When you reach a certain age everyone starts expecting certain things from you. Society starts expecting you to behave in a certain way. It’s like they forget that you too are a human with your own wishes and fancies. Your age which opened doors for you as you transitioned from a child to an adult becomes your biggest barrier when you go beyond adulthood and enter old age. Even though your body feels fine and your mind is ready to climb the next Everest society tells you that it’s not right and you should take a break. Defying all these silly expectations that society has set for people who are old, Neeru Saini trailblazes her way through it all. And we know it as she shared the same with us in our interview.

Neeru Saini: Early Life

Born in Batala, Punjab, Neeru Saini was a bright young girl. At an early age, she showed tremendous interest in sports and even became a national-level sportsperson as a child. But at the young age of 20, she was married off. And as married life entered the mix, her passion for sports, dance, and fitness took a back seat. She completely devoted herself to raising her family.

For many years after the marriage life was stable and calm with the usual chaos from children. But soon the storm came that uprooted Neeru Saini’s life from the ground. At age 28, her husband was diagnosed with blood cancer. And in four years they had drained up all the family savings but sadly her husband lost the battle to cancer. A housewife with no money in her early thirties and two daughters to take care of life seemed like an endless dark tunnel. Many people may have given up but Neeru Saini didn’t even think about giving up. She believed that there was still more to life and it was not the end for her or her children.

Neeru Saini: Building A Life Again

After the unfateful incident that resulted in the death of her husband, Neeru Saini picked herself up and restarted her life. She began by providing tuition to school kids and studying simultaneously to help her gain a better job. Soon she started working as a full-time teacher in a private school and later in a government school. Through it all she ensured that she never lost faith in herself and ensured that her kids got all that they needed. She even urged her daughters to find their own future even though it may take them far from her. She ensured that her daughters were independent and could blaze through life like she did. Even to this day, she looks back to those times in her life when she started her life from scratch after her husband’s death as the time that really moulded her into the resilient person that she is today.

But even after building herself up, things changed in such a way that she couldn’t help but fall apart once again. She loved others around her so much that when she was left by herself she just couldn’t understand what to do. That’s when she had to find herself. She even considered going for a second marriage but her uncle became her voice of reason and told her to focus on herself if she wanted to get out of her depression and not another person. He suggested her to try meditation and she joined a meditation camp, where she realised that there was so much she could do by herself. 

Gradually she re-connected to her first love, sports and soon dancing followed. And little by little she found bits and pieces of herself that she had lost over the years. Neeru Saini learnt to love herself all over again.

Neeru Saini: Social Media Journey

Soon enough she asked an ex-student of hers, a yoga and dance instructor, to teach her the same. And while dancing her heart out and perfecting her yoga postures she asked her student to record the same and one day with her permission he posted the same on social media, and she realised that she felt good doing it. And that’s how her social media journey began.

As a way to empower women in her area, she formed many a WhatsApp group for different activities, from running to biking to dancing. Initially, she posted her dance videos in the groups to encourage her fellow female friends to express themselves and not hold back. When she started posting on social media like Instagram, and YouTube her goal remained the same, to help other women in India realise that it’s never too late to do what you love.

Rather than following any trendy diet, Neeru Saini focuses on eating clean and organic food and exercising regularly to stay fit. As and when some of her videos started becoming viral, haters followed suit. Initially, it did bother her as many commented on how she should act according to her age and not post such dancing videos on social media. But while meditating she realised if she was actually doing something wrong she shouldn’t feel happy about it or do it at all, there was no point in doing it but not posting it on social media. Hence, she realised that she was not on the wrong side of things.

But being a teacher by profession she couldn’t just tell the haters to shut up, she decided to explain to them her side of the story and as predicted many did understand and sympathised with her and even apologised for their comments. To this day she believes in focusing on herself rather than thinking too much about what others think, keeping her faith in “kill ‘em with kindness” Neeru Saini turns a hater into a follower with her patience and grace. With her goal of influencing more older Indians to be fit and put it out on social media, she hopes to increase the number of older female Indian fitness influencers.

