An Interview with Rachna Vohra
conducted by Aaron B Jackson
Who has influenced you as an artist?
At the beginning, I had a pen and the words. As I grew older, I had a pen, a feeling, and the words. When I started becoming more introspective, reading books of my choice, rather than books of my teachers’ choice, I discovered spirituality and inspiration. The moment I read Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet, I found a writer to aspire to. I realized that a single word could change the core of a person and I wanted to be the person who altered the course of someone’s life in that way – I wanted to be an inspiration, just like him. Soon after, I became enthralled with books in the “self-help” section of the bookstore – The Alchemist, The Little Prince, Jonathan Livingston Seagull, Illusions, Mister God this is Anna, among so many others. Each of these books came into my life at different times and changed the path of my mind’s growth. The combination of all the words in those books was so simple, but the depths that they reached were so complex. Each of the writers of those (and so many other) books have influenced me and inspired me to become the writer I am today.
How would you describe your writing and style?
I’m not sure what kinds of styles are out there, but regardless, I figure my style is the Rachna style! I think my writing is emotional – I write best when I am overwhelmed with feeling. Somehow the words just flow better when I am feeling something intense inside. I always hope my writing is inspirational to others. My aim is to make people feel when they read my work. For children’s stories, my writing is aimed at fostering imagination, which I feel is sadly lost in today’s world. So I use the characters and stories to tell a tale that I hope will make a child dream up fantastic images, often while learning good lessons at the same time.
Do you feel that your work with groups such as The Make a Wish Foundation has an effect on your art?
Inevitably, my work with the Make a Wish Foundation has had a profound impact on my state of mind. And my state of mind is what affects my writing, so yes. It is a little selfish indulgence of mine to sprinkle magic into a sick child’s life, and I call it a selfish indulgence because I can’t imagine my sick children’s joy outweighing the amount of happiness I derive from locating their lost smile. They inspire me to inspire others, and I do that through my art, through my writing.
Describe your experience as a teacher in Bangalore.
India itself is an experience – one that I believe everyone should have. I went there wanting to save the world, but in the end, I think the children at the school in Bangalore saved me instead. The Parikrma Humanity Foundation, where I volunteered, runs three (and more to come) schools for street, slum, and orphaned children in the slums of Bangalore. They provide a full package – nutrition, health services, community involvement, family aid, and most of all, education, so that they will be the generation to change the course of their family’s life. These are children who would likely be begging on the street if it weren’t for this NGO. Going there and meeting the children taught me a true appreciation of life; the teachers, staff, and volunteers taught me selflessness.
It isn’t the easiest thing to teach English to children who are not exposed to it anywhere except in school, so I didn’t manage to get much knowledge across to them in the short few months I was there – call it overwhelm of circumstance. But the most important thing I did while I was there was to be there. They didn’t have anything, yet they had so much more than I had. They had life, not things, which is more than I can say about most of us in the “first world”. They were so proud of their home, even if it was a brick tent on the side of the road. After school sometimes, I would spend time with the children at the ashram or orphanage where they were staying, and I was humbled. They pulled out mats to sleep on the concrete floor and ran up the hill to play with rocks and twigs, but they were so happy.
In the end, the children definitely taught me more than I taught them. I learned that being happy is a choice, not a result of environment or circumstance. That love doesn’t need to be deserved or earned before being given. That sometimes, all you need to do is hold someone’s hand and smile at them, and that is enough. That being present is the best gift you can give a child. But most of all, I learned to appreciate the privileges I have in my life.
What are the benefits and disadvantages of running your own editing and writing company?
Running your own company is hard, especially when you’re starting up. It’s a struggle because I have to wear every single hat – I’m the owner, the supervisor, the website designer, the PR person, the consultant, the accountant, the employee, the customer service rep, and everything else! So the time and energy it takes to play every single role takes its toll. I think the hardest task for me is promoting the company on my own, with no help, and finding projects to take on.
On the upside, however, I get to choose which projects I want and don’t want to accept, I get to manage my own schedule, and I basically get to do exactly what I want to do in my life and when. But I think what I like best is that the only person I have to ask for a vacation is me, and I usually don’t say no!
What, if any, are the connections between photography and writing?
I’m inspired by everything and everyone in my surroundings. The way I see it, photography is everywhere. As long as I have my eyes open, I see a picture. And as a writer, I see everything that happens around me as a potential story, poem, or novel. So the image in front of my eyes at any given moment is always just a word away from being my next greatest tale. In that way, whether I write the words or click the shutter on the camera, that’s my story – words or images.
How has your heritage impacted your work?
Initially, I wrote to write. I was inspired by imagination, daily events, and the people around me. Now that I’m older, I notice my writing beginning to encompass and reflect my culture more – the colours, the sounds, the words, the events. I seek out the story that is not in front of my eyes, and am always looking for a different perspective on things, which is why I’m lucky to be a part of more than one culture. Having grown up in Montreal, but with a strong Indian influence, I try to meld the two to create works that touch on all aspects of me. I like to write about anything and everything around me, and in this way, you might find a story where the main character or theme is South Asian, just as much as you may find a funny poem about Santa Claus, or a love poem in French!
Through what means would someone purchase your books?
My books are currently available on my website at www.rachnavohra.com. I have been working on getting them on Amazon as well as with other distributors, so that will happen slowly but surely (when I have a chance to put my sales hat on!).
In five years, what do you hope to be doing?
At job interviews, I always dread this question. In five years, I always just hope to be a better person than I am today, so I can look back and know that I moved forward rather than stayed stagnant. I hope to be bringing joy into more people’s lives. I hope to be an inspiration to others. I hope to find my own way of saving the world. I hope to be wiser, more peaceful, and have more self-knowledge than I do today.
If you want the “doings” answer, though success can only be measured by the person whose success it is, I hope to be a successful writer, and I’m aiming to have a few more books under my belt (and hopefully selling well!). I am looking to improve my photography and have it displayed in a professional venue. I want my editing business to have enough projects to sustain me so I don’t have to do my day job. I hope my clothing line takes off running. And I hope to open a centre for the arts… but the details of that are a little secret of mine!
What is your favorite Bollywood film and why?
This is a funny question because I’ll usually watch anything. I can’t really choose a favourite, but I can say that I like poetic movies – ones that truly embody art, love, or spirituality. Oh, and I love movies that make me cry!
Find out more about Rachna from www.rachnavohra.com
Find out more about S’Apostrophe from www.sapostrophe.org
See some of the So’hum Creations clothing line at www.cafepress.com/sohum
