A Symphony of pain (Kashmir Attack - 22nd April 2025)*

Dear Friend's Was deeply disturbed by the Kashmir incident that happened recently. Wrote this poem today.

*A Symphony of pain (Kashmir Attack - 22nd April 2025)* In Kashmir's embrace, a paradise unveiled, Where beauty and peace, a story was hailed. Where sunlight danced, now shadows reside, Innocent dreams, forever denied. Terror's cold grip, a sudden, harsh blow, Leaving hearts shattered, in grief's silent flow. "Om Shanti" we whisper, a plea for peace, For those who are grieving, may solace find release. A world torn by violence, a symphony of pain, From terror's swift strike, to climate's slow drain. Innocent lives claimed, by forces unseen, A chilling reminder, of what could have been. But hope still remains, a flicker in the night, A call to action, to choose what is right. Compassion's embrace, a beacon so bright, Guiding our steps, towards a world where love takes flight. Let's build a future, where peace holds the sway, Where every child lives, safe and secure each day. A world sustainable, where justice reigns true, A legacy of love, for me and for you. From Kashmir's tragedy, a lesson profound, Peace and compassion, are gifts to be found. Let us honor the lost, with a vow we will keep, To build a better world, where love runs deep. (Inset - A picture of the Baisaran Valley, Pahalgam, Kashmir, India)

THE 3 WISE R's

*THE 3 WISE R's* *The three wise Rs*, a mantra we hold dear, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, let the message be clear. With every step we take, let's strive to shrink our trace, On this shared Earth, for generations to embrace. *Reduce*, the first step, a mindful decree, To consume less, for a future that's free, From mountains of waste, that blight our green Earth, A call to simplicity, to give our planet rebirth. *Reuse*, a second step, so simple and true, To give items new life, a purpose anew, To extend their lifespan, a journey they take, From trash to treasure, for our planet's sake. *Recycle*, the final act, a metamorphosis grand, Transforming waste, to nourish the land. From discarded materials, new life takes hold, A closed loop of resource, a story untold. So let us embrace, these principles so bright, *Reduce, Reuse, Recycle*, with all our might For a future sustainable, a cleaner, greener way, The three wise Rs, leading us day by day. A mindful heart, a conscious mind, To lessen our impact, for all humankind. For the future's sake, let's tread with grace, On this planet, our shared living space. © Sukanya Yogesh

A THERAPIST WITH A HEALING TOUCH – PRITHVI BALAJI

A THERAPIST WITH A HEALING TOUCH – PRITHVI BALAJI

PRITHVI BALAJI

“Allow your passion to become your purpose and it will one day become your profession”.

Brilliant in academics Prithvi got an admission into Dental college, but she chose Physiotherapy, as she felt therapy had a direct and positive impact on the wellness of a patient and she could help rehabilitate them and get them back on their feet.

As a child she was fascinated when she saw marked improvement in the progress of the health of a close relative with Rehabilitation which initiated her interest in the field.

Prithvi has a clinical experience spanning almost 2 decades and has worked in world renowned hospitals as well as community settings. With her excellent clinical skills, exuberance and a friendly approach, she soon became a very sought-after therapist and well respected by her fellow professionals and doctor’s as well.

Prithvi, for me is one of the best therapists in Singapore, she has worked her magic upon me a couple of times and helped me feel better with her skills.

Her approach of looking at the body as a whole rather than focusing on the individual factors of an injury or a problem sets her apart. She not only uses Education, advice, Movement, exercise, manual therapy and other techniques but understands the emotional and psychological needs of the patient and handles them with sensitivity and tact. She’s empathetic yet encouraging and firm. 

Physiotherapy can be quite strenuous for the therapist herself and Prithvi has had her share of tough patients going through certain illnesses who have bitten her, pulled at her necklace, kicked her or abused her but that taught her patience she says.

When I asked Prithvi what is it that keeps her driven?

She said, the drive to help someone get stronger by giving them the tools and guidance that they need to achieve their goals is what keeps her going.

She says, that as a physiotherapist, she’s not there to simply provide care and have patients depend upon her, instead she wants them to be independent and functional by themselves.

She humbly says, “I am an instrument that can help and encourage them along the way, the patients are essentially the key to their own successes”.

Massage or Physiotherapy?

