An interview with Mayaa SH – award-winning author, artist, women empowerment culturist

Mayaa SH is a National award-winning author, artist, and a women empowerment culturist. She is driven by passion to write and has composed 45 plus anthologies. She has love for grammar and mental health awareness by engaging in talk as remedial navigation through any situation. She always tries to look for ways to merge the two. She is an avid enthusiast for the three C’s: Character, Charisma and Chivalry. Be it, writing; debating or counselling; she makes sure to dedicate time to every such field wherein the reach is extensive and dedicated towards people in order to make her dreams reach countless souls. Other than writing, she loves sketching, which actually introduced her to convert her ideas into writing poems. She also likes to listen to acoustic and blues music. Being an absolute homebody at heart, yet extroverted, she often fantasies herself as a TEDx Speaker inspiring millions of women all across the globe to live their dreams. She has a dream vision on Building Youth , Building Nation with a mission for the society at large and to create vibrant culture for our nation to help everyone build faster. Being an artist allows her to observe and evolve the way she wants. The creative license gives her a sense of freedom and liveliness. What she likes about an artist is that “Art allows you to paint the canvas of your Life with Bright colours. These colours are such that you can fly anywhere and no one can stop you. All it takes is a little bit of imagination.”

 Interview with Mayaa SH

Brief introduction about yourself.

I would describe myself as a punctilious person, I lay a lot of emphasis on details and be organised in all my endeavours. This helps me explore alternative solutions to problems and have an open mind about what will work best. Intellect captivates my attention in order to strike an equilibrium to the best possible logical coherence in a given situation. Besides this hard working, strong willed, persistent, intelligent, adept, amicable, friendly, collaborative, eager and humble people always win a place in my heart. Being a typical Gemini Honest Communication and Transparency is the primal doorway to anything being personal or professional equations. Simple expressions placed plainly without sugar coating is the basic ingredient to all tasks undertaken by me. Concentration on intellectual than contentious topics are tasks that allow me to lay emphasis on rational analysis to any situation. As a person I am extremely empathetic of those I care about in life.

Share about your writings including the current and upcoming projects.

Most of my writings derive inspiration from the factual reality of life . Most of the themes are based on Social stratification,Economic issues,Diversity Inclusion , Gender Based Violence ,Social disorganization,Public health,Age discrimination,Social inequality,Education and public schools, Work and occupations etc . I also look at ways to reach out to maximum women through the medium of my writings in the most simplistic way and in order to Inspire and Motivate them to be 360 back to life and always bear the courage to start all over and rediscover their inner Strength in Life.

A project on youth led development to empower each individual for work is being chartered on in order to allow Jobs to all and allow them to work with dignity. This is being looked at to connect with more than 1 million youths in coming 3 to 6 months.Besides , Free treatment to women at 5 star hospital in a city in India (name not revealed)-  to cover all the needs of women’s life right from child’s birth to women’s death. Also for women, to render various trainings like handicraft work, yoga, stitching classes, Anganwadi(a kind of rural child care center) etc. to make them self empowered and to provide free knee replacement and cancer treatment at 5 star hospital. Even the cost for conveyances will be reimbursed.

What inspired you to take up writing?

My father has been a prolific writer .He has always encouraged reading a lot and being expressive in one’s thoughts and ideas towards oneself first.Besides, the concept of gender equality as “an investment, such that it can be regarded as a means to promote growth and employment rather than act as a cost or constraint” appealed to me to ink my thoughts and ideas and a stronger desire to contribute to a society’s needs for better self realisation for all . Mainstreaming gender equality is about acting according to the needs of women and men of various social groups. My first solo book “Sindoori” reflects on the ideas and self belief that women must carry within themselves in order to be courageous and strong in life.It is a collection of golden thoughts that echo Strength , Resilience, Harmony , Creativity and Emotional Balance In Life .Women need to be empowered in all walks of Life and also within themselves.

Who is your favourite author and which recent book did you love the most?

Jane Austen is my favourite author .

Manifest: 7 Steps to Living Your Best Life  by Rosie Nafousi is an essential guide to feeling empowered and combating any limiting beliefs in life .

What are the most common things in your opinion that are major sources of stress for a woman?

There are a number of indicators which can induce stress in women .However , the most common amongst them are financial matters , low self esteem owing to constant nagging and denegration of the basic dignity and equality as a human being , job security , health ,relationship matters.Experiencing crime or abuse even verbal ,illness , infertility , bereavement ,experiencing a loss of identity or period of uncertainty, poor access to services such as medical care, housing problems, such as poor living conditions, lack of security or homelessness are few causes of stress in women .

How do you think women should deal with them?

“Life will present you with challenges at every step , it is how we have to convert these into opportunities matter the most . You can win it only by upholding your innate right to be focussed and by staying diligent with respect to your goals and aspirations. The beginning of any work first starts with an aspiration. As soon as the desire arises, for its fulfillment, the mind starts planning for it through imagination. The intellect finds a way to fulfill the desire and in the form of thinking and contemplation, the seeds of innovation start being planted.”

