Anjana Varghese is a self taught artist who is super woman by day, creative by night. With a career in the medical industry, she is a serious powerhouse who sees art as her escapsim.

We spent some time with her to find out more…

Tell us about the journey that lead you to become a full time artist?

I have always loved and enjoyed painting from a very young age. Like most people who enjoy art, I did art at GCSE and then unfortunately didn’t pick up a paint brush until third year of medical school. One of my friends kept asking me to paint her something for her birthday, and eventually I gave in and painted her an autumn-themed painting. After creating that painting I realised how much I loved to paint and then I began to paint more and more. Starting off with painting gifts for people which then led to me thinking that I could sell my paintings. Whilst working as a full time doctor during Covid, I started to paint during the weekends or on my days off. Painting allowed me to completely escape medicine and it really helped me relax and avoid burnout. After painting for a while, I then created my own website to sell my paintings and used social media to promote my art.

Where did your love and interest for art come from?

I have always loved painting even as a young child and especially loved using bold vibrant colours in my paintings. I find it easier to express myself through art than words. At the end of the day, art is powerful and as the saying goes ‘a painting speaks a thousand words’. I have always been curious about light and painting is all about understanding light and how it interacts with everything else in the world.

How do you want people to feel when they use your artwork?

I want people to feel empowered and moved by my artwork. I want my art to evoke an emotion in my audience, that emotion is completely up to the viewer. I want my audience to keep discovering new elements in the painting which draws them in to ask more questions. People should be able to feel connected with my artwork and feel like they have been inspired to explore this world further. I want my paintings to inspire people to travel the world and appreciate the natural beauty of the it. In my eyes, nothing beats nature, which is why I particularly love to paint sunsets, seascapes and mountain views.

Looking back since launching the business, is there anything you would do differently?

If I could go back I wish I could have launched my business earlier and engaged with social media platforms from the start to promote my art. I also wish I never had a break in painting and I wish I did art at A-Level too.

For anyone interested in launching a career as an artist, what advice would you offer them?

Practice and practice and keep on practising. Always have a growth mindset and keep painting as much as you can because the more you paint, the better you will become. I would advise you to create your own website alongside using social media to sell your art.

Talk us through an average day in your life…

An average day would start with me coming back from the hospital after working 9-5 day and then after a quick break, I will start painting. I am usually a fast painter especially when it comes to sunsets, I paint for a few hours till around 9pm and then relax with a movie and go to bed around 11pm. I prefer painting for the whole day like on my off days or weekends as I can get more done in the day.

What do you do when you are lacking creativity?

I think we all sometimes feel the lack of creativity and I think the best thing to do is to go back to painting something you really love to paint. For me, whenever I feel stuck, I always go back to painting a sunset and then slowly I feel more motivated to paint other things. Sometimes you have to force yourself to paint and when you take that first step, then you get into a creative mood.

What is your go-to quote when lacking motivation?

It is really hard to pick one quote, but these three are among my top quotes.

‘If you really want it you’ll find a way, otherwise you’ll find excuses.’

‘The teacher has failed more times than the student has tried.’

‘Don’t compare your page 1 to someone else’s page 100.’

Our readers love to travel, what destination is on your must visit list?

I love travelling and most of my landscapes are inspired from places I have visited while travelling. I am a keen photographer and I often use my travel photos as reference to paint from. I really want to visit Latin America, especially Patagonia. I would love to explore the amazing landscapes of South America and I really want to paint Patagonia one day.

What does self care mean to you?

I think these days self-care has become unnecessarily complicated. For me, it is all about the basics. You need to eat a healthy balanced diet, have a good sleep routine, exercise and create time for fun and relaxing experiences with your loved ones. In a regular week, your time should be divided to cover these four areas: career, health, relationships, and personal hobbies. I believe life is simple but not easy.

Where can people find out more?

To find out more, you can check out my website www.anjanavarghese.com and follow my on social medical platforms:

Instagram.

Facebook: Anjana Varghese Artwork

Tiktok: Anjana_Varghese

Email: anjana@anjanavarghese.com

Author

Northern girl Laura is the epitome of a true entrepreneur. Laura’s spirit for adventure and passion for people blaze through House of Coco. She founded House of Coco in 2014 and has grown it in to an internationally recognised brand whilst having a lot of fun along the way. Travel is in her DNA and she is a true visionary and a global citizen.

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