For those who think that going for a massage would help rather than going to a Physiotherapist, one must understand that Massage therapy is commonly used for immediate relaxation of pain and muscle spasms, whereas physiotherapy is geared more towards rehabilitating muscle and joint function.

Prithvi says that she loves her profession because there is always a chance to learn new things and helping people. She believes that there is an infinite amount of opportunity and the profession is constantly developing. “You can change a person’s life”. 

Physiotherapists help patients in every aspect of their existence, whether it be their health, confidence, or even overcoming obstacles that seemed insurmountable.

As a physiotherapist, you can inspire the people you come in contact with to live a healthier life and to persevere.

Every patient will become stronger in their own way. You can help them mentally, physically or in their everyday environment.

She says, true satisfaction is when the patient gets better and doesn’t need therapy anymore, he feels stronger and ready to take the world, that for her is success.

Prithvi can balance her professional life so well thanks to her supportive husband and son. She says their support has given her the wings to fly solo and start her own clinic “Absolute Physio Care”, A venture she started so she can reach out to as many people as possible.

Prithvi is also a Certified Lymphedema Therapist from Klose Training, Lafeyette, CO, USA and is currently working on developing a cancer rehabilitation programme.

She is a highly skilled professional who enjoys working with clients requiring pre and post-surgical rehabilitation, neurological rehabilitation, Geriatric rehabilitation and lymphedema management.

She holds a full registration under the Allied Health Professional Council in Singapore.

She has been council member for Singapore Physiotherapy Association and currently is a serving member on the National Panel of the Transplant Ethics Committee.

To experience getting treated with a difference

You can contact -:

Prithvi Balaji

Call - (+65) 9686 1202

E-mail - prithvi@sgabsolute.com

Address - #01-09, East Point Mall, 3 Simei Street 6, Singapore-528 833.

Website - http://sgabsolute.com/

(Login to her Website to know more about the services offered)

 

Different Strokes

A Segment featuring and honoring local & International Talents.

© Sukanya's Hobbies And Crafts

A freelance content writer, she has written articles for various websites on varied topics.

© https://www.sukanyasmusings.com/

 

  

THE PHOTOGRAPHS AND TEXT OF SUKANYA'S HOBBIES AND CRAFTS CANNOT BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT PERMISSION AND WOULD BE CONSIDERED A COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT.

MASTER QUILLER - PRIYANKA GUPTA SARVAIYA

MASTER QUILLER - PRIYANKA GUPTA SARVAIYA

PRIYANKA GUPTA SARVAIYA

(Paper Artist, Designer, Entrepreneur, Art/Craft Trainer at Just Love Crafts)

Priyanka Gupta Sarvaiya has been a quiller for more than a decade and works with paper to create everything from greeting cards, photo frames, pendants, and earrings to designing artworks for reputed agencies. Her recent venture of DIY Quilling Kits designed and packed exclusively by her was a rage.

Introduction to the Art

“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” 

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

This quote from Emerson aptly describes Priyanka. 

I first noticed her brilliance as an artist, when I saw her beautiful installation of a bounty of handcrafted paper flowers strewn about creating an illusion of “spring with blooms” at Tatini’s Art Show.

Priyanka is the first and only Accredited quilling artist in Singapore to achieve an accreditation from the prestigious Quilling Guild UK for paper quilling art in the year 2018 and recently from the North American Quilling Guild (2020).

Art Calling....

Priyanka holds a Masters degree in Investment and Finance from London as she went on to pursue the path that everyone including herself thought would be right for her. But having an artistic flair since young she did not stop, even on a student’s budget, and discovered quilling purely by chance in one of the art shops in the UK.

Priyanka discovered that one does not need a lot to begin quilling. However, looking at Priyanka’s intricate work I would say it definitely needs loads of patience and creativity.

She says, “She loved the art of quilling so much that she kept going back to it as and when she got a moment whether happy or sad. Quilling made her the happiest and that’s how she realized that she had found her Calling.

Eventually, when she got married and moved to Singapore, she continued with this art and she started writing about her Journey with Quilling through her Blog, “Just Love Crafts” 

From there began her journey…..

Her work got noticed and she was invited to conduct her first quilling workshop at NTU with the Staff Recreation department and it was a thoroughly enjoyable experience for everyone involved and ‘we didn’t wanna stop for hours’.

