"I cannot cut down plastic bottles, put chemical paints on them, and tag it as a ‘Sustainable DIY’—because that’s just the opposite."
Q. What inspired you to embark on your journey as a DIY artist, and how has your background influenced your creative endeavours?
I started my journey as a content creator during lockdown where I’d make videos on everything related to Home & Garden - DIYs, Decor, Gardening with a common string of Sustainability binding them all.
In a way this was an experiment to introduce a new content genre on social media where people learn about small things they could do themselves and make this planet a better place - be it through upcycling creative DIY videos or educating people how to grow their own food organically at home.
So, becoming a DIY artist or living this life was never really a full-time plan for me. I studied engineering, was that prodigious child who’d excel at academics and was only expected to land a well settled corporate job.
But I also had that creative lure in me embedded right from my school days, would win laurels in all extra curricular be it debates, art & craft, quizzing etc. All, this Abhinav needed, was a little push of courage, self-belief and moral support. And as they say, what’s destined is meant to happen and life changes its course only for good thereafter.
Q. As an advocate for sustainability, how do you incorporate eco-friendly practices into your home décor projects, and what challenges have you faced in promoting sustainable living?
I started this whole endeavour with the vision of sustainability. All my DIY projects primarily have the template of turning discarded junk into functional aesthetic home decor because I’ve always believed in one thing - shop less, reuse more.
And there’s heavy thoughts invested on the longevity and durability aspects of my projects because I am not creating this content merely for views and virality, the planet’s future is the first concern. I cannot cut down plastic bottles, put chemical paints on them and tag it as a “Sustainable DIY”, it indeed is just the opposite. The micro plastics generated during the process, paints, embellishments - all these reach landfills and such plastics cannot be sent for recycling again.
So instead of cutting down waste, we are doing things even worse. That’s why every DIY project I take, I ensure the process is as sustainable and eco-friendly as possible. Today you have sustainable options available in all spheres - opt natural paints, choose materials like terracotta & bamboo, restore as much as possible and cut down on waste. And I feel the biggest challenge in promoting sustainability is, “Walking the talk”.
There are people all over the internet, who would give you lectures and gyaan but real actions on their part is nowhere. I am somebody who doesn’t scream SUSTAINABILITY at all in my posts but if you go through them, they all have an underlying notion of up cycling, restoration, reuse - all culminating into sustainable living. So it's always good to let your work do the talking instead of you.
Q. Can you share the vision and mission behind @createyourtaste.store, and how it aligns with your personal brand and values?
The idea of my small business was conceived when I wanted to bridge the gap between the talented local artisans of my city Varanasi and their potential online buyers.
There are many art forms in India which are dying a slow death (moonj basketry, crochet, pottery, bamboo weaving are few to name) due to the advent of plastic alternatives and lesser demand now.
Through @createyourtaste.store, it was a small attempt to protect, revive and employ these artisans and let their legacy continue in different mediums - all natural, organic & sustainable (Bamboo, Jute, Cotton, Clay & more). So far, we've onboarded more than 50 artisans, mastered handmade 50+ SKUs in the Home & Garden category and dispatched over 15000 orders pan India.
The overall motto was always - From Kaarigar to Homes and I feel blessed to have built a community which supports this vision - both as a content creator and as a business owner.
Q. With a significant following on Instagram, how do you ensure your content remains authentic and resonates with your audience, and what strategies have you found most effective in building this community?
When we start looking at content creation as a mode to inspire others, rather than influencing, I think that’s 50% of the job done when it comes to authenticity and resonating with the community that you’ve built.
Organic views and statistics on your content do let you know that your work is resonating with people and likewise a drop in engagement is always the first red flag. But for me, the pivotal reason to create content every day - are those comments, those DMs where people tell me, they loved the DIY I created and few days later follow up with pictures of the same artwork recreated by them or people writing in messages how they felt encouraged to bring home few plants and now its turned into a mini jungle.
This is where my real motivation stems from and you gradually understand the powerful responsibilities that come along with the perks in this business. The idea is always to balance out, keep the audience interaction window open, get the community involved as much as possible and always curate a content piece where they get to either learn something new or get entertained.
Q. How do you manage the balance between your creative projects and the business aspects of your work, especially in the context of running an online store?
There is definitely a hustle when you have to cater two jobs simultaneously, not gonna lie here. But you see that’s what keeps me going. Every day is a new day, today I may be working on a DIY project and tomorrow I can be meeting my artisans and developing a new product with them altogether.
The fact that I don’t allow monotony to kick in and there’s something always on the platter to experiment, explore and learn is my constant flow of enthusiasm. Having said that, there are also days when I do nothing and just spend quality time with friends and family.
Fortunately now, after juggling these things for about 3-4 years, I have built a team and a community which allows me to take these leverages as things are slowly onto auto-pilot mode in terms of business and that security I have with my audience ki apne log hai, samajh jaenge, if I wanna take a break.
Q. What upcoming projects or collaborations are you most excited about, and how do you envision the evolution of your brand in the next few years?
The content genre that I operate in - Home Decor, Gardening & Sustainability, is relatively a very new genre in the influencer landscape. It’s still in its nascent stage and I wanna take this community ahead and be its torchbearer. So there was always that zeal in me to help and support budding artists and creators in this genre. I just didn’t know the means and platform to do it.
Luckily I’ve had the opportunity to work with Meta closely to build a “creator masterclass” and help upcoming creators which I felt was the best way I could have fulfilled that dream.
So, this one particular collaboration, I am most excited about. Apart from that, there are multiple new IPs and DIY projects that I am ideating on, we’ll get down to their executions soon.
Also, the next big evolution step or goal for me in 2025 for my content space is creating long-format content. There’s a big pool of audience, waiting to learn these skills in depth and I am working to start curating in the coming months.
Q. What are your biggest sources of inspiration for your DIY projects, and how do you stay updated with the latest trends in home décor and sustainable living?
I have always felt that learning should never stop. With time, there’s a lot that we as individuals need to learn and unlearn. So I draw my inspirations from anything and everything around. Especially during travels, I always make it a point to explore the local craftsmanship and design of that place and try to bring a piece of it later in my projects.
Even if I am visiting a friend or going to a work meeting, there’s this habit in me to observe and absorb things around in my vicinity. Sometimes, the most difficult creative blocks get out of the way by just looking at things around. And to keep up with trends, I read a lot of online portals, magazines and learn crazy new things from some of the greatest minds we have in this industry.
BIO
Interviewed by Shashank S
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