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Passion To Profession — Meet The Artist Who Is Living Her Dream Every Day!

Written By: Sonali
September 20, 2020
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When I first talked to Neha, I got this instant vibe of positivity and all the excitement and enthusiasm in every word of hers!

I found her so colourful, so vibrant and exquisite — just like the art she makes!

And before I keep on typing all the good things about her ‘Kolour Theory’, let me introduce you to our ‘entrepreneur of the day’. In our all ‘Passion to Profession’ series, we are going to talk about Neha Nagpal today who is redefining what you call ‘art’!

Neha belongs to a Sindhi family and was brought up in Bengaluru. A B.Com graduate, she also did a lot of courses in Fashion Designing, Graphic Designing and Computers. No matter what she was doing — she was always connected with art — in one way or another. She worked as a Jewellery and Accessories Merchandiser prior to starting her own venture. 

Inception of Kolour Theory

When asked about her venture, Neha said that she always wanted to do something of her own — and art was the only answer to her every entrepreneurial question. Painting and making candles was just a hobby, and she barely thought of monetizing it. But it was her family and friends who encouraged her to convert her passion into a profession.

Hobby = Business Model

Neha took a leap in October 2016 — to see if she could really convert her hobby into a sustainable business model. She created social media handles for her dream venture and started uploading her art.

It was complicated, maybe a bit clueless too, but as she feels, “it’s important to love what you do,” and for Neha, clearly art was her calling. 

Through the lens of the artist

Behind the Kolour Theory

Kolour Theory is all about art — vibrant colours, beautiful designs, vintage collections and lively products — all handmade, hand-painted and handcrafted! 

Home decor is not about ‘mehange paintings’ anymore — your house reflects your life, and that’s what Neha does. She likes to breathe life into mundane objects by adding a burst of colours to it.

The artist who lives her dream every day

While I type this, I know it may sound all fancy and fab, but I tell you it’s not. There are everyday lessons, profits, losses, confusion and everything you do not want to think about. Neha says that there is no end to learning, “I’ve learnt that one needs to be comfortable with unpredictability while running a business!”

Yes, running a business is not easy, but if you are really passionate and sure about it, you know it’s not impossible either. For Neha, art has always been her ‘bachpan ka pyaar’, and she believes that she inherited this artistic flair from her mother, who was also an amazing artist. 

Neha with her mother

“I do feel artists don’t get their full due to an extent. There is a lot of time and effort that goes into making handmade and hand-painted pieces. Not everyone understands that,” says the Kolour Theory founder who also upcycle products. From vintage phones to painted teapots, keepsake boxes and luxurious candles, you will spot everything on her Instagram.

The risk factor

As an entrepreneur, one would know that starting up a venture is a big risk, and it demands a lot. You make a huge investment in it — both personally and professionally. Neha believes that if one can transform his/ her passion into a profession, then it’s the best amalgamation. “You never know what the future holds. I never imagined running a business and selling my artwork,” Neha continues. She doesn’t hold any regrets and feels that each day brings a new lesson for her.

Neha tells how her venture helped her in enhancing her skills more. From thinking right from the logistics to the social media promotions, product details, research and procurement, she learnt how to take every tiny detail into consideration. It’s important for an art-preneur, she feels, to explore the possibilities and experiment with the imagination.

Neha further plans to diversify into accessories without breaking her concentration on handmade and handcrafted pieces.

Passion To Profession — Meet The Artist Who Is Living Her Dream Every Day! (1)

Giving up should not be an option

A lot of people, when starting up a venture, think of an exit plan or the ‘other’ option, which I feel must not exist. Neha calls an artist’s life unpredictable but also believes that patience and determination is the key to success. “It doesn’t happen overnight, but it does happen. It’s a long journey, and you have to remain positive and humble,” advise the entrepreneur who is handling her venture solely.

The final note

“I have always believed that women are brilliant at multitasking. They manage their homes and job/ business beautifully. Women have a ‘never give up’ attitude, and that’s what makes us special. We know that each day can’t be in our favour, and it’s important to be realistic and practical,” Neha ends on a high spirit note.

I loved the conversations I had with Neha, not only because she is an amazing artist but also because she carries the vibe of a young, confident and passionate woman who dreams of changing the world — with one brush at a time.

Got any questions for her? Or want any ‘expert artist’ advice? Neha can be reached by email or Instagram.
Share your ‘Passion to Profession’ journey with us via email or social media. #PassionToProfession

Images: Neha Nagpal

#PassionToProfessioninspirationPassionPassion To Professionstartupswomen

Sonali

A 'non-9-5 desk job' ambivert geek who chooses her own audience, Sonali loves sharing stories and finding the corners where humanity still exists! She believes that every individual's story is unique and special. She loves writing about the untouched and unspoken segments of society. When not writing, you can find her listening to someone's stories or playing with dogs. Sonali values mental health and encourages people to speak their heart out!

