Episode 9: Gayatri, Artist
Gayatri is a mixed-media painter. She’s originally from India and now lives in Burnaby in Canada where she creates vibrant paintings that are inspired by nature and animals and birds. She comes from a family of artists and she found her deepest connection to art after losing her dad in 2020.
She says that he was her greatest teacher and inspiration. Since then art has become her way of processing everything in life, whether that’s joy or sadness or needing to let go. During our conversation she shares her belief of the importance of discipline for artists and her unique approach to overcoming creative blocks through cleaning and clearing space and wisdom that she’s gained about staying true to your own creative vision rather than chasing what sells.
Connect with Gayatri
* Website
Interview transcript
MD: let’s start by you just introducing yourself, your name, where you come from and what your creative discipline is.
Gayatri: I’m Gayatri and I’m originally from India but I’m based in Burnaby, Canada right now.
MD: What do you do creatively, like what is the thing that you’re most drawn to you and what are the other things that you do creatively?
Gayatri: So I mostly paint and I like to paint in mixed media. I use a lot of different materials in my process. I like to explore different art materials, so I try to bring in a lot of different variety of materials and I explore them if I find something new.
MD: So you like different kind of paints and pencils and pens. Tell us a little bit about your creative process.
Gayatri: Okay, so it really depends on how I start my painting. So sometimes it’s from an idea. If I’m traveling or if I see a bird, I paint a lot of animals and birds and so I sometimes get inspirations from the nature.
But it also depends on, sometimes it’s just what I see and I want to try it out. So that’s it. So I start with an idea, maybe sometimes I sketch, sometimes I don’t.
I start with the background, just play around with colours. And then I try to bring in the elements that I see from that background.
MD: What or who inspires your creativity?
Gayatri: Okay, that’s a difficult one. Because I’ve always been in art. My parents, both parents artists. And my biggest inspiration I would say is them. And my dad was, and is, me, my mom and my sister. He’s an inspiration for all three of us.
So that art comes from him so much. We’ve learned so much from him. So he’s like our teacher from the start for art and I think he’s my biggest inspiration. I’ve learned a lot from him. And whenever I create, I feel as if I’m connecting to him somehow.
MD: Is he still around?
Gayatri: No, we lost him in 2020. So I think from that time, I mean I was involved from the beginning and he used to tell me like, Gayatri you should sketch every day and stuff like that and I didn’t listen to him. But from 2020 is when I started connecting to art more, like really more. So it’s something I go to for everything. Whether it is for a good thing, like when I’m happy, when I’m sad, when I need something to let go of or anything. And that’s art for me.
MD: Yeah, so it sounds like your art becomes a way of you processing life.
Gayatri: Yes.
MD: Tell me about your creative routine. Do you have a routine that you follow?
Gayatri: I do. I really believe that an artist needs discipline. Because if you want to create and if you want it to work, you should have some discipline. So for me, it is getting things out of the way first.
Something like when I’m at home, I have the routine of cooking, I have to go out, do some stuff. I try to do that as soon as possible. And then once that’s done, when all the chores and stuff are done, I know I have a good time to now just create.
MD: I’m just curious, thinking about that, do you experience times of creative blocks where you don’t know what you’re doing at the moment?
Gayatri: Yes.
MD: And how do you deal with that?
Gayatri: My biggest go-to when I cannot really think of is cleaning. Cleaning my art space, like putting everything away, putting the canvases back on its places, cleaning up colours, palettes, everything. And when I have a clean, clear space, I somehow feel that my brain gets that space too.
MD: Because it’s all clear, the canvas is clear. It’s so interesting because I have a similar thing. If I’m feeling blocked, I have to do a big cleanup.
And in doing that, I think it does create space.
Gayatri: Yes, it does. And it creates that physical space but also that mental space.
MD: Exactly. If you were to have a conversation with someone who is just at the start of their creative journey, whatever creativity that is, what piece of wisdom would you want to give them?
Gayatri: I just would say don’t give up. Believe in yourself and just keep doing what you really want to do. Not just because that is what is going to sell or that is what is going to be good for others. Do what you really feel like doing because that is going to connect to others.
MD: What a beautiful piece of wisdom. Thank you so much.
Gayatri: Thank you.
MD: I’m loving these. These are obviously inspired from Troyes.
Gayatri: Yes, these are from Troyes. And this is my studio which I’m taking with me.
MD: Oh, it is. It’s here.
Gayatri: Yes, this is my studio and this is yours. So we’re in there.
MD: I love that. So you’re going to take that one home?
Gayatri: Yes, I’m going to take this one home.
MD: And I can see Troyes in there.
Gayatri: It’s still a work in progress
MD: Yes, it’s got the little shapes of the building and the curved road and all the ruelles, the tiny pathways.
Gayatri: Thank you.
Liked this episode?
Like, comment, follow, share & subscribe
