PRIORITISE YOUR PASSION

Having a hobby is a great way to relieve stress, a creative outlet, and a way to meet new people. Engaging in any hobby has innumerable benefits. But if you don’t have a regular activity or hobby to follow then it can be difficult to decide which one will be enjoyable for you. Hobbies allow you to do something that is just for you, that can help you forget your daily problems, relax from a monotonous routine and gives you a lot of joy. Here are tips  that can help you choose a suitable hobby.

REVISIT YOUR CHILDHOOD : Try to memorise those things that you enjoyed doing while you were a kid. Make a list of all the things that you enjoyed doing as a kid. For instance, playing with wooden blocks, clay modelling, sew clothes for dolls, collection, art & craft, interest in kitchen items, record collection, foods and events of childhood, type of collection of various toys, or any other positive activity. Some of those things you can again pick up as an adult that would make great hobbies of your interest. Utilise your memories to find your true passion as an adult.

SMALL START : If you are adding something new to your life, that can be very overwhelming so you might find it helpful to devote some amount of time every day. Even if you can carve out half hour everyday to explore your interest, it can be beneficial and rewarding. Instead of spending a lot of time on social media and television, you can engage yourself in something fruitful by devoting time and with full dedication. You can reorganise your schedule so you have time for your hobby.

HOBBY THAT FITS IN : Everyone is different. Interest varies according to one’s persona. Think about things that you already like and how can you enhance it. Segment it into smaller things/activities to start with. You may hit the perfect activity for you, do some web searches, visit the library, explore new things, don’t be afraid to try new things, and soon you’ll have a hobby that soothes your interest and is enjoyable at the same moment. Figure out how much time you can devote for a particular hobby.

FOCUS ON WHAT INTERESTS YOU : It is very important to focus on things and activities that capture your thoughts, where you can apply your ideas and get the desired output. For example, a person who is an excellent conversationalist, active, enthusiastic and full of energy then you should prefer activities which are more sociable like being a volunteer, hosting frequent parties and get togethers, starting a book club, active participation as a team leader. Look out for clues, for instance if you can’t resist the colours in a restaurant then perhaps you should pick up some paint/colours or camera to capture different colours. If you like to try new cuisines then cooking or baking might be of your interest. If you travel a lot then any hobby which can be pursued anywhere irrespective of any location could interest you. These clues can be supportive when it comes to discover a particular hobby.

IDENTIFY YOUR SKILLS : Everyone is born with some skills or talent. Are you a good speaker, writer, performer, artist or painter? Think more about it and it will help you select your hobby. To identify your skills you can start by listening to what others have to say. Those around you usually know what your talents are, even when you don’t. If you think about it, people have likely been telling you that you are good at something, you just have to listen to them.

ACTIVITIES THAT YOU ENJOY : Your hidden talent may be demonstrating itself in various ways. Are there any magazine or newspaper topics that interest you? Or do you follow any TV Shows on daily basis? Think about what you like to do in your free time and you will discover your natural talent. 

PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR WORDS : What you enjoy talking about effortlessly are the topics which interest you the most. Your conversations can reveal a lot about your passion. If you talk mostly about philosophy, then you might want to take up writing as a hobby. If you talk mostly about food and drinks, then you can polish your culinary skills which can be taken up as a profession later. If you like listening to music, then you can explore further as to whether you prefer singing or learning any instrument of your choice. If you’re good at drawing, sketching or painting could be of your interest.

When you discover your talent, you feel more tune in with life. When you capitalise your talent, it no longer feels like work but it feels like living.

What is Artisan ?

ART AND ARTISAN

Art is a testimony of human beings and a way of pioneering new ways of thinking/viewing the world, unique to its creator. Architecture, music,  dance, painting, craft, theatre, culinary arts, all quintessentially reveal the culture of people. Art is not about following the guidelines or what society preaches, but it’s all about one’s heart, soul and mind. It encompasses all joys, sorrows, happiness, struggles, sadness, love, beauty, hatred, every aspect of humanity in a nutshell, that can be expressed artistically. Art in many forms, is practised by almost all the human cultures and can be regarded as one of the defining characteristics of the human species.

Spontaneous, innovative, creative and imaginative, an artist is remarkably creative and eccentric. They view life as just one big canvas or a performing stage for their creative offsprings. Artisan often possess an inventive, make-the-most-of-what’s available style of creativity that allows them to create/produce remarkable things out of a limited amount of resources. They have an innate curiosity for how things are put up together from the tallest skyscraper to the sub-atomic particle. They seek originality in their creations. They get no satisfaction with improving on something, they seek to create something entirely new. Their creations can range from handicrafts to a piece of poetry, from wall mountings and paintings to stage performances, from Theatre to music production, from polishing culinary skills to maintaining fitness levels, from personal grooming to engineering of a product.

