Hello Creativity, welcome back!

As I was scrolling through Instagram one day, I found a great sketch made by one of my colleagues. I never knew he had a passion for this creative art. The next day, I made it a point to ask him more about his exceptional talent.

The discussion I had with him was similar to so many other stories I’ve heard of artists and there is a common realization out of all these tales - that very few extraordinary talented people find their profession in sync with their artistic edge. To add to the misery, it becomes rather difficult to stay close to your passion and creativity with all other worldly responsibilities.

Besides, Arts is always underestimated as a field of study. When I was in school, I pursued music lessons till class 10th. The next grade saw a race between future engineers, doctors and chartered accountants. No one even gave a thought about giving ‘Arts’ a chance, be it music, painting or crafts and somehow, creativity took an eventual exit.

 “Every education system on Earth has the same hierarchy of subjects. Every one. Doesn't matter where you go. You'd think it would be otherwise, but it isn't. At the top are mathematics and languages, then the humanities, and at the bottom are the arts. Everywhere on Earth. And in pretty much every system too, there's a hierarchy within the arts. There isn't an education system on the planet that teaches dance everyday to children the way we teach them mathematics. Why? Why not? I think this is rather important. I think math is very important, but so is dance.

(Excerpt from a TED talk on ‘Do Schools kill Creativity’ by Sir Ken Robinson)

My contention is that as we age, we start growing out of creativity. We lose the importance of creativity in our life. Try to look back at the 5-year-old you, who had a curious weed in head and wanted to color the world with crayons. As we grow up, we edge the world on two stubborn colors- white and black. We are so scared of being portrayed as wrong that we stick to one path all our life. Being wrong is not same as being creative but if you are not prepared to be wrong, you will never be creative.

There is one question that hits my mind constantly, that why do we start focusing on just one part of the brain and become more rational in our approach towards everything? The creative intellect is so undermined that many brilliant artists think they don’t have any talent, because the thing they were good at in school wasn't valued, or was not actually “branded”.

Creativity has its own prominence and it is this creativity that lets a mathematician or an engineer to focus beyond conventionalism. It is this creativity put together with other fields like Computer Science which makes products work so intuitively and appeal aesthetically, at the same time. The best thing about creativity/arts is that it can blend with every field of work.

It’s high time that we redefine intelligence and education; and consider the role of originality and imagination as important as rational and logic because most of the world we live in began with imagination.

Life, as it is!

When one of my friends told me to write an article on 'what is life?', I thought 'what an easy topic!'. Once I got thinking about it, my inner self exclaimed, oh, you wish!'. There is so much to write about life and so little at the same time.

Google explains the meaning of life as 'existence of human being, animal or plant'. Well, to think it considering the realms of this world and human beings, my brain is not satisfied with this explanation. Mere existence cannot ever be called life, unless scientific. Life is way beyond just existing, it is 'living' that existence.

You want to know what life truly is? Look at the eyes of a toddler who smiles at you without even knowing you. That spark in his eyes depicts life. Try feeding a hungry person, that satisfaction and proud which you feel for yourself is life. The happiness on the face of a student who has studied day and night and got into merit, that happiness is life.

Moreover, life is enjoying the present moment and giving your fullest. Life is having a purpose to your existence- to help the needy, to foster peace, to make a difference, to turn this world into a better place. Life is having the courage to smile when you are crying inside. Oh, I know that's braveness but that's what life is too. Life is not being regretful of the past or worried for the future. Life is beholding nature with its colours and diversities. Life is the comfort of your own pillow after travelling the world. Life is to improve yourself, to care for others and to be kind with the world.

In short, life is mean and serious but fun as well. Life is a bitch but a blessing as well.

So, keep your past and future aside and live the moment because it is not going to knock your door again. Explore and know your journey as much and as far as possible. Take risks, face challenges, fail but learn! Work hard, stay humble and be happy, after all that's the whole motive of living. 

Image Source: I don't know! :P

Beyond banana leaf, gold and kanjeevaram...

Sudden plan of attending a friend's wedding, road trip, lush green tracks, sparkling water and god's own country- Kerala is way beyond idli and dosa! 

My acquaintance with the beautiful landscapes of this city brought a romantic rhythm to my eyes which fell in love with nature once again.  

On the way was Krishnagiri (Tamil Nadu) where I had a bite of authentic South-Indian breakfast. It was not that I was having this cuisine for the first time but surely there were some ingredients in that dish that was particular to the place and delighted my senses.  

The target place was Guruvayur in Kerala. From Krishnagiri to Guruvayur, the journey had been amidst breaking dawn, bright sunshine, tall coconut trees and GPS which helped us get through highways.  

