I am a self taught artist and art has been my passion. The colours always intrigued me as a child. I was eleven years when I participated in a scholastic art competition along with my cousin. I was super excited to use my new 27 colour paint carton and I had the urge to win. The theme for the competition was – “India in your eyes”.

Using all the 27 colours, I dabbled and mixed the colours to create a map of India. My idea was to express that India was a land filled with diversity and colour. The judges who saw my painting said- ‘Although it is creative, there is no meaning and life in the idea and painting.’ They said Good luck and walked away. I was disheartened and had tears rolling down my eyes. An old lady who had accompanied her granddaughter for the competition walked towards me, gifted me a bar of chocolate and said – ‘Your art is your reflection and it can have myriad interpretations and not everyone should understand and love it.’

These lines have always stuck in my head and if I fast forward to today, my paintings have been appreciated and has been adorning the walls of many homes with happiness. For me art is more than an expression, it is therapeutic and helps me grow, reflect and evolve. Art speaks to our subconscious minds. It speaks to our spirits. Every brushstroke and even a simple sketch tells a story, every colour emits a different emotion. All the colours together create a song and a dance. The joy and beauty you create in your art has the power to change someone’s life. It is that powerful and that simple and I am happy to not just inspire myself but also others through my paintings. #LittleMeInspiringMe