Craft Hard, Sweat Glitter

Butterflies go fluttering by

On colorful wings that catch the eye.

On wings of pink and silvery blue,

On wings of red and golden, too.

Butterflies float in the air,

As they sprinkle art with color.

And wherever they hover, they leave a trail of loving flitterings. It was easy to figure out The trace of their colorful bliss in the Aerocity, where the event of India Craft Week was organized

India Craft Week, an amalgamation of art and culture. It is such a grandeur, where the rainbow embraces the color of art, and the glory of the sun kisses the talent of the artists.

February 2019, when I got a chance to visit India Craft Week, a city-wide celebration that binds together Organisations, artists, designers, craftsmen, Craftpreneurs across the globe.

I was fraught with excitement as I was eager to be a part of such a fantastic event. Curiosity gave wings to my thoughts when I came to know that there would be a surfeit of artists who would be showering their rays of talent through conducting workshops according to their expertise. The dimensions I could explore were- Blue Pottery, Miniature Paintings, Madhubani Paintings, Paatchitra, Mysore Paintings, and that too from National and Padma Shri Award Winners.

What, I could actually get to learn from the dignitary artists!

Awestruck with this thought, I immediately enrolled my name for the blue pottery workshop, a traditional art of Jaipur.

The elated me dressed up in an elegant attire was all set to attend such a prestigious event. It was the first time when I visited Aerocity.I was amused by the welcome done at the entrance. People dressed in cultural attires with a beautiful smile embraced the guests by sprinkling rose petals.

The tranquil vibes, the classical music, and the colorful spectrum made me feel as if everyone was chanting art as a prayer. The mystic beauty, talent, and hard work could be seen in every piece of art.

I was privileged enough that I got a chance to have a word with the renowned artists. In spite of being so talented, they all were extremely down to earth.

One amongst them was specially-abled as he had some problem with his hands, the first glance made me heart-rending and pitiable, but when I closely observed him, tears rolled down my cheeks as there were no signs of distress or despair. He was the man filled with utter joy and content. This made me realize that he has conquered his disability in an astonishing way, which could be clearly seen through the artifacts made by him.

When I returned from there, a pandora box of mixed feelings, came along with me. The blurred thoughts about the day couldn’t let me sleep the whole night.

Yes, I was fortunate enough to have a glimpse at the work of the renowned artist but definitely there would be a plethora of specially-abled artists all over the world, What about them. Did they get any sort of recognition? What about those artists who live in remote areas and want to bloom?

That night, I ended up researching the same and was amazed to find that there are people with disabilities, who are explicit artists and who also use art as a medium of communication.

People like Mariusz Kedzierski who was born without arms have fulfilled his dream of doing realistic paintings.

Stephen Wiltshire, diagnosed with Autism at the age of 3 is capable of doing crisp detailed paintings.

Paul Smith, a cerebral palsy patient used to create amazing artworks by using only 1 finger at the typewriter.

Sheela Sharma paints with her feet.

Amita Dutta, hearing-impaired by birth, for whom only a teaspoon of coffee is sufficient to paint.

This inspirational list could be a never-ending one.

That was the day when I decided that I am definitely going to do whatever I could so the world recognize them and their talent.

In the lieu of same, I decided to have a word with the artists who are in remote areas, make a note of their experiences, and then share the same on a specific digital platform created by me.

And yes due to God’s grace, I am able to connect with a few of them and I find myself privileged that I would soon be showcasing their work and a glimpse about their life through my venture, ‘Jharokha’,The Shades Of India.

I would conclude by saying-

‘Never forget that the Lord is with you

Keep believing that you can pull through,

Trust in yourself that you can do

even if you feel like not to

whatever waves that come your way

You’ll make it another way.

Tell anyone close to you,

“hey, you can do it too!”

What’s Next?

There are many more topics we need to discuss in detail, follow me, and keep an eye on this place. In the next few posts I will be writing in detail about the following topics:

• Chromotherapy.
• The Famous Five
• Design and psychology of everyday things

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Thanks for reading 😊 Cheers, keep learning and sharing 😊.