Expression Through Art

Written by Namita Bhavanam

 Art has always been my favorite hobby, and it has a very special place in my life. Amma was the one who really loved art and she spread that love to me, which I am very grateful for. She would teach us the alphabet and numbers, but along with that, she showed us how much fun we could have simply with some colors and a paper. Growing up with so much exposure to art, I too grew a fondness and passion for art and began drawing at a young age. I thank Baba and Guruji Tattayya for blessing us with an environment that cultivated education of all kinds, including the arts. 

In my opinion, art is a form of expression through works of our beautiful world and it speaks where words cannot explain. Art is my therapist; it lets me reveal my thoughts without receiving judgement. A piece of paper is not just a thin sheet of wood for me; it is my outlet - a place of endless possibilities. As I grew up, my artistic skills and my interest in it also intensified. I did not get the chance to take part in school art classes, but I still drew and made art on my own in my free time. I would just draw whatever I wanted to, but now, I am able to do many things with art. I make art pieces that have to do with me personally, like my culture and heritage, and I like to create art with strong meaning and emotional power. 

 In high school, I took art classes in school and I submitted my art for different competitions. There is one specific experience I had with my achievements that I want to share. There is an annual State art competition called VASE (Visual Arts Scholastic Event) that takes place in Texas for high school students. I started planning and working on an art piece to submit for this competition in 2019 months before the due date. I wanted to make something unique, so I decided to draw a pastel portrait of my sister, Tapaswini, in a traditional Indian dress and jewelry. The portrait I drew had defined features which closely resembled my sister, bright colors, and low relief (3D) jewelry, and the final product turned out just the way I wanted it to look and my art teacher told me that I could easily advance at this competition. I prayed to Baba and Guruji Thattayya that I should advance in the competition and for my artwork to go to the State Level.

The day of the competition finally came, and I felt very confident submitting it to the competition and presenting my art to the judges. However, my artwork did not even advance the first stage, at a regional level. My disappointment overflooded me and I felt very unmotivated due to that experience for many days after that. I was sad primarily because it was an artwork that I spent many hours on, and I worked very hard on it. A couple weeks later, my art teacher told me that I should submit the same art piece for another local art exhibition because she saw a lot of potential in it. I prayed to Baba and Guruji Thattayya that I could gain some achievement with this art piece. Fortunately, my artwork was not only displayed at the public exhibition for a whole week, but it was also a finalist in the competition! I did not win the competition, but I felt very happy that I got that far thanks to Baba and Guruji Thattayya’s blessings. Not only this, but my art teacher wanted to send my artwork to another competition to be displayed at a State Art Convention. My artwork was one out of 8 total pieces chosen from my district to be displayed at this State Exhibition in 2019. This one came as a surprise to me because I was not expecting much from it, but I felt extremely happy and my parents were very proud. My school and district even publicized this achievement during the morning announcements and on their website and social media pages. 

To build on top of this, I spent a couple more months preparing a different artwork for this 2020’s VASE competition. I wanted to do better this year and I tried an art style and material that I am not too familiar with. I was scared because last year I did not advance, but I prayed, let my imagination run wild for my unique idea, and kept my desires large, and this year I advanced all the way to the State level! Our State event got cancelled due to COVID-19, but the achievement and this entire experience, thanks to Baba and Guruji Thattayya, will be one that I will never forget.  My entire experience reminded me of something Guruji Thattayya said in a satsang. In this Satsang, which is recorded in Rose Petals Vol. 2, he says that we should “let [our] longing grow, let the desires grow, let the obstacles diminish which come in the way of your longing and fulfillment” because he and Baba will never “[let] anybody… go empty-handed”. 

 I overcame the obstacle of disappointment that ignited from my first VASE competition, in which my art piece did not even pass the first stage, but Baba and Guruji Tattayya did not leave me empty handed. With the local exhibition and the State convention achievements for the artwork of my sister and the VASE State-level finalist achievement for my other artwork this year, they gave me not only what I desired, but much, much more. I also believe that Baba and Guruji Tattayya blessed me in the form of my art teacher as she motivated me and encouraged me to submit the artwork of my sister to the other competition and the convention, in which I received achievements. Baba and Guruji Tattayya have always given me what my heart desires and I could not be more grateful to have such a blessed life with them always looking over us in every step of the way.

Collage of some of my artworks: