversation in Varangal. So I was fascinated with how clothing affects perception of people and so I wanted to study it. I there's a part of me that believes you don't need to formal education in a subject to get good at it. There's also another part of me that wanted to be an editor of vogue and I figured if I understood fashion from the inside, then I would be able to write about it better. So I went to fashion school. I did two degrees in fashion wow, only to realize I really needed to get out to realize what I would want to make. I felt like when you're in the industry, when you're trying to work, when you're trying to make a living in fashion, you need to confirm to what is in trend, what is asked of you, what people want to wear. But I think a lot of my work involves what I want to make, I want to wear, I want to benefit out of. It Sounds possibly selfish, but I couldn't make myself conform to trends. So I exited the whole fashion life in about five years about three years and four years of education and one year of working in it and because I really needed to gain perspective on what kind of clothing it is that I wanted to make, if I had to launch a label Correct and I think it's been six or eight years.
Speaker 2:But now I know my love for fashion came from a love for textiles In my grandmum's both my grandmother's old sarees that was just so soft to touch that I would use them as my blankets and I was just like that's what I want to find. I want to find the softest fabrics there are and make clothes that don't hurt people, because I think I've always had these sensory issues as a child where everything poked me and I would cry to get out of all the party clothes or all the patu clothes and everything. And I think I've been on a hunt for the softest fabric since then. And the day I found a dealer, instead of talking business with him, I sat and made friends. I'm just like listen, I'm going to come every week, show me your wares and let's just talk for some time. And it's a relationship I think I've maintained for about three years because I want to build a good product.
Speaker 2:And this whole idea of just start anything and then do it it wasn't a business model that got to me, because when you start a fashion label, if you don't keep up and don't keep producing and making new work soon and dedicate all your time to it, the business rarely sees more than three years. So again, I believe, in taking time with all of these, that you find and make the right thing, and even if it's just one thing, you sell that thing. So the idea is still parked for now, where I found myself a funder, I found myself a. All I need to find is the motivation to execute it while handling a job and the art career and I feel like art is the one thing I can't let take a backseat anymore.
Speaker 2:And I spent a lot of time training myself, because just painting for your mood when you're sad doesn't make you good at it, and I wanted to come to a point where I liked my work, not just the process, and I think I came there maybe about a year ago and that was when I started calling myself an artist. Before that I was just I paint. I do other things. I used to call myself a designer because when I came back from my master's I started doing graphic design. I feel like I've just dabbled in whatever is possible, anything that's creative. I would just dabble, try it out, work for some time. I'm also known for not keeping a job for more than a year.
Speaker 1:So you know, there's just too many things in common between us. The thing you're talking about, painting when you feel moody, right, when I was in eighth grade same like same, my family also Pretty much I grew up in a small town in Chhatilgarh, raipur Now it's capital of MP, so it's clearly not a small town anymore, but then it was. And whatever my parents sent me my mother mainly sent me for every class possible what you'll get in a small town. So I had done fabric painting, soft toy making, stitching course, so I almost wrote an exam so I I could stitch clothes at one point, of course, like anything I've forgotten, because you don't really follow it and it comes to me very easily understanding fabrics and all of this. And then, of course, drawing classes.
Speaker 1:There was this lady who used to teach drawing. It was called a drawing class because I think it's mostly pencil sketching. It was not really. I'm sure there was painting also, but I was like 8th standard. I went for the class. I remember day one she gave me a picture of a rose and asked me to copy it. I sat and copied it and she was talking in Bengali and to the other people around I do understand Bengali quite a bit, I think, where I grew.
Speaker 1:I grew in railway colony so there were a lot of railway employees. Especially Bengalis and Telugu people were a lot around us, so I picked up both these languages very early so I would understand them. Speaking Telugu happened only after I moved to Hyderabad and I had to speak in Telugu. But she told this person sitting next to her that this girl is really good, like she has art in her fingers or something like that you know kind of a thing she said and I found it boring. Okay, and I am a very high strung person, right, so I need to be doing something really active, something which engages my body and my mind constantly. So I have learned to calm down. Only now, in the I would say only in the last year and a half, so in my 40s, is when I I'm teaching myself. I won't say I've learned, I'm teaching myself to calm down.
Speaker 1:And she called my parents my parents called her or whatever, saying do we start? And she was like she told them that she's really good, she has it. She needs to nurture the skill. My parents sent me next day and next day she gave me a picture of her ear and now I had to measure. She had that whole thing measured exactly, make it the same size. I found it really annoying and boring. I came home and said I'm not going to continue. I I came home and said I'm not going to continue, I don't want to do it, it's really boring and that was my end there.
