Meet Veda Murthy | Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Veda Murthy and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Veda, have you ever found yourself in a spot where you had to decide whether to give up or keep going? How did you make the choice?

There are many reasons why artists feel like giving up. Fear of failure, fear of comparison, the constant pressure to consistently create something extraordinary, self-doubt, and making enough money to make ends meet. I am sure a lot of people will agree with all these reasons and have at some point in their life felt this. I have been there so many times when I felt I am going nowhere, I am not making any money, or do people really like my work. If there is one thing I have learned, it is not to seek validation from anyone. You do something because you are passionate about it and not because you need approval.

Social media has not made it any easy either. You have to constantly put the effort in creating great videos of your work in action. If you take a break from posting, the algorithms push you down. It’s like you are starting all over again. If looking for a few likes or comments are something you seek, then it will result in disappointment. Yes social media is necessary to connect your art or showcase your art to more people. But it can also make you give up easily, because your account does not have that many followers or not reaching a wide audience.

No journey is ever easy, whether you are a creative or sports person or just about any profession. There are some people who reach their destination faster, but for some, it might take longer. At the end of the day, asking questions like does this make me happy? Is this my way of unwinding? Do I feel strongly for this goal or does it match with my values? If one can answer these questions honestly and it truly makes one happy, then it’s important to keep going. So never ever give up!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?

I have a full time job and I am currently a part time artist. I try to juggle between both I love doing both. While I have steady income with my job, painting part time is my escape and meditation. I am the happiest when I start painting. I never knew as a child that I could draw or paint. I found my love for drawing when I was studying biology in grade 12. I had a fantastic teacher who taught us drawing cells was art. I took great care in drawing all the diagrams in zoology and microbiology observation records. From there, I felt I was good at this and actually genuinely enjoyed it. That’s when my mom encouraged me to take art classes. I learned drawing and painting from a teacher in my hometown. It was calming for me. I tried many mediums but my most favorite is watercolors, mixed media and gouache. I think one of the biggest challenges that an artist faces is trying to cater to everyone. I have made this mistake too. Your work should come from your heart. Eventually you will find your tribe.

I still have a few of my earlier drawings/paintings. I can see how much my work has changed and gotten better. I cannot stress this enough. It’s important to practice and stay consistent to get better everyday. I never realized this earlier. I feel like every year I am getting better. With consistency, you will find the medium that you enjoy the most.

My work is inspired by Indian mythology, travel, and Indian heritage. Blue is my favorite color and you will find that in almost all my paintings.

This year I want to focus on having more prints, mixed media art and want to experiment with stationery in my Etsy shop.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
There are a lot of places in and around Michigan that I would like to take my friend. My favorite places to travel are Mackinaw Island, Frankenmuth, Port Huron, Ann Arbor, Pictured Rocks, Holland and Detroit Downtown. I love how vibrant our Detroit downtown is. Riverwalk is not to be missed. Oh also Detroit Institute of Arts. There is so much variety of food here. I love Oberweis for their ice creams. My personal favorite is coffee flavor with pecans. I would also take them to NeeHees which is an Indian fast food joint. Papparoti is a great place to drink chai and their signature bun. Rochester hills brewery is also a great place to hangout. Summer evenings are so lively.  There are also many breakfast places I would like to take my friend along like Rochester Brunch house. If they are here around fall, then a trip to Yates Cider Mill is a must. Their donuts and cider are out of this world.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are so many people that have encouraged me when I’ve doubted myself. My parents and sisters have always supported me. My mom is my biggest cheerleader. Every time she sees a new painting, she will specifically message me every detail that she liked. I remember the first time, my dad told me he was so proud of me, when I exhibited my work at an art fair in my hometown. My husband and kids are really supporting and encouraging. Both my kids love art and I am glad they have that time when they want to unwind and relax. I would like to thank all the people, who have bought my artwork. The joy of seeing your work beautifully displayed in a patron’s house has no bounds. I found a great community of artists from around the world, who I learned a lot from. I would like to thank each and everyone that has helped, supported, and inspired me throughout my artistic journey.

Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/Vedamurthy

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vedamurthy