NATURES FORM OF ART

Nature’s form of art as seen during different seasons is incredible. When people live in harmony with nature they create more auspiciousness, spread more joy and happiness within and around themselves. Spring denotes new beginnings. It is considered to be one of the most pleasant season of India. Weeding gardens, planting trees, flowers blossom, rivers murmur, this signifies signs of growth and life spreading happiness all around. During summers, people are directed towards their passion which includes travel, various form of activities i.e dance, music, art & craft, painting & drawing, theatre, cooking & baking etc. Students indulge in summer camp  activities, people plan their time off by going for a vacation.  Fall brings with it a new adventure –  participating in get-togethers and reaping the harvest of all their work. Winter signifies stillness or contemplation. It is a time when people reflect on the year, reconnect to source and prepare the soil for glorious spring.  Every season brings with it an incredible opportunity to grow, learn and excel. People who are passionate about their hobby makes the most of this time and benefit out of it.  For instance, farmers are artists whose dedication and perseverance yields harvest to feed billions of people across the nation. Though, conditions of farming are alarming, seeds of discontent and crisis is widespread amongst all. Despite, they discover principles of sustainability in farming, put roughly 10% of annual harvest back into the soil, give back to the source so that billions of people can be served. 

India’s first Land Art festival was organised in December 2016. Land art is an environmental art as the materials used in this art are essentially environment friendly and usually local in nature. For this Land art, several social workers, artists, and farmers were invited to collaborate with each other and make powerful images on contemporary farming issues. Henceforth, the images created were open for public viewing. It commented strongly on farming issues as it involved soil, seeds, water and farmers, uniting the community at one place irrespective of cast, gender & power. Land artists use surroundings in their art, making their creation a part of landscape.

This event was not only used to raise awareness about the farming issues but also aroused the artistic skills in various farmers. It united several people to perform, paint, sing, sculpt, click, sow, farm, cook, stay, learn, enjoy and collaborate to make it all the more meaningful. This was a good platform for the group of artists, farmers and people from other fields who believe that art and farming can be the catalysts for social change. Irrespective of power, religion and caste masses celebrated nature, life, soil and food.

EVOLUTION OF HUMAN CREATIVITY

In all societies today, the visual arts are intimately intertwined with music, dance, ritual ( marking life landmarks, death, religion and politics), language ( poetry, song and story-telling). Vocalisation, ritualised movement and visual display were deployed in new ways with the evolution of human cognition. At all stages the evolution of artistic creativity, tremendous amount of change must have been done due to rare and gifted individuals. If we consider the current and past cultural functions of art, it is easy to understand how this evolution took place.

Since the beginning of civilisation, people have used art as a way to communicate and tell stories.The species that all living beings belong to is Homo Sapiens. As language developed in Homo sapiens during the great leap forward, humans taught each other about the tools they made, food they found and skills they mastered. This marked the beginning of education. Several tools to deliver such knowledge included crude drawings made by dragging human sticks in the dirt, more elaborate representation on stone canvas, drawings accompanied with spoken language or gestures. The key feature was the ability to use visual representations to induce memory recall or visual understanding. Various forms of drawing, painting, gestures, spoken skills and other visual depictions facilitated communication snd education among early humans. Early humans also used certain artistic depictions for enhancing problem solving skills and calculation. In todays scenario, engagement in art offers a wonderful starting point for parents who want to develop and exercise their children’s creative problem solving skills. As the years passed, with development of cognitive ability in humans, they displayed a remarkable spectrum of skills and a refined aesthetic sensibility. They weaved, painted, made ceramics sculpted with style, grace and imagination. They built musical instruments and introduced the first rudimentary musical notations along with customisation of architecture of their homes.

Over the years, superlative degree of creativity and innovation have been developed in humans which they display in their thoughts, behaviour and notions both within the life of individuals and across different human cultures. This manifests itself in story telling, in art, in the construction of bodily ornaments and decoration, in humour, in religion-building, in theory construction, in problem-solving, in technological innovation and in myriad other ways.