Speaker 1:And somebody who followed biology I had so many diagrams and so many things to do and I always found classmates, my friends, who would do the record books for me. I never did Exam something I do and I finished, but I never did that. But I had forgotten this part of my childhood. When you said painting while being moody, it reminded me that through my teenage angst in my high school, I remember when I would get really angry or really upset and sad or any of those feelings. I had these comics books at home and I think I have vivid memory of copying Chacha Chaudhary and Sabu's story, this comic book lying at home and I started drawing and I started looking at it and saying, hey, I'm good, it looks exactly like that. So I didn't paint it no colors, but with pencil I was sketching and I was like, no, I'm not bad.
Speaker 1:Never again I did anything but in the last year and a half we got in our friend circle similar like we didn't want friends to just sit and drink and eat and, you know, listen to music and separate into smaller groups. We did a few sip and paint and I didn't care about the sipping part at all. I found the painting so cathartic, so amazing, so lovely and you can see it and make out. It's a novice doing it but it doesn't look horrid. I expected myself to be really bad at it but I wasn't. I did understand the strokes.
Speaker 1:My husband did fine arts in high school, so he's somebody with understanding of all of it, his he didn't pursue it again beyond it, but he understands. He does charcoal, he does everything, so he I could pick up. What he was selling me is like no move the brush this way and I've realized I love it. And now I want to. I've been wanting to include it part of my I won't say daily, but give it at least two, three days in a month dedicated to just sitting down calmly painting something.
Speaker 1:I haven't gotten down to it. I've told myself this six months ago, but I want to do it and I think it is like you said for you. Maybe you know it's. I don't want to paint only when you're moody, because you need to also get your skills up. I think I want to separate my sadness and painting and not make it connected to a negative thing, which was earlier but now, because I've had a good experience with my friends and it was always happy and fun painting and all that. I want to bring that in not bring this positive feeling of painting makes me feel like really happy and really calm and all of that. So I think, yeah, that that's something which also I was like damn it, this is exactly what I felt too.
Speaker 2:You know, when you said you found drawing something as is, especially from a picture, like a year or a rose, I agree with you. I find it extremely boring, which was I. Every time I speak to someone that went to art school or is going to art school right now and they tell me how they're doing typography or or still life, I get a little thank god I didn't go to art school, that I don't have to do them, because a lot of my learnings come from other artists. Yeah, meeting and talking, seeing how they set up their art tables yeah, that really. And seeing them paint, more than anything, that helps me learn and understand and experiment in my own way, because obviously I can't copy their entire move, but by seeing that they used a brush to make a certain stroke and that gave a certain effect, it helped me understand some logics, and I think that's the thing about painting or art in general that our conditioning tells us we don't know how to draw it and another part of our conditioning tells us it needs to look a certain way or real and close to life, correct, but honestly, you can draw a year out of a line, out of paint and, however, as long as you understand what parts you need to include to make sure it looks like a near correct and outside of that conditioning, because I was only learning from other artists around me, right?
Speaker 2:I met this one person that asked me are you trying to do realism? I'm like I don't think so. She like then what do you care if it looks like the picture or not? And that made a lot of sense. That was when I started painting as an adult, post jobs and everything and again doldrums trying to paint because I needed some sort of an outlet, correct.
Speaker 2:And that day I started painting for fun, that a picture could be pretty without it having to look realistic. And what people don't understand or see in that direction is if someone only broke it down into steps for you had a conversation with you, you probably know where to go from a white canvas. A lot of people don't want to just draw on a white canvas or think their initial mark making or initial sketch of their drawing the minute it looks very raw, people kind of stop drawing right there. But my findings have been that it is when you work at it on and on, keep adding detail, keep adding more observation, more color, more anything, and that's when you build the artwork, and yeah, so never like stop at the first layer or just the basic sketch. Keep throwing more paint at it until it looks good to you, that's a very good.
Speaker 1:I think I want to keep this in mind next time, uh, because clearly I've always struggled, uh, to imagine and bring it down, that idea. You know, obviously I think skill plays a big part too, because in my head I don't know how to do it, but if I have a painting in front of me, it's easier for me to just try and copy it. And the way we all are conditioned, I want it to look like that, and I just get so disheartened when it's, uh, initially the person, I was like, ah, this looks, look at those clouds, they look so pillowy, why does mine look like that? But I've also learned to teach myself some grace. Saying it's okay and you know it's fine, uh, so what is not the same shade or shape? Just keep doing and but this is a very good tip.
