"Love What You Do and Stay Interested in It"

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1. Tell us more about your background and journey.

As a kid I loved Colouring and all things DIY long before it became cool! I loved exploring different mediums and art forms but never took a professional training in arts. As I grew up, I lost touch with my creative side slightly, as the academic burden took over.

It is after completing my graduation in Economics, and multiple failed attempts at clearing the conventional government job exams, including UPSC, that I decided to explore Calligraphy and Lettering in 2015. In 2016 I started my Instagram account @delhidoodler08 with the intention of exploring these art forms further and sharing my practice artwork. But as luck would have it, one thing led to another, and my art won many hearts on the gram.

I started receiving requests to take up commissioned work and started teaching workshops. I'm elated to tell you that my repertoire now consists of clients like Gucci, Jimmy Choo, Google India, Louis Vuitton, Tiffany and Co, Frooti, Reliance Trends, among many others :) I continue to enjoy and explore Calligraphy, Lettering, mandalas and Doodling, and am sure I'll keep doing that throughout my life :)

2. When did you decide you wanted to be a calligrapher/illustrator?

Well I started learning Calligraphy and Lettering in 2015, by looking at other artists online and being inspired by their work. A year later in 2016 I started my art account as @delhidoodler08. But I'd say it's only in 2018 that I decided that I'm not going back to preparing for UPSC or pursuing a career in anything other than arts. Once I became confident in what I do, there was no looking back.

3. Do you think it is a financially stable career?

As most freelance and unconventional careers, it's not a 100% financially stable career choice. How much you earn depends on how unique your art form is, and how many streams of revenue you are able to generate for yourself. Aside from taking commissioned work, I also teach workshops, sell my merchandise on my website and collaborate with brands for marketing on Instagram.

I do what I do first and foremost because I love it. And I think that's the most important thing to do before you commit to a career- fall in love with it and then decide how you want to take your passion and make it your profession.

4. Who is your favorite calligrapher/illustrator and why?

There are a lot of people whose work I love! Among Calligraphers and lettering artists, I really enjoy watching Seb Lester's lettering videos, Jessica Hische, Mary Kate Mcdevitt, Gemma O'Brien. Among illustrators and doodling artists, I really like Timothy Goodman, Maria from Hate copy, and Alicia Souza. I love the fact that they all have their own individual style and have garnered repute in their field for their authenticity and have worked hard to get where they are.

5. Where do you get inspired from to create art?

I take inspiration from multiple sources - conversations, nature, my surroundings, movies and pretty much anything and everything else! As a Calligrapher and lettering artist, I play around with words and letters and try to lend them a character through the way I write :)

6. What does your typical day look like?

I typically wake up by 8 and get started by making a quick To-Do list for the day. My first order of business is planning the day ahead and dividing the time between client works, making art for myself and posting work and Interacting with people through Instagram. A recent addition to this list is the management of my website and online shop. I get done by 8 pm on most days, unless there's a deadline looming on my head. I wind down with some music, Typically Coke Studio or Old Bollywood songs :)

7. What piece of advice would you like to give to future aspiring illustrators?

I'm slightly young in the field to give advice yet, however, the most important thing I've learnt is to love what you do, and stay interested in that. If that entails trying different art forms / mediums/ tools, then do that. Also, if you're thinking of becoming a freelancer, make sure you're self-disciplined to some extent. It's easier to get distracted by social media and so many other things, but a little bit of discipline goes a long way in ensuring a fulfilling career.

8. Which is your favorite book and why?

Truthfully, I read less and listen more. I think I'm able to retain information better that way. So I love listening to podcasts, watching interviews. However, there are a few books that I love, mostly poetry - The Sun and her flowers by Rupi Kaur. I specially love the poem that she's written for her mom. I like how simple and heartfelt her poems are.

Another favorite is Tarkash by Mr. Javed Akhtar; it's a beautiful collection of his poems and his favorite shers and shayari. And lastly, I loved reading 'Truth, Love and a little Malice’, the autobiography of Khushwant Singh. I grew up being heavily inspired by journalists, and his Sunday column in Hindustan Times, called 'with malice towards one and all' was my favorite. I loved his brutal honesty and sense of humour.

- Sadhika Gupta

Interview by Kriti Garg