Hello everyone! Welcome back to The Brigade that Builds Brands. Today, I'm chatting with Air Force wife & teacher-turned-crafter Anamika Sarkar. She left her well-established teaching job when her son was small and turned her hobby into her profession. Something that she could pack and take along on all their postings across India, Anamika has found immense joy in her handmade craft business. Here's how she's done it, and how anyone with a wisp of a dream + the gumption to work, can do it. I hope Anamika's story inspires you to take your dream by the horns and turn into work that you can juggle along with the bustling service life.
C. Please tell something about yourself- what do you do, where are you based and
how long have you been a Fauji wife?
A. I have been married to a fighter pilot
since the last fourteen years. It was an arranged match, and since I came from
a pure civilian background, I had no inkling of what I was getting into then.
Till that point in my life, I knew very little about Fauj in general and the Air
Force in particular. Fourteen years and seven postings later, here I am, a
well-travelled Fauji wife presently based in Delhi, and slightly more
knowledgeable, in how to set-up and decorate a government allotted
accommodation, invite friends over, manage the household, and wind-up and move
to another part of the country, and all this in a short span of two to three
years. I have attained a Masters degree in Museology, and a Bachelors degree
in Education. I love listening to music, reading, and a bit of a movie buff.
Painting and Craft are my stress-busters. I have a son aged nine years, and he
is in the fourth standard.
C. What has been your business or creative journey been like; how and when did you
start your venture?
A. I have always been
into the teaching profession, but realized my actual passion towards the
Creative Arts only a few years back. Though I have been interested in painting
and creating hand-made objects since I was a child, but it was only a couple of
years back when I had to quit my job from a renowned school in Pune, (as my son
was very small) that I decided to take up Creative Art as a career. Today I
work as a freelance artist and conduct workshops with various art forms.
C. Were you in a different profession and re-trained for the current one? If Yes,
can you share how/where you learned the skills required for your current
profession?
A. While
I was pursuing my teaching profession, at times I used to enroll myself in
short courses and workshops to learn various art forms like Mural Art,
Decoupage, Mixed Media, and Palette-knife Painting. I used to keep following
updates by artists and crafters on YouTube as well. My thirst for learning and
experimenting with various art forms still persists; and I try my best to keep
myself up-to-date with the latest happenings in this particular field of work.
C. Fauji wives make their home in an assortment of obscure places across the country.
Our lives are about living in the moment and doing what we can, when we can.
Can you share how you stayed creative or found work that satisfied you while
moving across the country?
A. It was
tough initially. Though I never let go of my paints and brushes, but dealing
with murals and associated materials was a problem. However, I always used to
put down my creativity on simpler and easily obtainable objects like glass
bottles, canvas, wooden boxes which I would gift to my friends and family. Now
with the online boom happening in a big way, it was a godsend for me as I could
order and get hold of the required raw materials at most places.
C. How do you market your business and products while moving from base to base, place
to place, and often to remote areas?
A. Marketing in remote areas is mainly through
word of mouth; and I do have a Facebook page (
https://www.facebook.com/AnamikaCreationz ) and I do take orders
online. Thanks to the new age of the internet, I have gathered a few clients;
however most of them come from the same Fauji crowd.
C. How
do you juggle that load of social commitments and welfare activities that are
an integral part of the Fauji community, while nurturing your passions and meeting deadlines?
A. My work is more of a stress-buster for me.
It de-stresses me and I always take the time out to keep my creative juices
flowing. Mostly I work at nights when there are no distractions and I can continue
to work uninterrupted. I have never transformed my passion into a full-fledged profession,
and hence it has never been a load for me.
C. As a creative/ entrepreneur+ Fauji wife, is there something that you cherish
very much about being a apart of this community? And is there something you
feel must/can change for the better?
A. The
best part about being a Fauji wife is that you gain a family outside your own family,
and the Fauji fraternity is always ready to go out of its way to help each
other. The biggest proof is the very fact that not having known you personally,
you have agreed to include me in your Series - 'The Brigade That Builds
Brands'. There have been instances where relatives have turned away their faces
while our Fauji friends have gone beyond their capabilities to help us. I have
no regrets in being a part of this wonderful fraternity and love every single
moment of it. I am proud to be a Fauji Wife.
C. What challenges have you faced in balancing work and Fauji life?
A. Well, I wouldn’t call them challenges
as my work has always been a stress-buster for me. I love my work and can spend
hours creating stuff. Fauji life - I love every bit of it; and balancing these
two has never been a problem for me.
C. What tips would you give to Fauji wives out there who'd like to pursue their
dreams while living at small and busy bases (many still believes or led to
believe that you can either be a Fauji wife or a professional, and that's not
true)?
A. I would like to
advise them to never stop chasing their dreams. It is never too late to start
something new and nothing more satisfying in doing something you enjoy and
love. Just chase your dreams and soon you'll find your wings to fly.
C. A parting quote or philosophy that helps you to stay calm and do what you do?
A. Sometimes there is no time to wait for
the sea to calm down; if you have to reach your destination, let your voice
start and let the storm be your part!
For more fauji wife + entrepreneurship tales, dig into all our stories here.
Note: If you'd like to be featured in this series, write to me with details about your work & how long have your been doing what you do at chandanabanerjeewrites@gmail.com (we feature creative spouses who move along with their husbands on postings & make their project/brand work from the boondocks).
A few more interesting tidbits:
A bucket-load of women’s wellness & green lifestyle goodies at Gorgeous Girls Go Green.
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