Speaker 1:I think I'm gonna very good advice. I'm gonna keep this in mind. It's just to come to a version of something that you, you like and you enjoy and just keep playing with it and not, you know, stop saying this is not good enough or you know I'm done, yeah, right, so, like you said, that you did, you were into fashion and that's something you were thinking of pursuing further, like having your own label, and, of course, you're trying to take your career as an artist. Plus, you have a job. Now how hard or easy has it been, with regards to being an artist, to be successful or start a career, because it's not your regular, usual run of the mill job. So what have been your experiences and what's your perspective on that?
Speaker 2:I think pursuing success as an artist is a very alien concept to me. I feel like I'm an artist or I feel like I get to do these things and it's a privilege more than anything. And if it were just success I was chasing through art I wouldn't know where I'd be headed, because I don't know what success is as an artist or anything like that. Maybe, yeah, to sell out for a, really you know, like people tell you somebody sold a painting for four million.
Speaker 1:Yes, yeah, maybe that's success.
Speaker 2:But that's so far away when you're still so young at starting out in the whole art scene. But honestly, every day feels good, no matter what's going on in life or other things.
Speaker 2:Art feels makes me feel like I've actually done something good today it makes me feel like I've had a really good day when I get to paint a little, and I think that's what I'm usually looking at. Where it's the practice I know it's such a cliched thing to say it's just the process and everything but the satisfaction that you do get when you like one of your works or just when it turns out to be a good more. Over the years I have said this about myself a lot.
Speaker 1:I'm so cliche I don't want to say this. It sounds cheesy, but the fact is, certain things, most things, sound cliche because they're a fact and they're repeated again and again and told by people who have experienced it, who have lived through that experience lives, through the whole process. And I think you're absolutely right, it is a process and I think it's a good way for anybody, good thing for anybody, to remember that, not only with art, everything else, success can be defined in a lot of ways, right, success can be also defined that you are painting, I don't know, two pieces in a month. That can be a great success by itself.
Speaker 2:So I think, yeah, success is not necessarily always monetary and there are a lot of different ways of looking at it yeah and in if we had to really measure a form of success, I think about five or six years ago, when somebody asked me what do you want to be doing when you're a bit older? Yeah, and I remember saying I wish my day was filled with reading and painting. Maybe a bit of research, maybe I make you know sculptures out of clay, maybe a partner, maybe not a partner. But honestly, a little bit of travel, a little bit of reading. And if I look at my everyday right now I'm there.
Speaker 2:I feel like, okay, looks like we've made success. Now what do I need to do? So now I'm trying to bring in the money, but I don't want to pressure the art side of it too much. I believe we're all good at some things, correct, and I'd like to find out how many things there are that I could get good at and see how many I can monetize slowly. I'm looking at a forever plan of however long I am here and just keep having fun at it.
Speaker 1:Correct. I think that is great. I think, yeah, it's a very wonderful way of looking at life and goals and all of it. What are the current projects or future projects? What kind of work are you into right now and what are you doing?
Speaker 2:So I'm working on some collections of paintings Now. These are purely personal. I want to make them because I make them for me. A lot of my paintings are based on dreams, because I feel like there's so much of traveling I get done inside the head and a lot of it is something wonderful I saw in a dream and then I try putting it out. It almost feels like a prophecy when I put it out there, and then I am planning a label, but I'm working backwards for it, where, instead of creating a label, putting some basic clothes out there and trying to sell what I'm trying to sell is more of a lifestyle, and through that lifestyle I'm trying to streamline and design the clothing that fits into that lifestyle.
Speaker 2:I spoke to you about soft clothes and now I'm realizing there is a need for me to create almost like a uniform of useful clothes that have multi-use, that are versatile, that maybe can go from day to night and, more than anything, are just soft. Yeah, so that's one, and then I'm actually open to any creative projects that come my way, because it's just so much fun making money off these things. You know I paint for a living and that I'm working with my friend who's an illustrator we're working on prints for a designer, and that I am working with my friend who is an illustrator.
Speaker 2:we are working on prints for a designer and that I think it's mostly artists working together to create something for whoever needs it, and me and my husband are considering turning his Airbnb into a retreat. Yeah, and I have big hopes for that, because then I'll get to live at an Airbnb with a swimming pool and just chill and manage a place. Yeah, post workshops over the weekend. That's the plan, that's the dream life. Next Sounds lovely.
Speaker 1:I can't wait for your label. I can't wait for your Airbnb. I'll also come and chill by the pool and join the workshops. Definitely I think, yeah, this sounds lovely, lovely future plans. Sounds very romantic and nice, and I hope all of it works for you.
Speaker 2:It seems a little too romantic. No, I just want to read and paint and be under the tree.
