I had been using my voices sporadically for nearly two decades except for an occasional desire to do so, not because I had creator’s block but because I was too busy working. Prior to that, I used to write, sketching and entertain my family and friends with storytelling, organizing skits or bringing something light-hearted on busy days. I most especially enjoyed regaling tales to my younger sisters and cousins because I found great pleasure in their excitement or reactions. After a series of ups and downs, setbacks and transformative curves, I learned who I was becoming and how choosing that person whould come at a high cost. At the end of 2017, something in me learned how to die and from 2018, I started slipping into the person I authentically was and I couldn’t stop writing, painting or creating. In January 2018, I had written five pieces that were so different in nature, it really surprised me. I hadn’t yet realized I was a poet nor did I take any of writings or art seriously as I myself had no confidence in my work during this time. I remember sending them to my best friend, Shruti to read. She had already created her poetry account @poetscapes in August (which was completely different from her photography account @shrutiscapes) as an Instagram poet at this time. A month later, she finally succeeded in getting me to join at the beginning of September that same year in 2018. After that, the rest—as most of my instafamily know—became the foundation for the history in which I stepped into the truth of who I actually was.

 

Even though I was ready to showcase my work, I still had to go through the process of letting go of a lot of habits, debris and patterns I had grown used to living with. Looking back, I can see that my parents, sisters—Michelle and Talitha, my best girl friends—Shruti and Mrinalini were the most significant catalysts that my beloved Weaver sent to create within me a sense of nostalgia, lessons, adventure, travel, memory, hope and bravery. By stepping into the ocean of faith where the unknown has always awaited me on the other side, I was ready to embrace my destiny and my family was there to shine a light into my past, Mrinalini was there to remind me of what I wanted to be as a little girl and Shruti was there to help me transition into that journey. There are so many others, including my added brother—Dilip, extended family, cousins, very dear friends in school, university as well as work colleagues and the ones that Adversity sent to hurt, mold and break my heart into so many pieces all so I could grow into a better version.

 

I am very grateful for all of this—the dreams, the messy scars and the people in my story. It is why I wanted to highlight their existence by appreciating them for being the main points in my chapters because I needed them on my best and worst days to ignite the flaming fire of the rising Phoenix. Because they contributed to my creative evolution, they will be the ones I will always remember because they put me on the path that led to the ones who found my posts, read my stories and made me visible to the world.