“As we navigate work-life balance being working moms, it's easy to get caught up in the joys and challenges of raising a family and continue with the status quo at work.” Today’s woman dreamer, Aakanksha Shrivastava, shares how she fuels her passion for the arts, blogging, and other creative pursuits. She shares her top tips to women on balancing full time careers and families with passion projects, to truly live their most fulfilling lives. A fun and inspiring story to kick-off the weekend!

1) Why is art important to you and how can it empower women?

For me, art is meditation. It helps me relax after a stressful day at work. It is my pathway for natural healing.I love seeing my brush dancing in the colors as if performing a ballet. It gives me a sense of pride and keeps me going through tough times.

Art can be a vehicle of empowerment, it builds confidence, it is another form of giving voice to our heart. Women, in today’s time are working harder than ever to prove themselves in their career and family. Art can help finding a fine balance between the two.

Women should not lose the “I” trying to fit in to “WE”. To love our self, having time to work on our own beautiful ideas and dreams, finding time to relax, calming our own thoughts, is also an act of loving those who depend on us.

Art is a powerful medium for transforming the world.

2) You work in technology, but also have a tremendous passion for writing. What is your advice to women who want to pursue their passion in addition to their full time career and family?

I want to set an example for my kids, where they no longer see their mothers limited to kitchen, rather, can be a CEO managing the entire workforce skillfully and still can take out time to follow her dreams and be a doting mother all at the same time.

It’s wonderful to figure out what we want, but it’s also equally important to decide our priorities. Some days our kids school project takes the priority, other days a hectic day at work takes the toll. But there must be atleast one day in a week where “I” should be on the priority list.

On that one day, when your adrenaline rush is pushing you to follow your passion, few hours less spent with our loved ones, or a take out instead of home made healthy food, won’t make any difference. I would rather spend less but quality time with my loved ones, than being available 24x7 with frustration filled moments.

The struggle is real, the juggle is real. Don’t be afraid to say NO.

~ Sara Blakely {Entrepreneur and founder of Spanx}

Here are few tips how I follow my passion without losing sanity – 

1. Get Help – Ask for it. The Onus of taking care of family and household should be on all ofthe family members. Even kids should be learning to help in small chores from early age. Their small chores can be a big help to us plus it will help them getting ready to be independent.

2. Prioritize – I need to keep making choices constantly. Some days kids take the priority, other days the house, some days it can be my own work.But all days are not same, I reserve couple of hours on 1 or 2 days for my own leisure time, I could spend it painting, Or writing, or practicing Yoga, or it could be even indulging in a book with a hot cup of coffee.

3. Limit the screen time – it may seem futile to give up on phone and TV time, but I feel that time can be better utilized towards our to-do list or simply use that time to get your mind away from work.

4. Be efficient – Utilizing the right time for the right thing will make you much more efficient. For ex, I prepare all the meals in the morning itself, which give me enough time in the evening to work on myown things.

5. Have Fun – People may feel it unimportant to enjoy with friends leaving behind kids and family. But trust me, going out with my own set of friends and talking about crazy things works like a therapy for me.

3) You have your own blog, The Confessions Closet. How did you come up with the concept and the title?

I like to make and keep memories, be it in form of art, or photographs or in diaries. Writing down your feelings is the best way to keep them fresh forever. Later in the time, whenever you read those lines, your heart will feel exactly the same way it did years ago. Writing is the deep expression of so many parts of myself, the conscious me and my dreaming brain weaving new words with healing power. I chose the name “The Confession Closet” as I write about whatever I feel, the blogs are directly a piece of my heart doing the talking. Its like a closet to me where I can keep all my memories and feelings safe.

4) You wrote a wonderful blog post on Saris, and the power of a woman's clothes. How do you think clothes tell the story behind a woman, especially more traditional pieces like saris?

Every piece of cloth comes with a story, and when we wear it, we become the story. As much as I believe that clothes does not define a person, but it gives a glimpse into one’s personality. Women mostly wear clothes depending upon their mood, which gives a reflection of what is going on in their mind. I believe that when your clothes match your playful soul you will always be well dressed. However, if I want to feel powerful, dignifiedand stylish all at the same time, the only piece of cloth comes to my mind is Saree. It’s a classic piece of pure elegance which any woman can embrace irrespective of color, body type, size and age. And that is what makes it a classic.

5) What is your next big dream? And who is a woman you admire?

As my name is Aakanksha (desire), my desires are never ending. There are lot of things I have dreamt to do in this life and I am working on them to make it a success. Few tops the list with reaching on top at my workplace, to have my own art gallery and to become an acclaimed writer. I am trying to climb the ladder with one step at a time. 

Glass ceiling

Break the feeling

Clear blue sky

For us to fly

The woman I admire the most is my mother, for she has given me confidence, strength and encouraged me since childhood to dream big. She taught me not to give up even if I fail and had been my rock in my tough times. one doesn’t really quite appreciate all the things that parents do for their kids, until we become a parent ourself.

Supporting women, mothers especially, is the smartest thing we can do as a society, to mend our communities and regain a sense of happiness and solidarity with one another.

At times I imagine my super heroes of fiction, and I let myself try to become a little bit more "super" each day.

It’s not wrong to be passionate. When you love what you do, you bring that stimulation back to your family.

~Allison Pearson {British Journalist}

Thank you Aakanksha for sharing your story with us! We are excited to have you in our global women’s network!

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