There was no turning back from there. She ran more workshops for NTU and many others, people started noticing her works and before she realized she was a sought- after Artist.

She thanks her Husband Jatin Sarvaiya who encouraged her to pursue her dreams and do what makes her happy.

Phenomenal Journey from A Master Quiller to a Paper Artist

Priyanka loves using paper in every possible form as it’s such a versatile medium. It's colorful, widely available and we are surrounded by it. Though quilling is and will always be her first love, she went on to discover more paper crafts such as decoupage, scrapbooking, paper cutting, origami, paper mache, etc.

Recycling & Upcycling

Recently Priyanka has been doing a lot of upcycling using magazines, newspapers, packaging, invitation cards, even Toilet  paper rolls and she turns them into something beautiful.

She speaks about conservatively using the wealth that nature has endowed us with. 

She’s part of Various groups that believes in Freecycle, Recycle & resource sharing Art supplies, and other things.

Animal rights Activist

Priyanka has a compassionate side to her. She cares a lot about the abuse that we humans do to animals to satiate our gastronomic desires and decided to go Vegan.

Recently she along with a few crafters helped crochet, knit, sew a range of items including koala mittens for burned paws and pouches for infant "joey" kangaroos who have lost their mothers in the Australian bushfires

The Evolution of Quilling

When you talk to Priyanka, you can feel the excitement in her voice when she talks passionately about quilling. She says, ‘I love testing my limits in Quilling’. She talks about how it has evolved over the years with newer and newer tools flooding the market though she maintains you only need paper and glue to begin. 

The reason she likes to do quilling is she feels because it’s a very simple craft,  it’s therapeutic, easy to take up, and has a lot of potentials.

Priyanka has taught thousands of people by means of workshops and public events and believes it brings joy to not only those who learn but to herself too.

Achievements and Dreams come true....

Priyanka’s achievements are parallel to none, her work - 'Kaleidoscopic Singapore' was one of a kind Science meets Art project and the biggest display of quilling in Singapore and possibly in South East Asia. It was her dream project as she always dreamt of doing Singapore Landmarks in Quilling. It was done as a community project with over 200 participants and at least 20,000 quilling flowers had been used.

She was featured on Yahoo TV as a part of their Creators series, Straits Times, Home and Crown magazine, and several other media features.

She Offers paper art/science fusion programs and designs art classes for different market segments.

She has worked on a number of private and Government commissioned projects as well as teaches different forms of crafts at various public and private venues including NLB, Science Centre, Community Centres, Schools, and corporate offices.

She has single-handedly managed and delivered many creative projects for the public and private sector organizations from start to finish with efficiency and accuracy.

Curated the MakerFaire space for EarthFest for the last three occasions as a Director. EarthFest is a leading sustainable festival and the MakerFaire aimed at Inspiring and supporting people and organizations to make more environmentally sustainable choices through art education and engagement.

Participated in several Maker and art events on both national and international level by means of installations, artworks, workshops, and seminars

She has presented her artworks to PM Lee as well as the President of Singapore on public occasions and believes she has been fortunate to get those opportunities as an artist.

Recently Priyanka was featured on Mediacorp Radio Class 95 for a quilling chit chat and a demo to RJ Jean Danker trying her hands on quilling for the first time.

 

Do click on this Stunning video showcasing Priyanka's achievements

Priyanka aspires

To get people to respect quilling as a mainstream art form rather than a hobby.

Priyanka says that Quilling is an extremely fun, easy, and ‘addictive’ craft to take up which can be practiced by people of all age groups and gender and requires no special skills.

To learn from the Master Quiller herself do get in touch with her and watch her Facebook page Just Love Crafts for upcoming workshops.

Conduct art/craft/upcycling/mixed media workshops for both kids and adults via multiple platforms.

Her "DIY Quilling Kits "to encourage more people to quill turned out to be best sellers.

Her message to all those who wish to pursue art is, “Never give up, if you have the passion in you and you are dedicated, you will surely get noticed for your works”. 

She feels sad that many people who are talented give up.

“Do not be afraid to travel a new path; It may be the way to find what you’ve been looking for all along.” 

If you want Priyanka to conduct a workshop, learn the art or get an artistic arrangement made by Priyanka…..

