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Give me Wings!-not everything is on the internet.


I told my Boss's wife ,I want to quit as my thesis is about to start and I need time for preparation for my masters,a very dumb excuse,I know. But,somehow, whatever she said,convinced me not to leave.I was not a quitter. I sat in front of the computer and instead of looking for "interior ideas for bedrooms" I searched for Butterflies!

Back in 2013,after coming back from my training in Kolkata, I was keen to join a firm on a part-time basis.But in Lucknow,what I observed and what I felt was unfair and made me upset,was that girls /women were not encouraged to go to site visits of the projects that they were handling.Unlike,my present office,where the second day of my joining I was sent to three site visits of the projects that I was supposed to handle.

Anyway, so I joined an Office. Now, After around a little more than two years, I think that was a very good decision,given the training I received,after architecture, in Interior designing ,as well. It was a small firm,mostly doing interiors for residences, at that time. The Boss was cool and unlike my last experience, the people were young, vibrant and energetic.
Although, my course was B.Arch with specialization in Interior Designing, there wasn't much taught to us about "Interior designing",so after a few architectural sections,detailing and designing I volunteered for some Interior designing work. And IT WAS A NIGHTMARE.

I was asked to design a daughter's bedroom. Lack of knowledge of materials, pea-size experience,brought-up in a house where walls could only be "painted" in shades of cream or beige led to a design which had a childlike painting of  a young girl ,of course"downloaded from the internet" with ,as far as I recall, some graphical design in pinks and whites. What a disaster! But that was what I would do if I was given a wall of my room! paint it! definitely not in pink ,although. LOL.

And so after a few weird glares from my colleagues on my computer screen and an awkward stare by my bosses' wife, I was asked to research.

Next day ,after my "research" in magazines, I sat with my best friend ,whom I had always trusted for almost everything, during my Bachelors- "Google". I thought there was no point in wasting time thinking of new ideas, as I had a pre-conceived notion that- all ideas are already taken, done by somebody ,somewhere,out there in the world and was on Google. The result was even more pathetic.It made me cry!(Like almost every other thing.Am extremely emotional ;) :[])

I told my Boss's wife ,I want to quit as my thesis is about to start and I need time for preparation for my masters,a very dumb excuse,I know.But, somehow, whatever she said,convinced me not to leave.I was not a quitter. I sat in front of the computer and instead of looking for "interior ideas for bedrooms" I searched for Butterflies!


There is a fine line between copying and taking inspiration.For me, my source of inspiration was this beautiful insect that has always intrigued me,since my childhood. And so I started my design.Ignoring all the comments,that I was again doing something stupid,doing something which was organic, and not very geometrical or abstract,and definitely not something which was the trend followed there.
"It also emphasises on "FREEDOM" which is the deep desire of every girl!"
This was a page turner for me.I got my lesson for life. There is always scope for that little thing called "originality" in your work.It was highly appreciated by my boss and readily accepted!I could see a shine in his eyes ,the way he looked at it and then at the drawing.Eventually it also got published in a local newspaper.But by that time I had already left that office for finishing my course.      
           
Working in this firm was a thrilling experience.I was also guided by the Principal Architect,my boss, for my thesis. His vision,his guidance, his scoldings and his encouragement were things that made my thesis successful.His selflessness and urge to instil the passion of architecture into the young to-be architects, taking time from his super busy schedule,is what I truly adore and can never repay back!



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