SKILLED CRAFTSMEN

The art has been the key to positive outlook and change in society globally. By giving shape, structure, voice and massive pathway to artistic goals and vision, artistic endeavours and ideals are supported that aim to inspire change in the society. Whether as artists, writers, actors, craftsman,  engineers, composers, surgeons, carpenters, performers, designers or philosophers, skilled craftsmen, cobbler, electrician, mason, glass mason, wood mason/ brick mason, car driver, engineer, tailor, cleaner, scientist, analyst , an artist can make almost anything a canvas for their creative explorations, in their own unique and inventive way. By infusing their artwork and skills, they convert raw form into finished products in order to create  something meaningful and by giving a voice to their ideas. Using artistic approaches and methodologies provides them recognition and identity. These skilful individuals also adopt a creative approach towards fulfilling their daily chores and make the most monotonous and mundane things an interesting task. They understand the importance of hard work in order to be creative with routine and specialised activities.  Every great artist wouldn’t be able to create a masterpiece if he/she just waited for a Muse to come, without mastering the technique, and constantly working upon themselves to polish their skills.

The best craftsmanship relies on a continuing involvement. It can take many years of practice for complex skills of making to become so deeply engrained with profession of respective craftsmen. An obvious example, is that of a glass bowler, who is dependent on tried and trusted ways of using tools, organising body movements, understanding peculiar raw materials with an involvement upto certain level that makes the complete process automatic. The same mastery of technique can be applied to music making, dance, writing, painting etc. The craftsman is one of a kind, with volumes to come on ritual, craft, environment and process involved in their artwork, this is ever evolving keeping in mind the potential of different artists.

UNLEASH YOUR INNER ARTIST

It is a real challenge to explore the creativity within and develop it as a particular hobby later in life. It’s the difficulty of making the first step, be it writing of the first sentence of an essay or a book, putting the first brush stoke on a canvas, capturing the first picture, playing the initial music notes, baking the first cake,  To find joy in creativity naturally, everyone should reclaim their artistic desires.

Why?

• Only because creating and performing is delightful, fun and calming, all at the same time
• Only because its spiritual, healing and transformative
• Only because it is a source of Human motivation
• Only because it is a voice for millions of people to support their beliefs, ideals and dreams
• Only because it boosts self esteem and provides a sense of accomplishment
• Only because it increases Brain connectivity and elasticity
• Only because it increase Empathy making a person kind and generous
• Only because it increases a sense of appreciation in humans
• Only because it helps in establishing connections
• Only because it helps a person to make meaning out of madness
• Only because creative pursuits allows human to express their feelings
• Only because it aids in all round development of a child
• Only because it broadens one’s perception which helps in developing problem solving skills
• Only because it emphasises on importance of self discovery for artists
• Only because it opens one’s mind to newer and broader things
• Only because it develops intrinsic human qualities such as creativity, expression, identity, culture and spark imagination
• Only because it fills one’s life with joy and give it the sense of completeness

To motivate such artists across the city, Raj Group introduces it’s new venture known as ARTISAN. With the philosophy mentioned above, Artisan has formulated a creative approach to cultivate artists of tomorrow. A place that provides massive platform for all the artists to flourish and cultivate their skills. Every part of the city already has artists. Often though, this readily available resource is untapped and underdeveloped. Artisan provides essential platform and tools to help the artists find and collaborate with veterans in their respective area of interest. Creating an environment of mutual support is critical for building a flourishing community for artists.  Team artisan works to build a vibrant, sustainable community for artists throughout Bhopal and beyond.

Everyone is blessed with creativity and artistic skills, it can be in any industry, field, or sector. So, go out there and don’t be afraid to showcase your talent in front of the world. Allow your creativity to prosper and live up to your potential.

KNOW ABOUT RAJ GARBA

The festival of Navratri comes with a promise of nine days filed with fun, frolic, dance and festivities all around. Garba is a joyous and colourful dance form organised almost in every corner of the country to grace the occasion of Navratri. There was a time when the two dance forms were used to educate people about the festival and its mythological importance. With tremendous change in scenario, Garba event popularly known as Dandiya night has become a grand affair across the country. Raj Garba Mahotsava is organised by Raj Group. This group has been organising the event since 13 years in various cities of Madhya Pradesh.

         A huge event filled with the best in fashion, food, dance and various performances. Event is organised for four days. It invokes participation from people of all communities where the floors are occupied by energetic and thumbing of the feet. Before the final event, Raj garba organises two month workshop to promote learning with fun. Four day Celebration is proceeded with Aarti. Performing group of musicians participate from Gujarat, Rajasthan and various other parts of India, their troops include authentic and melodious variety for people to perform. The musicians usually start on a slow pace with more traditional songs and gradually increasing the pace to a louder noise, and for seated audience it is a treat for the eyes to see the colourful whirls and swirls of the crowd dancing. Bollywood remixed beats are added to give the singing a modern twist. Young women dressed in traditional outfits and glittering jewellery, with the men sporting mostly churidar kurtasand colourful dupattas.

