38 lovely people, three years, and many hours of conversations on art, creativity, collaboration, direction and progress, success and failure. I now have that many friends aged between 22 and 64.
What does it mean to be a mentor?
A whole lot of things.
The SAIL program that I designed in 2020, and that I have been running with Sunaparanta Centre for the Arts since 2021, has taught me very much – one formula never fits all; methodologies of learning and facilitating knowledge sharing keep evolving and one must stay abreast; individual characters contribute to the kind of creative synergies generated in a group and need to be nurtured; motivation and positive encouragement can transform not only creative paths but also personalities… Maybe it will be more appropriate to say that hidden and suppressed traits become free and visible, confidence allows for more open and unhesitant expression.
For the most part, what people want and need is a space to express themselves without feeling judged, or burdened with the necessity to have all the right answers. A space where questioning oneself and the other is ok, and experimentation doesn’t have to result in success. There is no age limit or field of work that this is restricted to, but creative people can frequently find themselves at a standstill because of various factors. Our education system often fails to provide the very elements that are required to make practical use of skills and academic learning.
My journey with mentoring began a decade and a half ago, when my interest in helping people envision their best work simply put me in the position of listening, advising, (counselling even) in a non-threatening, positive atmosphere, all done in my own time. In return, I received lots of goodwill and respect, sometimes artworks which were given to me and that I couldn’t refuse, and life-long friendships with my so-called ‘mentees’. My relationship with these artists also led to curatorial projects and showcases in which I included them; knowing about someone’s practice in-depth through their own perspective allows for easy integration within other narratives, and brings to mind instant connections that are organic.
At one point I realised that a large amount of my time was going into free mentorship, to young artists, students, people from rural and folk backgrounds, and others who generally needed a bouncing board. That’s when I generated a plan for a long-term mentorship program, piloted first with Piramal Residency (thanks to my wonderful collaborators Vaishnavi Ramanathan and Amit Lodh). I’ve come a long way since then.
I feel privileged and happy to be part of so many creative journeys, in small and big ways. And I am grateful for the platforms offered to me that I can make these contributions while being remunerated for my time and ideas. I know that everyone is not that lucky.
Photo Credit: Michael Praveen