I got a chance to get interviewed by the founder of Mason Lane, Katharine Earnhardt. 

Katherine: How does your work as a fine artist change during times of unrest? 

Shreya: It usually pushes me to go deeper into soul search. It pushes me to reflect on the unrest – unrest is the catalyst for change. I Start To Question Everything And Crave Meaning And Purpose. The result is a body of work that reflects these introspective soul searchings.

Katherine: As an artist and businesswoman, where do you go when you’re out of inspiration?

Shreya: Within.  Meditation helps my focus as a businesswoman and as an artist. I practice one day of silent fasting once a month – this helps me reset and reconnect. Once a year, I practice 8 to 9 days of silent meditation – I do not speak, body language, no electronic communication, etc… I am within. All I do is create art and meditate.  Detox is necessary for inspiration.

Katherine: How does creativity help you outside of work?  

Shreya: It seems as though any time you talk about creativity with someone who doesn’t consider themselves to be very creative, the conversation typically revolves around art.

ART = Drawing, writing, sculpture, photography, music, dance, you name it. But art isn’t creativity, and the reverse is also true.

Creativity is “the mental capacity to generate novel and useful ideas”. It isn’t about art or design, writing, or music. 

The creative muscle is one I like to exercise and apply to every part of my life, parenting, work, home, self-care, and to all my relationships.  Creativity is, at its core, about ideas and how we develop, understand, and communicate them. Not just in terms of the arts, but in every realm of thinking and work.

For the full interview click here.