A Message for Young Dreamers

As someone who has been on social media for a long time now, she realises that you need to have a thick skin to truly feel happy about what you put out. She urges the younger generation to think thoroughly about what part of their life they are comfortable showcasing. As that part may be put through a lot of scrutiny and may receive negative backlash. She suggests that they apologise if they are in the wrong but she also suggests that they stand their ground if they know they didn’t do anything wrong. At the end of the day, she suggests to just enjoy their time on social media and be themselves.

Isn’t it always hard to find a balance between what you love and what you have to do for money in the long run? But what if all the stars align and you get to do exactly what you love and earn money out of it too? In the age of social media, everything has become possible. And the story of Khushboo Khanna and Yashraaj Singh and their page @eatthisdelhi proves just that. As Yashraaj Singh was a little under the weather the day of the interview we managed to have a one-on-one chat with Khushboo Khanna instead, let’s explore their story.

@eatthisdelhi: How It All Began? 

Growing up in Prayagraj and then doing a masters in Noida to working as a software analyst channel developer for 2-3 years, Khushboo Khanna never thought that social media would become such an integral part of her life. She initially started the page @eatthisdelhi with her partner Yashraaj Singh as a passion project as they both love to explore the world of food. As devoted foodies, it came rather naturally for them to share their love for food with their audience and help them explore the hidden gems in Delhi.

Initially, they just put forth their love for food without thinking or even knowing anything about influencer marketing or the job profile of an influencer. It all started when they got invited to a small cafe to try out their food. And upon further research, they discovered the limitless opportunities of influencer marketing. They started their page in 2019, but with COVID-19 bringing the world to a standstill it pushed Khushboo Khanna and Yashraaj Singh into the kitchen to inspire people to cook and do more from what they have. They may not be able to travel and explore the hidden gems but they can surely create some gems right at home. 

@eatthisdelhi: Creative Process

Khushboo Khanna describes that whenever they review a place they focus on three things, food, ambience, and service. According to her dining out is an experience in itself. Sure, the food matters, but it’s the ambience and service that just lifts the whole thing to another level. @eatthisdelhi prioritises honesty and transparency with their audience over anything. So according to Khushboo Khanna, she and Yashraaj Singh ensure that to pursue fame they don’t compromise with quality as according to them it would be like cheating your followers, something they are very against. Hence, if they don’t find anything of value at a particular restaurant they avoid recommending the same on their page. 

Travelling is a new aspect of their page which they are still exploring. But after the constant travel during the year 2023, they got quite a hang of things and figured out a way in which they can enjoy and create content at the same time. According to Khushboo Khanna what drives her zeal for her page @eatthisdelhi is the thirst to experience more such wonderful things that she has experienced till now at different places. 

@eatthisdelhi: How It’s Going?

According to Khushboo Khanna, Yashraaj Singh plays an integral role in the day-to-day activities of @eatthisdelhi. It is his creative ingenuity that allows the page to come up with such innovative content that captivates any user in seconds. Whenever they received bad criticism according to Khushboo Khanna it was Yashraaj Singh who would calm her down and remind her that “haters gonna hate, hate, hate, but you just gotta shake, shake, shake, shake it off” (just like Taylor Swift did). He would also come up with witty comments that would silence any hater in seconds according to her. 

Initially, the struggle with keeping up with the ever-changing algorithm and figuring out what the audience likes and doesn’t was a challenge but with time as @eatthisdelhi grew both Khushboo Khanna and Yashraaj Singh got a hang of it. Khusboo Khanna talked to us about the tale of the “rasgulla making video”. She described how initially it didn’t receive any views or engagement because of the change in social media algorithm. But when she deleted and reposted the same video at a later point in time it boosted her page to another level. 

