A Blog by Artpreneur Sarda Mohan
She can think about herself and her dreams only in the spaces left after the family’s needs, be it connected to marriage, relocation, kids, caring for the elderly, else leaving her with a sense of guilt of not having done her routine duties of feeding, cleaning, caring and “being there”.
If she has a career, she takes a well intended break to focus on her “duties at home”, with every intention to get back to work but does it really happen?
Falling off the grid:
Well, it is not as easy as it sounds. The longer the break , the more difficult it becomes to account for, in her resume. Moreover, she gets plagued by a lack of self confidence, outdated skills, reduction in her earning potential, slowed down promotions and increments and her overall development as a professional.
Before she realises, she falls off the career grid because of unplanned career breaks or extended ones. This is what has been happening to millions of women across the globe. Decades of “career ending gaps” leave the woman demotivated and she struggles to justify to herself “who she thinks she is”
It is important to show something for the “gap” and ease herself back into the professional life.
Working from home, Flexible working hours, part time options are a few choices to help balance personal and professional life. Only a few jobs and organisations offer the above and she is again looking for back up plans and alternatives that are doable. And to top that, there are challenges that might seem daunting enough for her to rethink her decision to get back to work.
Kids would soon grow up and no longer need her, but how does she retain her own identity — as separate from being a homemaker and a mom.
Is there an answer?
YES. Not just one, but two.
1. Choose herself above all other things and
2. Embrace the Creative Side. Become an Artpreneur!!
Career breaks are really stressful and It becomes very difficult to convince that “the break” doesn’t imply a decline in her skills. This is where creativity helps. Creativity feeds the soul and inspires in ways you never realise.
Is motherhood the enemy of creative work?
NO.
Whether animal or human, a mother’s brain is very flexible and helps adapt to new environments and challenges. There are various instances to think out of the box, get inventive, fearless and resourceful. Isn’t that all creativity is about?
Creativity is looking at things in fresh ways and making it useful as well, a skill that can be learned with practice and developed over time. You as a woman are already doing it — be it when decorating a room, keeping your children actively involved, cooking and other daily tasks — it all involves using spontaneous ideas and being creative.
The society has such outrageous advice for those women who decide to go for what they want. Ours is to choose the creative path because “Art is vital to a woman’s physical and mental health and in turn, the health of the family, a necessity not a luxury”.
Becoming an Artpreneur (a creative entrepreneur) is a way to discover the creative best in you and also help you start working towards your long term financial security and goals.
Why Artpreneur?
We take it one day at a time, one step at a time. It doesn’t make you feel overwhelmed or what you are doing — hard or impossible. It becomes easier to create a work schedule that balances your personal and professional life in a way that leaves you feeling good and let go of any guilt.You can Involve your kids in creating age appropriate versions of the work that you are doing, hence sharing the love and time with them throughout.
Creative work is just not going to happen, but you can make the best of the time you have got under continuous professional guidance.
We understand that you need to have flexibility as home, kids and schedules seem to ever-changing and your creative life will need to change to that. We help you schedule better.
You will be meeting like minded individuals here and support each other. The networking will definitely do you a lot of good, when it comes to brainstorming ideas and emotionally supporting each other.
Time for a Change:
In our society where it has been established that women are selfish and would do no good but bring harm to the family by pursuing their dreams, we forget that they are the ones that lead their kids by example.
All of us have got the potential to be creative and the only challenge is to know how to tap into it.
Be gentle with yourself and those who try to guilt you for choosing the creative path. You can have a rich creative life that would take your work to a new level. Push away the whispers, fears and focus on the future.
Use your creative skills to the fullest while offering yourself the flexibility of working and moving up the professional ladder. That will be something that will inspire your kids and make them thank you one day.
Deep inside there will always be that fear of taking the right decision, but it would also be something to regret the most when you don’t take the step forward. Make your kids proud of you that you followed your heart. Flex up your creative muscles and become an Artpreneur!
We hope that our creative tribe inspires you to keep going, Wonder Women!!
To know more about becoming an Artpreneur, click here.
- with Love & Gratitude
Sarda Mohan, Alpha Batch, Artpreneur Program 2018
Are you at a cross roads? Unsure of how to handle change?
Do you keep asking yourself : “What can I do to keep moving forward?”
Then you must read this.
Did you know about the little pond and the nymphs that lived in the muddy waters under the lily pads? They were so happy and comfortable in their lives that they do not realise what “ change” would mean.
However, they noticed that once in a while, one of their fellow nymphs would climb up the stem of the lily pad and would never be seen again.
One little nymph could not resist the urge to climb up the stem, and she was determined to find out what was on the other side. Tired from climbing onto the surface of the lily pad, the nymph fell asleep under the warmth of the sun. She woke up with the realisation that she had turned into someone else, with a beautiful body and wings. She could scurry across the water surface and was astonished to realise that she could also fly.
So, she flew with elegance and grace, gliding through the air effortlessly.
She remembered her friends who might have been wondering and worried about her. But she realised that she did not have the choice to go back down into the water and share her stories. She understood that their time would come, when they would experience all that she did and she felt happy.
She flapped her wings to soar high with confidence and ease, to look beyond, motivated to let go of whatever would hold her back.
How we wish we could take guidance from the dragonfly when we struggle with changes that seem overwhelming and stall our growth?
What next?
The answer you seek is within you.
“There is nothing outside of yourself that can ever enable you to get better, stronger, richer, quicker, or smarter. Everything is within. Everything exists. Seek nothing outside of yourself.” ~Miyamoto Musashi
Transform and evolve. Just like the dragonfly, with flexibility and a fresh perspective.
Open up your mind to what’s around you and do something creative to maintain the momentum and deal with the uncertainty.
Choose to empower yourself and transform through art and creativity which help to reconnect with your own strengths and happiness.
We at Artpreneur program will guide you and equip you with the tools and help you take that leap of faith and make things happen for yourself, tapping into your highest vibration and purpose.
You not only get to learn art, design and branding from the best, but will also find a support team that you can lean on while pulling yourself away from your comfort zones to reinvent yourself.
The Age of Utopians 2023-24 batch
&
Shangri La 2024-25 Batch of Artpreneur Program awaits.
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Shangri La 2024-25 Batch of Artpreneur Program awaits.
Join and let your colours come forth, while you spread your beautifully coloured jewel like wings to explore multiple paths and pursuits in this lifetime.
Enquire
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