Guruvayur is commonly known for its famous religious devotion standing high in the form of Guruvayur Temple. I mini-researched about the temple before actually visiting it and how I wished to go but my laziness fell in between. Some other time, may be.  

This was the first time that I was witnessing a different culture wedding altogether. Both bride and groom belonged to southern part of India, and thus it makes my experience of this Kerala trip a total acquaintance to South-Indian culture, way in and out. Be it food on banana leaves with an exciting pair of dishes, music which makes your heart dance Bharatnatyam, artistic prints on walls of the venue, wedding rituals which are so simple and yet different, or people & their core simplicity; this wedding was an exquisite experience for me.  

We still wanted more out of this trip and therefore planned a place which rolled itself out as a beautiful feather on Kerala's head – Allepy, the place of houseboats. Though I did not get the chance to have a houseboat experience but those 24 hours in another cozy place were so relaxing. I just did not get tired admiring the mesmerizing natural creations, be it backwaters or lotuses or sunrise.  

Thank god I took that trip because it made me realize millions of things about life and people associated with it. I always give immense importance to travelling in one's life because it opens the mind, it relaxes the soul, it gives a new lookout towards ideas one does not dare to pursue, towards problems one runs away from and towards taking that heavy yet crucial step to make everything better.  

Get out of your cocoon and explore this journey called life in the best way possible.  

Concluding this travelogue-cum-philosophy-bicker with a truck note I read on the way:  
'Shor mat kar bulbul, aaj gum ki raat hai, 
Tere bhi sheher aayenge, do chaar din ki baat hai.'  

Constant Battle Between Job and Fitness

How often we think to transform ourselves into one who

• Wakes up early in the morning
• Follows his/her fitness regime
• Eats nutritional breakfast
• Gulps juice instead of caffeine beverages
• Has filling lunch and light dinner
• Goes for post-dinner walks
• Sleeps on time

I can bet you on this. Each one of us goes through this same recurring cycle of thinking than doing. For most of us ‘healthy body, healthy mind’ has become just a metaphor.

We drool on Hugh Jackman’s or Jennifer Lawrence’s toned muscles & imagine on how cool we will look with them. But! But we don't have time, but we are becoming lazier with every passing day, but we place our job's responsibilities ahead of our fitness, but we have grown to understand that wealth is more important than health.

I was going through a listicle which portrayed pictures of how bollywood celebrities would have been if they worked in IT industry. The article sarcastically represented lives of IT professionals. Clearly, the protagonist had swollen eyes, depleting skin, obese tummy and tired posture.

If this is how the country is developing (by bringing in more revenue and compromising on the health of such intelligent minds), then personally, I don't encourage such 'development'.

The good news is that organizations have become cognizant of the fact that fitness is of crucial importance. They  provide gym facilities to their employees and organize several athletic events, such as marathon or cycling contests, on a large scale.

Even government is taking steps to build a healthier country with their awareness programs & celebrating days like Yoga Day (January 22nd every year) to encourage mass participation across various demographics.

This has been complemented by technological advancements supporting health and fitness such as health tracking apps, smart gadgets and innovative gym equipment. Even the advertisements these days encourage you to focus on your health. Staircases are positioned against elevators and escalator, cycling is being promoted, a healthier diet is encouraged and so on.

Being a professional, on an individual level, we can practice the following to do our part for improving our own health:

• Use stairs instead of elevators
• Drink lot of water and stay hydrated
• Include fruits, juices and milk in your diet
• Don't skip meals for work
• Use anti-glares while working on laptop/PC
• Take 10-15 minutes evening walk
• Cut on caffeine and cigarettes

While accumulating wealth for your coming generations, don't forget to invest in your health. As the saying goes in hindi, 'pehla sukh, nirogi kaaya' which means the first and most important blessing is to have a healthy body, rest comes later.

Happy fitness! :)

Image Source: Onlymyhealth

Let Your Desk Speak Your Personality!

This topic was lying on my stick note from so long and I have been waiting for the perfect hour to pen my views down. Finally spilling the beans of my thoughts over this!

We all have a work desk where we spend most part of our day. It is like the second place after home which we smugly cherish as a possession. This draws us to the statement that your desk is as important as your home and should reflect your ownership.

According to a research conducted by Huffington Post, giving a personal touch to your workplace boosts productivity, brings happiness and reduces absenteeism.

 Having read that, I was curious about the proportionality of these variables. Also, with the creative weed in my brain, I always had the urge to give my work space my reflection so that I get familiarized with the corner as quick as possible.