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Rural Revolution: Five Inspiring Power Women Who Changed The Destiny Of Rural India!

Written By: Sonali
October 15, 2020 | 07:00 PM |
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Do you know that women account for as much as 89.5% of the labour force in rural India in the agriculture and allied industrial sectors? Or that 47% of India’s women aged 20–24 were married before the legal age of 18 as per UNICEF’s ‘State of the World’s Children-2009’ report?

In a country where female infanticide is still prevalent in some rural parts, this story is nothing less than a knight in shining armour. Writing this was joy and inspiration, and I wish it leaves the same emotions to you.

Meet the five iconic women of rural India who changed the entire roop rekha of their village with their sheer determination and hard work and inspired and empowered thousands of others!

Sushila Koli

Source

This gritty woman brought a revolution in the field of education when she decided to open her own anganwadi after finding no schools and centres educating kids in her village in the Kolhapur district of Maharashtra.

She started teaching them from her own home and later shifted to a temple when the number of kids increased. But this journey was not so easy as she had to struggle hard and convince villagers to send their kids to study.

But she did it. And she did it for eleven long years until the government noticed her good deed and decided to open an anganwadi, Balwadi Vidya Mandir, there.

“The kids belonged to low-income families, and there was no question of charging them any fees. Sometimes the parents would give me food grains, but I never expected any money,” Sushila has taught more than 250 kids without charging a single penny in all these years.

Godavari Satpute

Source

The ‘Woman Entrepreneur of the Year’ awardee of 2013 is the founder of ‘Godavari Akashkandil’ which is a paper lamp manufacturing business founded in 2009.

What she started with a meagre amount of loan taken from her relatives is now employing and empowering several other women in rural areas and helping them in becoming financially independent. Her company crossed the annual turnover of over INR 30 lakh in the year 2013.

Sobita Tamuli

Source

This resident of Telana village from Assam is the brain behind Seuji, which is an all-women self-help group that makes traditional Assamese japis, manufactures organic manure, and sells them. 

They sell Kesuhaar, organic manure, which contains natural elements like cow dung, banana plant remains, earthworms, and fallen leaves for Rs 50 per packet (weighing 5 kg each). Japis are traditional conical, wide-rimmed Assamese hats which Seuji makes as per an individual’s or an organisation’s request. They also sell them in neighbouring markets.

Anita Gupta

Source

The founder of Bhojpur Mahila Kala Kendra, Anita Gupta hails from the Arrah of Bihar and is a recipient of an award from the Government of Bihar. Her NGO, which was established in 1993, has trained more than 25,000 women in nearly 400 skills and has formed around 300 women self-help groups in Bihar.

Her NGO received support from Tata Institute of Social Sciences and DC Handicrafts, Government of India in 2000. Anita is also a member of USHA Silai School in Jharkhand and Bihar, where she trains women in sewing.

Chetna Sinha

Source

Ever wondered of a bank that provides loans of amounts as low as INR 15 to rural women? Mumbai based Chetna Gala Sinha started this unique revolutionary bank back in 1997 when she realised that financial aid was indeed the best possible way to empower women in rural India.

The Mann Deshi Bank originated from the town of Mhaswad in Satara district of Maharashtra, expanded to eight branches and empowered more than 3,00,000 women through 140 field facilitators. The bank offers loans for one day to five years, for the smallest amount you can think of, and EMI repayments for amounts like INR 15. 

“Looking at the success, we plan to take this model all across the country and want to impact 1 million women entrepreneurs by 2022. All we need is patience and courage for that,” Chetna adds.

October 15 is marked as the International Day of Rural Women across the world. As per the United Nations, rural women — a quarter of the world’s population — work as farmers, wage earners, and entrepreneurs. And if women in rural areas had the same access to agricultural assets, education, and markets as men, agricultural production could be increased, and the number of hungry people reduced by 100-150 million. #InfanoWomen

infanowomeninspirationreal storyRural Indiastartupswomen in indiawomen power

Sonali

A 'non-9-5 desk job' ambivert geek who chooses her own audience, Sonali loves sharing stories and finding the corners where humanity still exists! She believes that every individual's story is unique and special. She loves writing about the untouched and unspoken segments of society. When not writing, you can find her listening to someone's stories or playing with dogs. Sonali values mental health and encourages people to speak their heart out!

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