The breakthrough moment for @eatthisdelhi happened when they got to make a video with chef Ajay Chopra for the channel Zee Zest with Prill India. Their particular video cemented their position in the social media food network. Currently, Khushboo Khanna is balancing her work as a freelance interior designer along with her page @eatthisdelhi with her partner Yashraaj Singh. As a recovering workaholic, she is proud to announce that she has finally found the zen balance between her personal and professional life.

Afterword: A Message For Young Artists

Starting on social media, Khusboo Khanna had to figure out everything by herself with only her partner Yashraaj Singh to help her out now and then. Hence she prioritises constantly working on herself to come up with original content ideas. According to her, it’s important to be true to yourself and be patient as you can only sustain in this industry if you are genuinely enjoying the work that you are putting out and are not doing it only for money. 

She also emphasised helping your food community grow along with you. Khusboo Khaana feels blessed to be a part of this industry that allows her not only to explore and share her passion for food but also ensures that other small business owners and street vendors also grow with her and get the recognition that they deserve. She also encourages inculcating the same values in upcoming food, travel and lifestyle content creators.

It takes courage to leave the comforts of a high-paying job (comfort only comes from the security of the monthly salary; otherwise, corporate jobs are far from comfort) and take up art as your full-time profession, beginning from scratch. Vani Vardannagri, the perfect A+ grade student and the most valuable employee said goodbye to her corporate job at an IT firm and relied on her savings to begin her new venture in painting.

In this conversation, Vani Vardannagri shares about this transition, from corporate to colours, Pichwai art, life and the tidbits of courage we all need. “There will always be doubts and challenges,” she says, “but nothing is more rewarding than doing what you love.”

Introducing Vani Vardannagri: Early Life, Academic Journey and Love for Art

Born and raised in Hyderabad, Vani Vardannagri always topped all her classes and papers. Growing up, all she knew was excelling in one’s academics. ‘Extra-curriculars’ was out of her dictionary. She mentions that even the school she graduated from didn’t even have extra-curricular subjects. She graduated with a BTech degree and was soon employed in an IT firm. As an employee, Vaani excelled in all her tasks, which led her to lead projects very quickly. All through this while, as a student, and later as a working adult, Vaani always loved sketching and painting. In her free time, she’d get her paper, colours and paint away. On weekends, she would surf through YouTube tutorials and try on new abstract paintings, sketches and drawings which used to come out beautifully well.

The Transition From Corporate to Full-Time Art

Vani’s friend, who was well-versed in her paintings, suggested she start an Instagram page and post her paintings. The same friend then suggested she start taking online orders through her page. Vani began taking orders and would work on them on weekends. Her paintings were received well online. During this time, Vani realised she couldn’t see herself caught up in the routine mundanity of corporate life.

We all know that being an artist in India comes with a lot of risk. ‘Art’ or ‘Artist’ doesn’t qualify for a career in the eyes of many. They dismiss it as a mere hobby. Of course, the decision to leave the job didn’t come easily. She attended workshops, listened to other artists’ journeys and eventually realized that she needed to pursue something more fulfilling. While not entirely supportive, her parents gave her the freedom to choose her path, leaving the ball in her court.

It took nearly a year of living off her savings before she began earning from her art. It wasn’t after 1.5 years that her Instagram page crossed 1,000 followers. But through it all, Vani’s determination kept her going.

The financial instability that came with leaving her job led to immense stress. Vani fell into bouts of overthinking and anxiety, wondering whether she had made the wrong decision. The stress took a heavy physical toll on her. Her doctor diagnosed her with gastritis and she had to take a break from work for a month to recover.

During this time, Vani turned to regular gym and strength training, which helped her reset both mentally and physically. The workouts brought clarity and balance, and when she returned to art, her focus improved. Soon after this one of her first reels went viral, boosting her online presence.

Pichwai Art: What Form of Art is it and How Did She Get Into This?

