Week 29: Warli Art

For those who are not aware, I am on a 52 weeks adventure this year where in I decide my own adventures! For more details, check out here!

As most of you might know, I am on a dependent visa in the US which does not allow me to have a 'paid' job here. There are a large number of spouses who are well qualified and come on a dependant visa to the US, leaving behind their glorious careers only because they want to be near their loved one. The choice is difficult, and yet we make it. Some of us decide to stay back home and continue with our job while staying away from the spouse for maybe a year or more. I respect everyone's decisions.

I had a tough time getting used to not having a job that I used to love a lot. Hey, but I am not complaining! It is only because of this visa that I got back to writing and received so much love and appreciation from you all! I feel myself to be really blessed to have you guys!  A BIG hug your way!

But I cannot do writing the entire day. I need some real human interaction also to keep myself sane. And I just cannot barge into my American neighbor's home and invade his/her privacy. This is one thing I so miss about India. The social hustle bustle, sometimes a little too much of nose poking in others' business but none the less a little chat with a neighbor makes a big difference. Yes, I miss the human touch here in the US. 

I never liked meeting women and watching daily sitcoms or gossiping about the entire world. I always thrive on meaningful interactions where in I do not have to pretend to be someone else. 

After shifting our place last month, we landed up in a Community where there are 30-40 Indian families. A thought came to my mind, so many ladies on dependent visa here...I am sure we can start something good here. I have always looked up to other people and tried to learn something or the other from them. Each individual is unique and has something to offer on the table. I thought, 30 Indian women - even if one woman teaches one new thing I will learn 30 new things!! And it would also be a time well spent. So what if you are on a dependant visa that does not stop you from enjoying your life and learning new things....right?

I shared this idea with the 2 good friends I made here in a short time and they were really excited. And so I found at least 2 like minded women and we started this small club of ours which will meet every 2 weeks or so and one of us will teach something to the other two! Exciting, right? And people think, when women meet they just gossip! We are here to prove them wrong ;)

So it was Neha, Gauri and me sitting at Neha's house with all the art supplies on one fine day where Neha was going to teach us Warli Art. Warli art is an ancient tribal art of Maharashtra state in India and it has created tremendous waves in wardrobe and souvenir industry. I have a T-shirt with Warli Art :)

We picked up a simple Warli Art sample from the internet and started trying our hands on this brand new skill. Neha and Gauri are artists, they paint and they sketch while I haven't picked up a brush since a long while now. So it was scintillating to hold all those colors and drawing paper and getting down to business.

This is what we selected. Image Source.

We did not have proper art supplies or rulers and erasers, but who cares? We had a lovely time together learning something new with limited art supplies. Warli is simple if you can draw triangles and circles. It is a simple art form and can be done by anyone, you do not have to be an expert artist to try your hands on this art.

Women at Work ;)

Neha and me tried to stick to the sample picture in our drawing. But Gauri wanted her Warli people to be dressed in Designer clothes and she did some creative work there ;)

The final versions :) Don't miss Gauri's Designer Warli Folks ;)

We with our individual creations! Yes, we do look like the criminals with self name boards ;)

This is just a desk of 3 working women ;)

The proud feeling which I experienced when I put my name on my Warli Art paper was exhilarating! Never mind the dependent status, never mind the depressing early days in the US, never mind the occasional sinking feeling when you think of your career graph - never mind all of this and other difficult moments. I just learnt a new thing and it kind of lessens the intensity of all the hurt and pain felt during such moments.

Hey look whose name is on that creation! :)

Excited for my next learning cum fun session! :)