Speaker 1:A girl can have dreams.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I know, like life shows me practically how much of a borrowed dream it is, but I do what I can with my little plants and my little paintings no, I think, in the end, focusing on enjoying what you're doing.
Speaker 1:You like being surrounded by your plants and paintings, and you know your inner circle and people. I think if that can get going, that can keep going. I think the success is right there that you have, you know achieve what you have. You did talk earlier about having a professional degree, or you know the what is that word I forgot. Or you know the what is that word I forgot suddenly. But you know being trained with regards to as an artist, which you didn't get. Your training was learning by yourself and not really something out of art school or anything of that sort. What would you recommend to somebody who is looking at art as a career? What would you recommend them? How should they go forward? Should they get a professional training, or what do you think they should do?
Speaker 2:I think people should take it as life comes to them. If there's someone they could that can afford a degree in art, excellent, go for it, because it's a lot of fun. It's like studying literature for a living or studying art for a living it's quite fun of fun. It's like studying literature for a living or studying art for a living it's quite fun. Yeah, there is also. I've also seen artists that were very depressed because, as we were talking, it is, it does get taxing trying to paint something the way it is in real life. The pressure is quite high and, like my father always says, please don't get an art degree and stress about life so that if you can afford the art degree and the lifestyle that follows, I think you should absolutely do it. But if, for any circumstance, you can't get yourself an art degree, I would say keep practicing art every day. Live paint, live, draw, draw, maybe even one single thing a day.
Speaker 2:Yeah, one of the things I think about a lot is how you need 10,000 hours to get good at something to master a skill, yeah, and break that 10,000 hours in whichever way comes uh naturally to you and keep at it, because I feel like I'm in my last hundred hours of my ten thousand hours which is why I actually feel like, okay, my art's not so bad. I just kept at it, the confidence that I know what I'm doing or that I am in control of what I'm making and, honestly, I like being surprised by my paintings too. Find your peace with your own practice is what I would say. However, it comes to you just go with it that's lovely advice.
Speaker 1:I'm going to use that for myself too. Okay, this is section I didn't prepare you for. Okay, little surprise. So we're going to pretend like we're on coffee with karan and I'm doing a rapid fire run.
Speaker 1:But I'm not asking anything controversial because there's nothing. We are regular people. We don't have controversy in our lives. If we do, we keep quiet about it, right, okay? So you don't have to think too much, just whatever answer comes to your mind. Of course, if something needs explanation, you can go ahead and explain. So no rules, right ready. Yeah, your favorite artist, favorite color I know it's hard lots of green. Best part of what you do. What do you love the most about it? I love the leisure worst part. Finances Worst part. Fine answers.
Speaker 2:Which is your current favourite song or song on a loop? I'm listening to this one called Gold by Nu. There's an artist called Nu.
Speaker 1:Your biggest pet peeve People that are rude to staff.
Speaker 1:I hate people who don't respond to any communication, like you don't reply to texts or you can be delayed, but completely that's like something in my professional life. Also, I find it really hard to take that card Favorite board game, because I know you love playing a lot of games. Yeah, I love Catan and Splendor. I should send my son here. Yeah, he loves katan. Yes, your favorite rainy day activity apart from painting? Watching lightning how cool. Thank you, apoorva. That was that.
Speaker 1:Thank you so much for this podcast. I had fun and I it was so interesting to listen to so many things. Sometimes we forget simple things of the way we should live lives or where we should enjoy life, until somebody else reminds you of it again, and you did that a lot for me today with your, with the analogy of painting or how you lived your life, and, of course, we like our first conversation. We have a good 10 years between us and today in conversation realized 11 years between us actually, but it's wonderful always to you know some some things that you took for granted and you forgot and you moved on. It's like you nicely reminded me and I'm sure you'll be doing really, really well. I'm looking forward when you're ready to sell your paintings. I hope I can afford them, but I'm looking forward to all these lovely things to do. Thank you so much, thank you. Thank you so much.
Speaker 1:While trying to say raipur was part of madhya pradesh, I said it was the capital of mp. It is the capital of shatisgarh and that's where I grew up, as I mentioned earlier. I'm so sorry for this mistake. Apurva wants you to know that she's passed and said Clint was her favourite artist, when she doesn't really have one. She has a lot of favourite outpieces from different artists, with the work of Monet holding a special place in her heart. If you like what you hear, subscribe and follow us on Spotify, itunes and Amazon Music. A new episode will come out every 1st and 15th of a month. You can also follow us on Instagram on the Inspired Life Podcast. If you want to mail me to discuss some of the things we are talking here or have a story to share on this podcast, email me at theinspiredlifeindia at gmailcom. This is Deepika and I thank you for listening.