While exploring different artists and art on Instagram, Vani came across an artist doing Pichwai painting. She was intrigued by its minute details and intricate designs. Even though she didn’t know anything about the style, she decided to try her hand at it and came to like it a lot. Pichwai art, which originated in Rajasthan, is known for its depictions of different kinds of lotuses and its distinctive leaf shapes, often used in muted tones to reflect classical Indian aesthetics. However, Vani added her twist by incorporating bold colors and contemporary touches. Through this, she found her niche, using Pichwai as a medium to represent her culture while making it uniquely her own. Apart from Pichwai art, Vani does a lot of abstract art. That is her second favourite niche of hers.

Vani Vardannagri on her Creative Processes, Creative Blocks, and Social Media

Vani’s creative process is deeply personal and, in many ways, methodical. She describes it as almost obsessive, with each painting needing to be visualized perfectly in her mind before translating it into a sketch. Unlike many artists who do rough sketches, Vaani skips this step, sticking strictly to her own rules to achieve the level of precision she seeks. This meticulous approach, while rewarding, can sometimes feel overwhelming, as the pressure to get things “just right” is always present.

Social media, particularly Instagram, is a double-edged sword. While it helps her share her work and connect with a broader audience, it has also led to moments of doubt and creative blocks. The constant comparison with other artists and overthinking about her progress often leaves Vaani feeling stuck. To overcome this, Vaani has had to remind herself to focus on her own journey rather than comparing it to others.

Vani Vardannagri’s Message for All Aspiring Artists

For Vani, the journey from corporate life to full-time artist has been anything but easy, but it’s one she’s passionate about. She emphasizes the importance of creating a clear boundary between work and personal life, especially when working from home—something she struggled with early on. Having a dedicated space for your art, even if it’s small, can make a huge difference.

Vani Vardannagri’s advice to aspiring artists is to treat art as a business. In the beginning, there are sacrifices, like the absence of a safety net or fixed monthly income. The hustle is 24/7, and there are no weekends, but she believes once you’re settled, it gets easier. “People will have opinions about your work, but it doesn’t have to matter. Focus on your journey, don’t compare, and be grateful for what you have while striving for more.”

Art, in its purest form, is a reflection of life—capturing moments, emotions, and the essence of existence through colors, shapes, and textures. For those who choose to dedicate themselves to this craft, it becomes more than just a profession; it’s a way of seeing the world, of making sense of its complexities. Shashank Shukla is one such artist who has given himself completely to his art. Widely known as a watercolour artist and excelling in detailed figurative sketches, Shukla’s work is thoughtful, beautiful, and careful with each brushstroke. Like all of ours, his journey was marked with ups and downs, passion and perseverance, and most importantly, self-discovery. In this delightful conversation with him, we’ve unpacked everything that comes with following an unconventional career path like art.

Early Life: How Did Art Find Him?

Born and raised in Kanpur, Shashank Shukla completed his high school and intermediate studies by 2009 followed by admission to B.Sc. Shashank tried his hand at banking exams as well—reminding us of how there existed only this or that routes when it came to higher studies. Not that this ‘norm’ has completely vanished, it still penetrates our society. Having failed twice during the first year of his undergraduate studies, Shashank was upset and demotivated beyond words. Still grateful for his parents and brother’s unwavering support, Shashank tells us how his brother encouraged him to pursue what truly made him happy; And that happened to be art. In a fortunate turn of events, Kanpur University introduced a Bachelor of Fine Arts program the same year Shashank decided to switch his major.
“Sometimes, when a good thing awaits you, there are bound to be difficulties you will face before. It’s upon you to face that with a positive mindset or a negative mindset,” Shashank reflects.

Shashank Shukla: “Everyone draws. As kids, all of us have. The society doesn’t take it seriously.”

Entering the inaugural batch of the Fine Arts program at Kanpur University in 2011, Shashank faced skepticism from a society that often trivializes artistic pursuits. “Everyone draws. As kids, all of us have. The society doesn’t take it seriously. ‘Drawing me kya hoga?’—we leave it because we don’t know how we can take it forward,” Shashank Shukla shares. However, with his family’s support, he navigated the course with determination, even securing a gold medal in his final year. This is the reason why Shashank believes that there should be efforts by private and public institutions to hold seminars on Art and the contemporary integration of this field in so many others fields like social sciences, film and cinema, technology, sciences, etc., so that all aspiring students can know how they can take their skills to the next sphere of life starting their higher studies.