Let’s see what you should do to bring that personalization to your workspace and how it impacts your work:

• If you are an avid appreciator of flora, get a small sapling for your desk. Even a good luck plant will charm. Keeping greenery near you brings positivity and absorbs the harmful rays in your surroundings.
  
• Keep your passion alive on your desk. If you are into literature, stick some nice-read quotes. If you like to draw, pin some of your drawings on the board. If art attracts you, have small art piece onto your space.
  
  Below are some pictures on how I am keeping my interests alive, given my passions ranging from reading, arts and music.

• If you like reading articles and love newspaper, pin some articles onto your board.
  
• Have atleast one picture of your near and dear ones. This will motivate you in your harder times.
  
• For some, pictures of their favourite characters (actor/actresses, politicians, others) triggers enthusiasm in them.
  
• Make sure that your space is comfortable and personalized at the same time. It must give you the feeling that it belongs to you! :)

Believe me, this will encourage you to pass through difficult times in your work life and cope gracefully. I have a note on my desk and whenever I am into some unpleasant times and my eye falls on it, I get revitalized to face the challenging day. This is the note:

Your desk says a lot about you. So make your statement and showcase your personality without uttering a word.

But don’t forget to attend to your main goal i.e. WORK! :P

On a concluding remark, I would like to quote some words from my recent reading (which give no clue about the topic discussed above but is worth sharing):

Work, love, courage and hope; Make me good and help me cope.

Seven ‘Indianisms’ Every Writer Should Avoid

Did you know India ranks second in the list of countries by English-speaking population after the United States? Still we are the ones who are criticized for incorrect use of English, or maybe that’s why.

According to dictionary, the word ‘Indianism’ has two meanings:

1. A word or phrase characteristic of English as spoken in India.

2. Devotion to or preference for the people and culture of India.

Well, I wanted to tilt this article over the latter meaning but there is a lot to explore in former. So let’s focus more on linguistic Indianism instead of preferential one.

The most common linguistic error that I’ve come across among Indian writers’ work is usage of word ‘ONLY’. Consider these three sentences:

·        We only are like this

·        We are only like this

·        We are like this only

In each sentence, meaning is getting changed with the placement of word ‘ONLY’.

Now let’s do one thing. Oh, did you see what I just did there? I showed Indianism by writing ‘let’s do one thing’ while there is no such phrase. We either say ‘let’s do something’ or directly refer to what is to be done.

Let’s get to seven ‘Indianisms’ every writer should avoid to deliver better content.

1.     Use of ‘the’ almost everywhere

“The overuse of the word ‘the’ is the basic problem among the Indians”- This sentence highlights how extra use of this word hampers continuity and irritates the reader.

2.     Explaining the obvious

Have you ever heard someone say ‘both my parents are working’? Well, ‘parents’ is already plural. You don’t need to mention ‘both’ there. I had a good laugh when a friend of mine said, ‘I have two daughters and both are girls.’ Oh, I thought your daughters are guys. :D

3.     Introduction Blunder- ‘Myself’

Another common mistake that even I made once while introducing myself is- ‘Hi, myself Ankita’. Instead I should have said, ‘My name is Ankita’ or ‘I am Ankita’.

If you want to be known as ‘Grammar Pervert’, please ignore the correction.

4.     Putting full-stop in bullets

Bullet points must always be short, specific and targeted, that is why they are BULLETS. Putting full-stop at the end of bullets is like playing with the authenticity of English language. Never ever do that!

5.     ‘Actualizing’ everything

‘Actually’ is the most futile word that Indian writers use. We are actually using it so much!

6.     Writing number instead of putting it in words

‘She has 2 kids’- Writing numbers in the middle of a sentence to represent stats is a total NO! If  any number has to be used, it should be put in words. Though for larger numbers, you can use numbers.

7.     Relevant Heading, Bullshit explanation

This has become a generalized understanding that most people read only headings or points and don’t pay attention on explanations. Here comes the tendency to beat around the bush. Content under a heading must be as relevant as the heading itself.

Grammar is important and so is the correct use of words. Avoid these mistakes and make your content more appealing and meaningful. Keep writing, keep rocking! :)

(Image Source)

That's an Indian Mother!

12:10 p.m.
Message beeped, 'Class at 7 o'clock a.m. tomorrow'

'Mumma, tomorrow class at 7 in the morning. I don't want lunchbox. I'll have something in college.'

The next day.
I wake up at 6:15. Get ready till 6:45.
My mom woke up at 5 o'clock, busy preparing my lunchbox. At 6:20, she hands me my tea while making my lunch and simultaneously doing 3 more chores.

