Hello! I am Anshika Goel, a student currently in class twelve. I am an artist, trained in calligraphy, artificial bouquet making and papercraft 🎨 with many more added skills. While I love what I do, my journey of pursuing art as a profession has been like a roller coaster ride 🎢 with recurring ups and downs.

Learning & Blooming as a Creative Artist! 🧩

As a youngster 👧🏻, I was always more interested in arts & crafts rather than learning the curriculum. And because of the shortage of creative activities, instead of joining my family school, I was enrolled in a school where co-curricular activities were encouraged. My mom also made sure I took several drawing and painting classes, where I picked the skill up quite quickly. I won most of the art competitions held in my school; I thrived!

Another creative outlet I found out was calligraphy 🖌
I struggled with horrible handwriting in class two, and I was sent to a teacher to improve. It was there I saw her mesmerizing skills into using handwriting as a form of art, and that is when I decided to join her calligraphy classes as well after growing up a little more. And I did just that! I learned several fonts from her and she became an inspiration for me, encouraging me to hone in my skills and to learn even more forms of art.

I was fourteen when I was going through YouTube and where I came across a really pretty scrapbook 📒. I had no idea how to create or replicate the design, but the way it was crafted made me want to learn how.

I won’t forget the first time I went to a professional craft store 🏬. The rows or shelves stacked neatly with craft paper and paints along with assorted flowers and markers was a fairytale come true. You could even say it was my version of Disney Land! 🏰

It was at this very location where I joined a professional workshop and got to meet and mingle. Interacting with people who share the same passion as you, and who are at different levels in their career as an artist put a lot of perspective into where I stood at the time. I was a beginner, and I had a lot to learn and a long way to go!

To date, I have joined several classes and workshops not only related to scrapbooking but also in the art of making personalized, handmade gifts.

Work through the struggles with your strongest support! 💪🏻

My mother 👩‍👧has been my constant source of support all this while. Despite being from an orthodox joint family, she has motivated me even when the times got tough. She sent me to, far off places to make sure I learnt the skills of bouquet making and envelope designing ✉️. If you have to be the best, you have to learn from the best! My dear mother was with me even when my family didn’t like me spending my time learning art when they thought I should invest in studying 📚. She is still my biggest source of motivation and encourages me to take my skills to the next level and start my own business.

To be completely transparent, I did try it once. I got an order for a scrapbook but I ended up not getting paid. It was assumed to be ‘kind gesture’ rather than an actual product. It is heartbreaking 💔 to see people prefer materialistic gifts rather than personalized presents 🎁.

“Art doesn’t just happen by accident. It is about pulling out new tricks and trying new things.” — Nicholas Meyer.

Being an artist is a full-time job just like any other field that people work in. A lot of time, energy and hard work is put into every single piece of art that we see, and a lot of it is not recognized. This is why budding artists trying to create an income are taken for granted. Payments are delayed or sometimes not even given! Perhaps this is the cause of a decline in professional art supply showrooms in any city.

I truly believe there will be a day when art will become as normal as science or math, and artists all over will get the same respect and recognition as any other occupation 💸. Until then, I will continue working towards my dream and hope to inspire people to change their outlook, unleash their creativity and recognize the value of a truly creative artist.

You can follow my Instagram page for more updates regarding my journey as well as pictures of my projects. My Journey into the World of Art.

The struggles continue, but you live and learn every day!

I have learned from my failure and even though I am yet to see monetary success, I still plan to start a business soon 💰. I have been researching a lot and I have numerous ideas that I can begin to apply slowly.

It’s exciting to be a part of FamPay community. Join me at friends.fampay.in!

Anshika Goel: New Delhi, India
anshika6302@gmail.com