Writing from the airport

A state of transit, both literally and figuratively

Hello everyone! Hope you all are in good health and spirits. Today, I am writing to you from the airport. I am travelling to Pune from Delhi for a very interesting project that came my way last week.

After last week’s newsletter where I wrote about how I feel that the world hates artists, many people reached out to me sharing their own experiences of how they were denied the opportunity to pursue art due to societal reasons and conditioning.

I hear you all and I hope that you’ll give yourself and art another chance! Do it for art!

Interestingly enough, almost as if compensating for my anger, I got a call the very next day. It was from a Teach for India fellow who now works in Pune and was looking for someone to conduct a writing workshop for children. I literally jumped off my bed and while trying to control my emotions, spoke back “Yes, tell me” as if it was common for me to receive such calls!

Anyway, we spoke and without even a second thought I agreed to do it.

From 25th May - 2nd June, I am in Pune teaching writing to students as part of their summer camp. The students are a part of Akanksha Foundation and I am thrilled to get this opportunity. What’s even more exciting is that there’s not just writing that I will be teaching them. So, at the end of the 8 days of workshop, on the 9th day, students are supposed to write a story along the lines of the Humans of New York format storytelling. By virtue of that, I will be teaching them writing, photography, storytelling, listening, observing, asking good questions and also silence.

While I repeatedly mention out of pure joy and excitement that I will be “teaching” them, I am also of the firm belief that such pursuits can never be taught. I can only try to help them erase or remove whatever is coming in their way of true expression. That’s my job as a writing mentor.

I will be entering into the classroom after 5 years. After working as a Teach for India fellow from 2017-19, I took a break from teaching. Now, I feel ready to take up teaching again. Not to say that I am not nervous, I am almost terrified! By the time I will be writing to you next week, half of the workshop would be concluded. Look out for the updates :P

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Last week, I attended Vidya Rao Ji’s workshop on Writing - Manuscript Editing. I also attended Vidya Rao Ji’s workshop last year in October by serendipity and it changed the course of my life. This workshop was specifically for people who have already written a manuscript and needed further guidance. Vidya Ji was quite particular about having a small batch and hence there were just 4 of us.

Vidya Ji read my manuscript in the class and at that moment, I just felt like life had come full circle. I finished writing my first draft last year in october after her writing workshop and she knew that I was working on it. To now, having it hear from her was a very profound experience. The workshop was not technical in the sense of helping us understand about the world of publishing or editing but rather it was a discussion around art, writing, creativity and our pursuits as writers. While I enrolled looking for the former and I had tons of questions, by the last day all questions evaporated and I was left with a firm belief that I had a story to tell and I WILL tell it.

I hope I publish my first book by the end of this year, I am thrilled to start working on it again.

Vidya Ji always creates a beautiful safe space for people to express themselves and be true and honest in their sharing. She creates a space where even things that you might not have set the intention to share end up coming out. She is extremely cute and funny too! On the last day we all planned to go for lunch after the workshop and it was extremely hot during that time. I was on my bike and I had to take it with me so that I could directly leave for home from lunch. I jokingly asked Vidya Ji if she would like to come on the bike, expecting a laugh and a firm NO! She surprised me when she said yes and confidently sat on my bike. Seizing the opportunity, I laughed to her that we should directly ride to Pathankot now and she said YES to that as well!

Vidya Ji, I hope to be at least half as jovial, kind, empathetic and lovely as you are.

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Last weekend’s Creative Writing Laboratory was also amazing! Many new faces and yet the exact same energy, trust and creativity. Thank you so much for helping me do this. This kind of work nourishes me and is important to me.

Since I am in Pune and already taking writing spaces every day for the next 10 days, I won’t be able to facilitate any online spaces the next two weeks. I wish to whole heartedly immerse myself in the process of designing for students.

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As a feature of all my newsletters, I share one song, one book, one plant-based meal, one film/video that inspired me, and some photographic updates from my life.

• I am still reading “What Makes You Not a Buddhist” because I didn’t get enough time to read this week. To compensate for that, I am happy to show you a live sketch I did while on a hike. I alwaysssss wanted to learn to sketch and paint. Recently I decided to just do it and learn on the go. I figured it’s better that I do 100 bad sketches than never sketch at all. So for the next many weeks, expect bad sketches in your mail :P

• This week, I went for an event where the host prepared Vegan Odia food. As you can see from my plate, the food looked brilliant and tasted super nice too!

  

• My neighbour is a celebrated musician. I have been listening to his music ever since I moved to Bir and found out about him. Lately, I have been hooked to his song - Safa. His name is Samar Mehdi. Please check out his work! It’s brilliant.

• I went on a hike 2 days back. Here are some photographs from there.

Photographs from the Hike

Thank you for your time! If you like what I share, do share it with your friends and family. Hope your week was fine too! Wishing good health and lots of love to everyone. Have a lovely week ahead :)