What are we, what is our situation and on what ground do we stand, what are our capabilities? They should not be a marathon run only for a chase for ambitions without knowing and understanding them. Do not keep any imaginary assumptions about yourself or have any such aspiration which is not in accordance with your nature and against your own value system and set of beliefs that comprise the mettle in you.Life is a forward momentum, keep moving ahead leaving behind situations or opportunities that are no longer serving you.

Mental peace is lacking in most youngsters nowadays. We know it’s not an overnight magic, but according to you, what are some tips to achieve it?

Health is an indicator of the completeness of person’s mental, physical and social life. Our mental health is more than physical health. It is determined on the basis of some kind of emotional, mental and social prosperity. Mental health is an index of our thinking and our behaviour. Its reflection is clearly visible in our social relationships to business relationships. The combination of our thoughts, feelings and behaviors and relationships with others classifies our personality. A person is said to have a happy and healthy life when he or she  is free from physical ailments and mental disorders and is enjoying good interpersonal relationships. For achieving this we have to ensure that we constantly feed our mind with positive thoughts and ensure that we try our best to stay away from situations that are no longer serving us or anything that is demotivating us .We have to set ourselves free as well from constant self – doubt and limiting beliefs that we are at times not capable of achieving perfection , instead we must cultivate habits that help us Grow and Evolve firstly at our own level.

This requires some effort and practice. Eating nutritious food and waking up on time is very important. A little walking is also necessary. Healthy lifestyle gives us a good health due to which our productivity increases; Physically we stay fit and get rid of health problems, remain stress free. Healthy lifestyle practices are: Good habits like a healthy diet, getting regular exercise and getting enough sleep, keep common diseases away.

What impact do you think social media has on the people? 

Evaluating the impact of digital technology on youth is important, as these effects will shape their adult behavior and the behavior of future societies. All technologies have clear benefits and potentially harmful effects. As with most issues in life, the solution to the problem may lie in avoiding excessive use of social media and making balanced use of it. Social media is a double-edged sword in the present times. It is imperative to discuss the need to regulate social media platforms to protect youth from the ill effects of them. It is important not to ignore the ‘digital divide’ that exists in India, especially in the field of education. Policy decisions in the name of protecting youth should not result in the loss of future opportunities for youth from disadvantaged backgrounds. Social networks can create ‘peer motivation’ and motivate youth to develop new and healthy habits. Teenagers can also find positive role models for themselves through online channels.Formation of Identity is also essential Adolescence is a time when young people are trying to assert their identity and find their place in society. Social media provides a platform for adolescents to develop their unique identity. Mental health experts and researchers often use social media to collect data that contributes to their research. In addition, therapists and other professionals can network within online communities, expanding their knowledge and reach. Social media has given many an opportunity to express their feelings for each other. With the expression and use of strong emotions, thoughts or energy, it can produce a very positive effect. Social media outlets provide a platform for students to share their creativity and ideas with a neutral audience and receive an honest feedback. The feedback received can be a guide for them to shape their skills better, if they want to pursue that skill professionally.However , mental health problems are in a rise ,many spend most of their time looking at the lives and pictures of their peers on social media. This leads to a constant comparability, which can damage self-esteem and ‘body image’ and increase depression and anxiety in adolescents. Excessive use of social media results in less time being spent on healthy, real-world activities. Sleep deprivation is caused by the habit of scrolling through social media feeds—known as ‘vamping’.Social Relations are also being affected as Adolescence is an important time to develop social skills. However, because teens spend less time face-to-face with their friends, they have fewer opportunities to practice this skill.

The power of social media can be gauged from the fact that it can improve and spoil the condition of any society.

It depends on the user how he is using social media. If it is used for the purpose of knowing and learning something, then a high and ideal life can be imagined.

What are your words of wisdom for the youth who wish to stay away from stress?

Our mind is a Silent Spectator .What matters the most is how we treat ourselves first and how we pereceive our own self-worth.The word “Mental” is considered a taboo to a very large extent , but it should be noted that people are not challenged by issues plaguing them but are hassled more by the outlook of society in general towards them and these matters.It is a social and moral responsibility of all citizens to neutralise their outlook towards anything that might appear difficult or challenging to cope or adjust with , but a more  humane and empathetic not sympathetic approach in life to understand situations will prove worthwhile to build a more resilient and a tolerant environment .

“You need to define set objectives for your own life first in accordance with the pursuit of your passion and goals in life . Once you have done that then ,If you’re not willing to risk the common, you have to settle for mediocricity .It does not matter whether you were able to achieve all your goals within  a stipulated period of time as Success does not come without challenging the impossibilities and impossibilities are not fatal but it is the courage to continue that matters the most.Always stay Postive and Focussed .”

We know you have written several write-ups, some of which are published digitally too. Share your two favorite links where we can read your write-ups!

https://www.thedailybeat.in/what-is-the-essence-of-courage-mayaa-sh/

https://www.webstoryindia.com/feminism-a-modern-viewpoint-mayaa-sh/