     Since its launch in 2003, every year the event invokes participation of massive crew. During the four day celebration, we cater about 2,00,000 people across the state. More and more young people learn and add new styles of dandiya and garba. Its amazing to see how they maintain our cultural traditions and values. Every year, we improvise and have larger and larger participation for the event. This is one of the largest and most popular events organised in Bhopal during Navratri. Raj group is known to be one of the trend setters who continue the legacy of organising this massive event of festivity every year. The celebration is now a massive gala event that is organised in brightly illuminated ground known as Raj Event Square.

My Experiences & Feeling For My Mother

Maa,

Maa thank you sooooo much for bringing me in this world. I'm sitting here trying to find the words to describe you, but its nearly impossible because a million things come to my mind. I still remember when I was just learning to stand at the age of 1 & fallen down from 3^rd floor on highway, all the doctors said we are sorry but you didn’t lost your hope & the miracle happened because of which today I am alive. You showed me the way and lead me on the path of becoming the person I am today. You taught me to always stay humble and kind. You taught me that it's ok to be sensitive, but also not to worry so much about what others think of me. You showed me how to be a good person. I grew up wanting to be you and hoping that one day I would be become half the woman you are. You've always been able to call me out when I needed it in order to become a better and stronger person. You know what I need before I even do. I know that no matter what time of the day it is, that you are only one call away. You got me through the hard times, you supported me in the good times, and you never failed to assure me that I can do anything & everything. I could not imagine a life where I wouldn't have you next to me at every step of my life. In a world, where not everyone is lucky enough to be blessed with a Mother, I thank my lucky stars everyday that you are the woman who raised me. I am sorry if there has ever been a moment where I hurted you. "Always together, Never apart, Maybe in distance, But never at heart." Every moment of my life, whether you are physically present or not, you are always there with me. No matter how far apart we will be, I know you are always there to hold my hand and touch my heart. Maa, I am nothing without you, you are my whole world. Thank you for teaching me how to live a life full of love and strength. I love youuuuuuuuMaa, Happy Mother's Day.

With Loads n Loads of Love

Vanisha Khatri

EXPLORE AND ENRICH YOUR CHILD’S POTENTIAL

All of us learn throughout our lives. It is now recognised that the early years of life are
fundamentally important years for learning. Every phase during the “early years” of childhood is
critical referring to child’s development and growth. They are the foundation that shapes children
future health, happiness, growth, development, learning achievement in the school, family,
community and life in general. Learning and different experiences provides the base for shaping
child’s brain architecture.
 

Children go through different phases of interests. Sometimes they're short and sweet; sometimes
they last for years. The more parents get involved in children’s hobbies and interests, the more
potential there is for learning. Learning happens all the time whether we are aware of it or not, and
taking the time to acknowledge these opportunities can help a child develop important skills. It
always helps when parents take active participation in developing a kid’s interest.Parents can help
their children learn through hobbies in enjoyable, creative ways.
 

Hobbies acts as facilitators of lifetime passion, engagement and are a great set of educational
tools. Nurturing child's potential can develop immense levels of confidence and self esteem. It
gives a child an opportunity to express themselves. A child interested in rock collecting learns
about geology and science, and a child in writing stories learns about sentence structure and
proper grammar .By developing hobbies children learn to set and achieve goals, solve problems
and make decisions, proper planning and organisation.
 

Understanding the stages of child development helps parents know how to best support the child
as he or she grows and develops. Learning happens best when the caring adults work with the
child, have loving relationships and explore the world together in ways that are interesting and
fun.Children who have hobbies are usually following their parents footsteps, so parent should set a
good example by pursuing their own hobby. It’s always a good idea to provide some platform
where children can develop their hobbies under the guidance of professionals. Such institutes help
by indulging in a hobby and building some essential skills for life. They can also set the course for
what a child becomes later in life as they often turn into lifelong interests and careers.
 

Hobbies are rewarding and enriching part of one’s life, so a child should definitely be motivated
and encouraged to explore his own interests and find a suitable hobby which they can practice
throughout their life. Children have the right to grow up in an environment in which they are
enabled to reach their full potential. It is the duty of parents, other caregivers, family members and
communities to help children explore and grow their hidden talent.