Artistic creativity can, at times, be a fragile thing. Powerful, but fragile. It needs to be protected and consistently tended to, nurtured and made to grow. However, often, when faced with other pressing demands that come with life, we tend to let go of something that we may be passionate about. Arunima Wali, fortunately, does not count herself among those people. A singer-songwriter, she has, in fact, made certain that she held onto her passion for music from her childhood days, spent in the dry summers of Faridabad, up until now, where she juggles being a financial consultant while following her dream of composing music and singing. It is a delicate balance that she has struck, one that has been carefully curated and earned with sheer determination and hard work.
Wali was enrolled in music classes at the age of 7, with her parents wanting her to further develop her voice. Trained in Hindustani Vocals, she had not anticipated that she would grow to fall in love with music and actually want to pursue it in a tangible manner. In fact, till date, she still finds it difficult to pursue it as a full fledged career. For her, finishing her education was a priority. However, that did not mean that she let her love for music stay latent. No. She went on to actively participate, through her school and college days, in music societies and bands. She is, even, a member of her office band now. Music, for Wali, has always been a constant companion, one that she has seen grow with every step she has taken.
Wali, herself, admits that it is interesting that something so incidental could happen to be such a large part of her life now. However, underneath the surprise, there are years of work and effort.
“I never thought that I would be sitting and giving an interview about the importance of music in my life.”
Arunima Wali
While she has covered numerous other songs and artists, Wali conceived her debut single, ‘Can’t Breathe’, in the middle of 2020, when the world around us was shuttered inside. The track came from her own personal experiences, as well as her friends’. Initially, the track, according to Wali, was completely raw, a string of words she had stitched together. When she finally decided that this was going to be her debut single, she spent months polishing it and bringing it together.
‘Can’t Breathe’ deals with the closure we seek when piecing ourselves together from a past relationship. Wali asserts that her original music are all derivatives of her own experiences, personal stories that are told in a manner that make them universally relatable.
It hasn’t always been an easy path to tread for Wali. Nurturing her love for music for years and attempting to make something tangible out of her talent and passion has come with its own set of challenges. Not shying away from talking about the anxiety and depression she faced earlier. Wali still believes in her own ability to work through things. In fact, she draws from her past setbacks and challenges in order to better herself.
“I think the only motivation I have is my belief. When you put in a lot of hard work into something with faith, it will turn out in your favor.”
Arunima Wali
It is this same attitude that she preaches to others pursuing their dreams. Mere talent or skill is not enough to build something worthwhile. That talent, that passion needs to be protected and made to grow with consistent work and effort. And that same effort should, then, be bolstered by belief in one’s self.
It is quite a distance that Wali has walked, a path that she chose herself and stuck with, growing and learning from those around her. Perhaps, it’s just solid determination and drive to do more with everything that she has. Whatever the case may be, it is more than enough to take from.