Shashank’s journey was not without its challenges. His first year was a humbling experience, realising he was very much an amateur in drawing and painting, but with his dedicated mindset, Shashank kept on taking the steps of the ladder boldly. He opted for applied arts in his later year, and got training in watercolour painting, sketching, as well as sculpture, along with digital art.

Overcoming Societal Barriers and Personal Growth

The societal disregard for art and the pressure to secure a job weighed heavily on Shashank. The constant glances of his distant relatives would often try to make him question his career choice and the uncertainty of the future. “The society doesn’t support you. ‘Mai kya kar raha hun, yeh log is cheez ko aise kyu dekh rahe?’ I want to change these people—maar na hai toh apne kaam se maaro (respond to everyone who questions you with your work),” he asserts. Over time, as his work gained recognition, even his initially skeptical relatives began to appreciate his talent. This personal validation fueled his resolve to teach his students the value of using art as a medium of expression and change, and as one’s medium of livelihood as well.

This incident also reminds Shashank of how people often ask artists, as friends and relatives, to paint them a portrait or a scenery, free of cost. They see it as a hobby which doesn’t require much skill or efforts. Art, painting, sketching, are all denied of respect and value and that needs to be changed. Artists shouldn’t let their work be devalued or mocked any longer.

The COVID-19 pandemic posed significant challenges, including job loss and financial instability. It was a huge backset for artists who depended upon their physical studios and art exhibitions. Amidst losing his job, (when he almost decided to go back to Kanpur), it also opened new avenues for Shashank. He started teaching students painting through the online mode and has taught over 2,500 students since 2020. This was also when Shashank started posting his work on social media. Today he has more than 80,000 followers admiring his work! Famously regarded as a ‘watercolour artist’, although that is a bit limiting to define this artist from Kanpur! Social media is a game changer for artists who want their art to reach beyond borders.

Final Words of Inspiration and Advice from the Watercolour Artist from Kanpur

For Shashank Shukla, art is not just a profession but a calling. He recommends all aspiring and young artists to go out and connect with nature, and observe their colours. Nature has infinite numbers of contrasts, shades, and hues to offer. As a watercolour artist who specialises in landscape paintings, he shares that regular outdoor and live sketching sessions help one overcome the fear of public scrutiny and brush observational skills.

Shashank’s vision extends beyond personal success. He dreams of creating more opportunities for aspiring artists by establishing art institutes across the nation. He advocates for equal opportunities in art education. Anyone with an interest should have the chance to develop their skills.

For all aspiring artists, Shashank Shukla gives the advice to set a strong intention, commit to your craft with all your heart, and persevere through the challenges. Success will come, whether early or late, but it’s crucial to remember that true achievement isn’t just about personal gain. An artist, Shukla believes, must think beyond themselves—uplifting others is key to progressing in any creative journey. When you work not just for yourself but for the betterment of those around you, that’s when you truly move forward.

In this fast-paced world of commercialisation, it is hard to come across artists who value expression over anything. Artists for whom art is more like a therapy than work. Artists for whom art is happiness in its rawest form. Given the 9-8 work culture we are trapped in at some level it is understandable why someone would hesitate to leave everything behind and focus just on art. But for those who manage to do it, it’s our duty to capture their tale so that we can keep the hope alive in others who are thinking of making a career shift. So, let us introduce you to Payal Bansal, a budding lippan artist for whom art was just an extension of her existence.

Payal Bansal: Initial Journey & Struggles

Payal Bansal started her journey in the art realm at a very young age. And for that she has her big joint family to thank for. According to her, everyone in her family was always involved in some form of creativity or other. Hailing from a small town in Maharashtra Jalgaon, she never anticipated that you could actually do so much with social media in terms of starting a small business and being financially independent. Growing up in a small town there weren’t a lot of opportunities available back in the day when she went to get a college degree. Thus, instead of pursuing a degree in fine arts, she settled for a degree in engineering. But her creative spark never died.

