When Art is in Your Heart
More often than not, we tend to lose touch with the pursuits we enjoyed as children. Something about the pressures and mundaneness of adulthood dims the delight we felt for our childhood interests. Sahithya Sridhar, however, has not let growing up stamp out her passions, and we’re inspired!
As a kid, the very first thing Sahithya remembers creating is a picture of ‘Alladin’. Her mother noticed her work and she encouraged her to paint more.
“When I was a child, I used to draw and paint. I used to sit in my room for hours by myself, painting away. Not because I wanted to impress my parents and teachers, but for the sheer joy of it. In primary school, I wanted to gift my friend something unique that was not store-bought. She loved the gift and my friends started asking me to make personalised stuff for them too. That is when my interest in DIY art and home decor was born.”
We ask Sahithya when she realized she wanted to turn this interest into a full-time occupation. She says-
“It wasn’t until I started working that I rediscovered how much I loved painting, drawing and creating home decor and how much I had missed it. When my friends were busy reading fashion magazines, I would make home decor and art from waste, that I’d then display in my home.”
Sahithya went on to heed her inner voice by taking a gap year from work to pursue her interest in home decor and painting. We ask her what creating means to her, and she says-
“Creating is bringing to life something that did not exist before. Creation need not mean producing a masterpiece. Yes, the Monalisa is a work of art, but so is a doodle that a 2 year old scrawls. Even a small thing, like taking a vase and placing it just right to enhance the beauty of the space, is creating. I’ve always found joy in creating things from things that most people perceive as waste.”
To those who’re unsure about following their calling, she has this to say.
“Trust yourself, and remind yourself that you’d rather do what you love than do something imposed on you. Continue to make it important and keep doing it. Some days will be easier than others. You probably won’t see results right away, but patience is the key. No one is perfect, we learn as we go, and we definitely get better with every day. Living a life based on your values is a marathon, not a sprint.”
We couldn’t have said it better. Sahithya, here’s hoping you enjoy success doing what you love and inspire people to do the same!
Know an everyday artist like Sahithya? Share their story with us by writing to everydayartists@urbanladder.com. We’d love to feature their work here!