 

You can Contact -:

Priyanka Gupta Sarvaiya

Singapore

Handphone No. +65 86984405

Blog - Just Love Crafts

Facebook - Just Love Crafts 

Different Strokes

Segment featuring and honoring local & International Talents.

© Sukanya's Hobbies And Crafts

© https://www.sukanyasmusings.com/

 

 

 

 

THE PHOTOGRAPHS, TEXT AND VIDEOS OF SUKANYA'S HOBBIES AND CRAFTS CANNOT BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT PERMISSION AND WOULD BE CONSIDERED A COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT.

Unique Innovative Liquid Cotton Kolam/Rangoli Art

Unique Innovative Liquid Cotton Kolam/Rangoli Art
My fascination with Kolam begins with the days when my mother (Amma) used to draw different shapes at the entrance of our house. Sometimes she used to draw a pattern on paper especially the geometric ones and then recreate it with the Kolam powder.
On festival days she used to soak the rice and a wee bit of Udad dal/Urad dal and then grind it into a fine paste and dip a small rag cloth (meant especially for the purpose of drawing kolam) into the paste and squeeze with her fingers and make patterns deftly on the ground.
As a child I used to be awe struck and always wanted to try.
Never did it come as perfect as Amma’s.
As the days passed, I did get a hang of it but it would never turn out as perfect as Amma’s.
She was an expert in Ma-kolam and Podi Kolam (Powder Rangoli) and she would draw them religiously each day every day.
A kolam is not drawn only with the purpose of decorating the entrance but it serves a greater purpose of feeding the smaller beings like ants and other insects or even birds, thus defining a harmonious co-existence.
In the South of India, it’s believed that drawing a kolam is to invite Goddess Laxmi who symbolizes wealth and prosperity.
The patterns usually range between geometric and mathematical line drawings around a matrix of dots to free form art work and closed shapes.
Folklore has evolved to mandate that the lines must be completed so as to symbolically prevent evil spirits from entering the inside of the shapes, and thus are they prevented from entering the inside of the home. This means that it is also for good luck and protection.

Evolution of Kolam
As times passed, the humble Kolam Evolved and now we have various types and styles of drawing the kolam like flower rangoli, colored rangoli and water rangoli to name a few. 

Innovation of the Liquid Cotton Kolam/Rangoli
What is Liquid Cotton Kolam / Rangoli?

This is a special type of Rangoli/Kolam made using the traditional south Indian rice paste but drawn using a strand of cotton. (You can either use a cotton bud or a satay stick with cotton wound around it)

We must pull out some cotton so that it comes out like a brush (This part is tricky)

It isn't as easy as it seems.
A lot of control is needed as you are handling a liquid to draw and the strand can give way or change shape while drawing.

This style is innovated by me and is an Improvisation of the Traditional South Indian Ma-kolam, with a twist to help people whose hands have been affected by Arthritis.

How this innovation came into being?
Every year for Festivals, we make Ma-kolam. Ma-kolam is the traditional south Indian Kolam and without drawing it, the festival seems incomplete as it’s a ritualistic tradition passed down from generations together. It is done to welcome the Gods/goddesses to out home on festival days.

I got diagnosed with Arthritis in my early 40’s and started finding it difficult to sit, squat, bend on the floor to draw Ma-kolam.

Since my hands were also affected it became challenging to draw Ma-kolam.

While I was contemplating on a solution, I got the idea of customizing boards being made especially for the purpose.

Once that got done, I started making Ma-kolam on the boards and placed it wherever I wanted it to be placed.

Now, I could sit comfortably at the dining table and draw my Ma-kolam.

No compromise on the rice paste though as I need to serve the greater cause and stick to the traditions as well.

While doing this, last year I wanted to get more innovative and draw festive based themes and not the traditional patterns only.

I shared it on my social media handles and got rave reviews for it.

People personally messaged me to appreciate me on my Kolam designs.

And thus, came into being the Liquid Cotton Kolam / Rangoli

Now I sit where its comfortable and draw the Rangoli on customized boards.

They say that, "Necessity is the mother of invention".

If you want something, you will always try your best and put all your energies in getting it.

“My love for Drawing Ma-kolam made me think of this idea”

- Sukanya Yogesh (Sukanya's Musings)

(©Liquid Cotton Kolam/Rangoli Art) 

#LiquidCottonMakolam #LiquidCottonRangoli #sukanyasmusings #Truimphoverarthritis