From crochet to embroidery to clay work, Payal Bansal has tried her hands in every possible art form. Initially, it was just a fascination and love for art in general. Her creativity always managed to shine no matter what she was doing. Be it decorating the house for festivals or just making a simple rangoli her creativity always found a way to woo people.

The pandemic of 2020 that brought the entire world to a standstill was no different for Payal Bansal. Just like all of us, she waited at home uncertain about the future, and worrying about her loved ones. And it wasn’t easy given that some of her family members had to be rushed to the hospital. But when all doors close you look for a window and that’s exactly what lippan art was for Payal Bansal. 

During the devastating time of COVID-19, Bansal stumbled upon a piece of lippan art at home. The origins of this art piece are still unknown but somehow it ended up at the right time and the right place for Bansal. Just like the curious cat that she is, she immediately tried different types of mud and tools to figure out how to master this art form. She did her fair bit of research to understand lippan art and took courses to get better at it. During this time she also fell in love with the lippan artwork by Maji Khan. For her, during this terrible time, lippan art was the only source of happiness and therapy that helped her sleep soundly at night and look out for the next day. And gradually from making lippan art for herself and people close to her she got the boost to make it bigger and put it on social media. But it wasn’t until her work got featured in the Sunday Midday that she got her breakthrough moment. And ever since then her popularity has never taken a dip.

Payal Bansal: Lessons Learnt 

Being the first woman entrepreneur in her family and just running a business she never thought in her wildest dreams to start, comes with a lot of challenges. Initially, when she started off, there was a lot of pressure to ensure that the work was dispatched and received in perfect condition, especially for the door torans, which were very delicate. Bansal narrated how it was so difficult to find a way to dispatch for this one customer who really loved her art piece but each time they sent it to her, she always received them broken. But by not giving up and continuing to try different techniques with each failure, Bansal ended up coming up with the ingenious idea of foldable torans that made it possible for her to make huge torans and dispatch them without any issue. 

There was a time in her initial days when Bansal was running the whole creative art show herself. From taking the orders to conceptualising to making the schematics to drawing it on big panels to placing the last mirror, she did everything. But soon she had to undergo two major surgeries that put her in a depressive phase and she just wanted to give up. She even called up her customers whose lippan artwork orders were pending and offered to give them a refund as it would take her longer than expected to make their orders. But not a single customer accepted a penny back as they had a lot of faith in her and even waited patiently until she recovered and was in a better space to do her magic with lippan art. Because of all of this, she values her customers a lot and ensures that constant communication is maintained. According to her, communication is the key to establishing a good rapport with your customers and ensuring both you and they are happy at the end of the day.

Payal Bansal: Creative Process

Whenever Bansal starts on a lippan art piece, she gets so engrossed in it that she doesn’t need to rethink or re-check anything. But just like every other artist out there, it does happen that at times she gets stuck or experiences a creative block. Her go-to strategy involves trying again and again until she cracks it. Out of all her art pieces the one that is close to her heart is her first art piece for a wall that she made for her customer Yamini Sood.

A strong believer in giving back to society she also trains many young girls from low-income families to help them improve their skill set and earn more. They also help her out on her projects. By doing this, she not only ensures that many women of tomorrow have certain skills but also skills they can market and earn out of. Though she loves to teach she doesn’t host any online workshops as she is a strong believer in working with traditional mud and not the moldable clay you may find online. This just highlights her respect and love for the traditional lippan art form. 

Afterword

As an artist, Payal Bansal has faced a fair share of dealing with people who copy her artwork but she never let it get to her. Focusing on just herself she tries to improve in every way she can. A small message that she has for young artists: “Put your heart and soul into what you’re doing, and then only you can truly create art that you love. Getting inspiration from others is fine but you need to find your own style to truly shine.”