Every few years, I go through a decluttering exercise to identify Creative inspirations and things that keep me sane. I’ve realized how often this means films, books, and songs for me. I think as a child these represented a refuge for me, and continue to do so. After 9 years, I also rewrote a personal creative manifesto, that I recently published as a free resource for Peerbagh. Some things are exactly the same while some others I feel have moved to more evolved states. But it’s incredible how my core remains similar.

In general I think it’s a good thing for the fact that core values or inspirations allow us to center ourselves. It’s like going back to creative or inspirational roots. As long as we take that as a well that needs to be consistently nourished, it feels like a positive association. There are also phases, where I’ve not paid attention to some parts of me, and now as an adult in her 40s, I feel it’s more critical than ever. I define this as self-care and self-growth that we owe ourselves unabashedly.

So, whether it’s listening to a Shah Rukh Khan playlist from his early days to start the day, or the sound of rain while typing, or finding ways to draw or paint. DDLJ songs always take me back to a time in school when we were coming back from an inter-school quiz competition in a bus from Haridwar to Noida. We insisted the driver only play DDLJ. I remember one other person from school who was on the bus, but this memory is set clear. With Chandni, I remember wearing a white Salwar-Kameez and wanting to borrow my aunt’s chunni to run around Peerbagh like a mad person or dancing with my cousin in our kitchen to entertain everyone. In general they represent such simple yet joyful or emotional times.

If I ever made an inspiration wall at home, it would include, Shah Rukh, Chandni, Mowgli, Mill on the Floss, Bawarchi (Rajesh Khanna), New Delhi Times (Gulzar), a children’s camp in Yusmarg, and a Telvur with Sheer Chai. Have you thought about objects and memories that give you comfort or a push toward new inspiration? I use the questions from the Creative Manifesto as self-learning tools to ask myself that.