"I am Madhu Gawli and I have just cleared my 10th board exams. I started getting interested in art and craft when I first saw my brother painting. He was very good in art and used to get a lot of praise from my parents and relatives. I also started doing the same but I did not know I was good at drawing until my Art teacher in school told me that I am her favorite student and that she loves my work. Since then, I have been trying various painting styles with My Mentor, Winnie didi who is very creative and encourages me to practice and keep trying new art ideas. We have made plenty of Best Out of Waste creations together. I really like Galaxy paintings which I first made with Winnie didi and since then I am trying my hand at various versions of this painting style.
Sometimes when I am feeling low, I start painting and that makes me take my mind away from all my problems. When I see someone praise my work it instantly makes my day! At times I try to create a particular design in my mind and it ends up looking like something else entirely. This has also made me realize the importance of concentration and doing a task with all my heart. I find it interesting how my feelings affect what and how I paint and similarly my art affects how I feel. I really want to continue to paint and draw no matter what I choose as a career in future." - Madhu Gawli
Madhu is a mentee with The Lighthouse Project ( @LighthouseIndia ) and is an alumni of our NGO School partner The Akanksha Foundation ( @theakankshafoundation ). The Lighthouse Project connects children from under-resourced communities with working professionals through one-on-one mentoring with the goal of helping these children develop essential life skills, social skills and exposing them to a world beyond their community.