Turning passion into a business: How the pandemic spawned solopreneurs

The socio-cultural-economic impact of the lockdown has been and will continue to be analysed and discussed for decades to come. What's also interesting is the psychological and behavioural changes that are being seen across the world. With an unprecedented amount of leisure time on their hands, many people turned to their hobbies and discovered passions old and new - be it gardening or baking sourdough. It is not a surprise that enterprising individuals furthered their passions and started businesses. Mid-Day.com spoke to three inspiring women who monetised their passion projects.

Abstract customisation

PR professional by day and artist by passion, Sakina Gandhi started Project Inkart in May 2021. Pic/Sakina Gandhi

Public relations professional Sakina Gandhi uses alcohol ink to make abstract art out of the ordinary. The Mazgaon resident is the founder of Project Inkart - a small business that customises coffee mugs and tea cups. "I have always been a creative person, as a young girl whose notebooks were always filled with sketches and doodles and as an adult who loves abstract painting with acrylic and watercolours. Art has always been very therapeutic and healing for me. I love watching the colours flow and merge, giving rise to new types of shades and shapes."

Speaking of her experiences during the lockdown, Gandhi says, "The lockdown was extremely challenging owing to the intense work hours and increased family responsibilities. At the same time, I discovered alcohol ink art on YouTube and was absolutely enamoured with it. I wanted to try it immediately and was thrilled after my first attempt which was followed by some serious research. Today, I can confidently say that I have read up and tried everything on the internet relating to alcohol art. After spending innumerable hours on reading, I started inventing my own techniques."

After her husband nudged her to start posting her works on Instagram, she started receiving a tremendous response which motivated her. "When I founded Project Inkart, I discovered another side of myself, one that is fuelled and constantly energised in a pursuit to be better. I started in May 2021 with just one wall clock and three mugs, I could never have believed that 6 months later I would have close to 6,000 followers and have made a significant amount of sales through Instagram. It feels amazing to see people on Instagram loving and appreciating my work."

Starting a small business during the pandemic is not easy. "The journey has had its share of ups and downs. I was constantly trying to innovate and try new techniques that have not been done before. The products you see before you are a result of countless hours of trial and error. After multiple attempts and several broken cups I have been able to finally perfect my art.

Imparting valuable advice to budding entrepreneurs who want to chase their passion, Gandhi concludes, "People with great passion can make the impossible happen. Believe in yourself and your skills and more importantly take that leap of faith which will get you out of your comfort zone."

Collaborative creation

Kosha co-founded Mitti, a collaborative space for artists in November 2021. Pic/Kosha Shah

Thirty-four-year-old Kosha Shah is an illustrator and co-founder of Mitti - a co-working and collaborative space for ceramicists, artists, and designers. "My passion has always been to create something. As I grew up, mediums have been changing, but the urge to create has not. I am a multidisciplinary artist that dabbles with different mediums and fields. I illustrate with pencils, watercolours, soft pastels, digital tablets and off late with ceramics too. This urge to create also led me to start a space of my own that is called Mitti and a brand of my own called Oshkosh Paper Designs."

The lockdown enabled her to spend more time pursuing her passion, during which Mitti was born. "I have always been in the creative field but I realised I need to create an identity of my own. The idea turned into reality during the lockdown, which gave me much more time and freedom to add finesse to my work which was not possible earlier. I wanted to create a brand of my own that would also satiate the hunger of artistic abilities. All I had to do was find a bridge between what was in my head and reality. The lockdown helped me plan things and put them in perspective."

Being an artist, Shah realised the importance of a dedicated space for creative people to interact and create, "People require a safe haven of a kind to do their best work. That is where the idea of my co-working space was born. There are many co-working spaces for the corporate sector but none for the art sector and thus that idea gave birth to Mitti - a space which artists, designers, ceramicists can hire for their practice and to work on their skill.

Her journey from an artist fuelled by passion to someone who turned it into a feasible business has been rewarding. "Initially, I never pursued my passion so it could turn into money. When clients started approaching me to turn my illustrations into commercial artworks, that's when I realised that art along with being unique also had a commercial aspect to it. We just started Mitti in November 2021 and we're yet to see how much money it makes, but it definitely does give me joy to have a space that can create a beautiful community. Taking that leap of faith will certainly help you sleep peacefully knowing you are pursuing a passion that gives you complete joy."

Writing her own

Trained in calligraphy, Pooja picked up a calligraphy pen after seven years to eventually start Ink n Bliss. Pic/Pooja Manohar Bhagwat

Pooja Manohar Bhagwat started Ink n Bliss - a calligraphy and design studio - broke away from monotonous corporate work to pursue her unrelenting love of calligraphy. "Since childhood I was very particular about good handwriting, and had a keen interest in arts. I completed my graduation in arts and learnt calligraphy from my talented teachers but after completing my studies I started working with advertising agencies. I got caught up in the busy schedule, strict deadlines, an almost 24x7 working culture and started losing interest. I turned to calligraphy after 7 to 8 years which felt enticing and liberating."

The Borivali resident's studio provides custom calligraphy services for luxury brands, corporates, weddings, and events. During the lockdown, she invested time in bettering her skills. "I got the time to work on my skills during the pandemic. Many master calligraphers started teaching online, so I invested that time in learning new scripts and honing my skills through daily practice."

Talking about how passion fuels her work, Bhagwat shares, "I think passion is not actually a side hustle, it's in our blood 24x7. You just need to channelise it in a way where you can earn a living, and can satisfy your soul too. Planning is a key step followed by learning, it never stops. Learning and exploring new things is a part of the process."

The challenges of following one's passion are many, similar to the rewards. "There are going to be moments of despair, loneliness, frustration in your journey but if you keep yourself inspired, things will start turning in your favour. The biggest benefit of passion is you love what you do, and that will keep you on track all the time. Just know that there is no right time, there is just time, and what you choose to do with it."

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