I shout, 'why do you do this? I told you I'll have something in college.'

She replies, 'Jab tak mai hu, mere haath ka khana kha le. Fir nahi milega.'

That's an Indian Mother! :)
God bless every mom in this world.

God bless you, stranger.

It was raining heavily and roads were filled with lots of water. I was driving from my office to home at around 8 o'clock. Traffic signal turned red but due to rain, vehicles jammed up. Thankfully, I was on two wheeler, so I figured out my ways through steep gaps between cars and then, bump!!!

The front tyre of my vehicle got stuck in a pothole and signal turned green. Hell! Every vehicle started honking like anything. I was so terrified by the sound that I couldn't even think of any solution. I tried all my strength to pull that damn tyre out but all efforts succumbed to nothing. Just then, a guy on his bike stopped and helped me to pull out the tyre out of hole. He even waited to ensure that I was fine and my vehicle was in working condition.

I thanked god for sending him. There were so many people, sitting in their cars and honking madly but none of them took the pains to come out and help but thanks to this person. He strengthened my belief in humanity.

Foreign TV series buff...

Definitely, we find F.R.I.E.N.D.S more watchable than Sasuraal Simar ka (a show on Indian TV network). This is all about that.

Foreign TV series are more appealing because Indian series give us the reason to watch them.

1. Unrealistic Saas-bahu drama scenes.

2. Indian TV characters are magically studded with unwanted Jewelry and makeup.

3. The nonsense of re-incarnation(Special regards to Ekta Kapoor here :P )

4. The whole series is shot in one damn location- a house!

5. There is atleast one woman who weeps all day,

and one who plans on how to get the other weep :D(Weeper vs Wamp)

On the contrary,
Foreign TV series seem interesting because

1. They are fun to watch.

2. No crap, no nonsense like this one below!

3. They dress familiar. Thank god, no added tonnes of gold. (except Game of Thrones :P )

4. At some point, we could relate.



5. They are legen- wait for it.... -dary, Legendary :P ;)

Picture Credits: Google

If I were a movie character.

No, not 'Geet' from 'Jab we met'. I consider myself a little more mature than her (okay, just a little, fine now? )

Anyway, this one title matches me in the most appropriate way and that is
Aisha Banerjee (Konkana Sen) - Wake up Sid

I am exactly the way she is..

1. I live life on my own terms.

2. I want to move to Mumbai (my love) to pursue my dreams.

3. I love writing.

4. I wish to have an apartment like hers: cute, albeit small but my own. And I believe her theory of doing my own work.

5. I am a Bibliophile, a lover of books. To me, smell of fresh books is adorable.

6. I love Art and interior decoration (those cute li'l things)

7. I also have a journal like hers, the only difference is I don't carry it everywhere :P

8. I totally screw it up when it comes to Love

9. And the tattoo.. absolute love <3

Picture Credits: Google

Breakup

'Passport, check.'
'Documents, check.'

'And us?', She asked.
'What about us?'
'Nothing!'. She left.

'Breakup, check.'

#NotMyWork

"I pity the woman who will love you
when I am done. She will show up
to your first date with a dustpan
and broom, ready to pick up all the pieces
I left you in. She will hear my name so often
it will begin to dig holes in her. That
is where doubt will grow. She will look
at your neck, your thin hips, your mouth,
wondering at the way I touched you.
She will make you all the promises I did
and some I never could. She will hear only
the terrible stories. How I drank. How I lied.
She will wonder (as I have) how someone
as wonderful as you could love a monster
like the woman who came before her. Still,
she will compete with my ghost.
She will understand why you do not look
in the back of closets. Why you are afraid
of what’s under the bed. She will know
every corner of you is haunted
by me."

- Clementine Von Radics

Kohl

'Wow, you like stunning', He said.
Thanks to the kohl in her eyes. Noone knew what she 'wept' through.

You & me were no more 'we'

And there came a time when I was standing alone on the road, bidding you goodbye,

with hopes as ravishing as life,

with smile as broad as sun's reach,

with blush as red as a rose,

with memories as alive as a playful kid,

the holding hand, the love gestures, the winks, the you, the me, the we.

Not everything works out- not you, not me, not we!

Distance grew, hearts cried, tears came alive,

broken we were!

And there came a time when I was standing alone on the road,

with no smiles, no blush but ample of memories- of you, of me, of we!

Fear

She woke up in the morning with wet eyes. People say if you see a nightmare of your dad’s death, he is going to live more. She believed that too. But lost him the next day.
Yesterday night, she saw her mom dying…