Let me begin by proclaiming that I am an intrinsically optimistic person who believes that things will fall in place even when we step out of our comfort zones. We have this tendency to silently accept a certain stagnancy in our lives and apprehend taking the needed steps to reinvent our lives by creating space for passion to fuel our lives. There is a need to stave off this tendency by a few simple tricks which I will dwell upon in this write up.
Let me first introduce myself. I am a Radiologist by profession for the last over twenty years and I am heading the Radiology department at Bhagwan Mahavir Cancer hospital in Jaipur for the last 14 years. It is the biggest Cancer care hospital in Rajasthan and one of the most prestigious in North India. As a specialist, I do the diagnosis of patients suspecting cancer with advanced technological tools like PET scans and MRIs and it’s a strictly 9 to 5 high-pressure job six days a week. In between, I also mentor and teach my medical students apart from handling administrative works of my department as its Director and Head.
We need to have it in us not to reduce our lives to being a drab and settled affair. When kids were young, they were my foremost priority but I would still extricate myself that much time to pursue my interests, be it trying new recipes in the kitchen or designing my own clothes or learning Kathak. COVID induced lockdown came at just the most opportune time in my life- my kids were going out finally to chart their own careers and I was discovering my talent as a watercolour’s artist.
It took almost a year for me to recognise that doing brushstrokes in my paint studio with water colours was my passion and it gave me an altogether different kind of joy and a sense of fulfilment. Frankly, I did not have to resort to any radical steps to make space for my artistic passion to paint despite a packed working day as a medical professional. Possibly, the connect within was so natural that it became more or less a seamless transition. The key is, therefore, to strive to make the connect with your passion as natural as possible.
Passion alone cannot take us too far in life if it is not backed by disciplined effort on a consistent basis. I just followed a certain discipline in my daily routine to ensure that I could juggle my passion as a watercolour’s artist and my life as a practising doctor. Creativity is at its peak and even energy levels are much higher in morning time. Morning retreats with watercolours have become such an intrinsic part of my daily routine. A perfect way to spruce up the mood for the rest of the day. Creative engagement imparts that magical dose of happiness!!
I began to find over an hour of quality time, likewise, in the evenings to spend in my paint studio. This evening hour or so spent in the company of colours turned out to be a beautiful catharsis of sorts for me. Hospital hours were usually spent with tumour patients and there was a sense of despair inherent in that. My soul searched for a refreshing outlet on reaching home and my journey as a watercolours artist just provided me the much-needed ventilation. Each time I apply colours to my compositions in the evenings, it’s meditative bliss!! It is all so liberating and
by the time I retire to bed, my mind space is all rejuvenated and spiritually uplifted. Key lesson is to begin the day on a creative note in the peaceful bliss of early morning and conclude it, likewise, doing something creative so as to go to sleep with soul watered.
Nelson Mandela once said- there is no point in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living: there is no passion in playing small. It is such a profound thought!! And this should be the philosophy to inspire us to chase our passion in our lives despite being busy professionals. Art is a reflection of one’s inner world and when we engage our self beyond our office hours to create something interesting, we end up amplifying our lives and making it that much bigger and injecting purpose in it.
In my journey as a watercolours artist for little over four years, I have successfully done four exhibitions in Jaipur and one in India Habitat Centre, New Delhi and there is already so much curiosity about my forthcoming solo exhibition at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi (August 2-5) where I am going to put up 35-40 of my latest artworks on display.
It is all about priorities in life. If we wish to do creative activities as an integral part of our lives and believe in them passionately, then, we need to back it all with focus and conviction. We should develop a healthy habit of converting our 'shoulds' into 'shall' and 'will'.
Let me conclude by quoting from my favorite painter Van Gough- I will rather die of passion than of boredom!! This should inspire us to lead a proactive life where we create those perfect moments for ourselves to pursue our passion and unlock our creative talent.
