I see, hear and observe lot of people talking about Do-It-Yourself (DIY) in the recent times. Almost everyone is aware of it, but let us quickly know what exactly is DIY? Do-It-Yourself is a process of making, modifying or repairing things on your own without the aid of experts. Coming up with your own idea, putting up your creativity and effort one makes a beautiful creation from items readily available.
But there is a lot of argument regarding whether DIY is a recent concept or old. We got in touch with three DIY artists Aarti Shingotre, Geeta Khedekar and Siddhi Sarang, lets us know what they want to say…
All three are of the opinion that the process of creating something new from old or unused items has been into existence from ages. Aarti Shingote, a homemaker-cum-artist says, “It was always there. Like everything else, even this is back in fashion now.” Same sentiments are shared by the other two DIY artists. Adding to this Aarti feels rather DIY was carried on a larger and frequent scale till 90s. It’s just that now it is considered fancy.
Just like everyone else, all the three DIY artists were inspired by some really creative people in their vicinity. “When I was small I always saw my cousin engaged in creating something artistic. Co-incidentally I too was fond of craft. And observing her I was moved to do something similar,” shares Geeta Khedekar, a Hinduja college MCJ student. While Geeta was inspired by her cousin, Aarti was completely unaware of the creative stroke in her till she joined fabric painting class in her 12th standard vacations. “I had never even picked up a brush till then. After the class things started to change, and now I have reached a stage where I take classes for various crafts and creative courses.” Our third artist also has a similar journey. A Software Engineer by profession, Siddhi Sarang joined drawing class in her 7th standard and immediately developed interest in it. She loves to paint, and is thoroughly appreciated by everyone around her. One of them was her college mate who pushed her to be a part of the college festival team. And her creativity was then allowed to overflow.
In school, Siddhi started with drawing and painting. Later she moved to rangoli making. Everyone loved the magic created by her fingers. And one fine day, a classmate approached this studious girl to make a poster for a college event. Gradually she learnt Photoshop which gave a finishing touch to her creations, followed by many other things. Creation of king-sized games from old newspapers and toilet papers, be it Snakes and Ladders, Golf or Literature Casino. Along with contributing her creative skills for the college events, now she also started doing it for self and her dear ones. The playing cards set was customised, where numbers were replaced by pictures of other friends. And the whole set was gifted to a friend on his birthday with total 52 cards. “To be very frank, am not a regular DIY artist. Only when there is some major event or intention I am urged to do it. I made heart shaped candles by mixing and melting crayons with wax. On my neighbours insistence I made a doll from wool for their car. Once I also made an attempt of making a lamp from CDs and marbles, but it did not materialise,” comments Siddhi about her various artistic attempts.
While the Software Engineer does it on demand, Geeta Khedekar does it completely for self-satisfaction. “I have painted an umbrella. It makes it more special as it is my creation and at the same time its’ completely different than others umbrella available in the market. Sand bottle, penguins made from egg shells, a memory box made out of tissue paper, ribbons and diamonds are few of my other creations,” says Geeta. And our third artist has given a professional approach to her art. “After my fabric painting class, I started learning and making many more things. Initially I got in all fabric related stuff, like block painting, one stroke painting, ribbon embroidery and then it started to spill over,” shares Aarti. Visit her home and every nook and corner has her special touch to it. Whether it is pillow covers, bedsheets, table cloth or her clothes everything is painted and designed by her. If you thought only the furniture and wardrobe is induced with her art then also look at the walls. The walls of her house are adorned by canvas painting, emboss painting, glass painting which are once again her creations. On the same she further adds, “In my initial stage I painted pots, lamps, glasses of my house. By using tubes and old plastic tub I also made a waterfall which later became the highlight of my living room. Now along with everything else I also make stuff required for religious purposes. I use velvet, give it a 3D effect add floral designs and it looks very royal. I regularly receive orders for the same.” Baking adds another feather to her hat. Red velvet cake made from beetroot, homemade wheat cake, cakes made from natural fruits are her speciality. Along with taking orders, she also conducts regular courses for cake making.
More than money making, the homemaker-cum-artist prefers doing it to quench her creative thirst. “It is like meditation for me. It refreshes me, while the professional angle gives me the much needed push,” comments Aarti. While Siddhi and Geeta feel DIY utilises your time in the best possible way, challenges you creatively and is easy on your pocket as well.
While in the past, you had an opportunity to observe people in your surrounding now the access is vast. Social media gives a wide exposure. Right from the basics to advance, tutorials are available to help and guide you. All one needs is an ability to learn, a creative mind and little time from jam-packed schedule. Then there’s no one to stop. You can simply Do-It-Yourself.
