Five Questions with Dr. Meenakshi Mohan

 

Today in Five Questions we have Dr. Meenakshi Mohan, a multi-talented writer- artist- educator who, is highly inspiring and mesmerizes by the magic of her paintings and writings both.

SB Q 1: Welcome, Dr. Meenakshi Mohan. We are honoured to have you here. We know that you are an educator, freelance writer, art critic, children's writer, painter, and poet.  You have taught at universities in Chicago, Boston, and, more recently, for Towson University in Maryland. Happy to see that you wear all these hats with great aplomb. But tell us, which is the hat you feel the most comfortable in?

MM: Hello Santosh!  Thank you so much for interviewing me. I am honored to be interviewed by a scholar, writer, poet like yourself! True, I have diversified interests, but above all, I consider myself an educator.  For me, what Andre Gide said is true, "Be faithful to that which exists within yourself.”

Your question reminds me of an episode. I had just arrived in the US from India after getting married at nineteen. I had a bachelor's degree in Education Honors but no job experience. I landed a fairly significant job with an educational organization. I was elated, and in my excitement when I told my father-in-law, he said, "I am happy for you, but I would rather you continue your studies because education is something one can never lose." His remarks stayed with me throughout my life. I am a life-long learner.

Whatever I do – teaching, editing, writing, painting – I consider that a learning experience.  I integrate new ideas and new ways of doing things.  So, education is an umbrella under which everything falls.  To answer your question about what I feel most comfortable with, it all depends on what sparks my interest at a given time.  But I feel equally invigorated by pursuing all of my passions.

SB Q 2: On the contrary, let me reiterate, it is the other way round. It is my absolute honour to interview such a multi-talented person, like you, honestly.   
Well, you are indeed right in saying that we are learning all the time- be it from books, incidents or people [old and young]. And, let me take this opportunity of doffing my hat to your respected and wise father-in-law for veering you towards the right path.   
You are a much-lauded artist, have featured in many magazines and journals, and held many solo exhibitions. Kudos to you for your passion. Which artists have inspired you in your artistic journey?

MM: I like to experiment with different forms of art.  I have done water, oil, oil- pastels, fabric paint, and more recently, I have worked with pen and ink, developing a 3-D illustrative style.  I have had a love of art from the time I learned to hold a pencil – figures of people central to my life with hands and legs sprouting from their heads were the protagonists of my childhood imagination.  My mother, who was an excellent artist, was my first teacher.
 
SB: Yes, mothers are always the first teachers – The first lessons are imbibed from our mothers, consciously or unconsciously.

MM: True! I do not label my art under any "ism" or "ist." I paint whatever inspires me.  A Moment in Life has been the theme of my exhibit.  I like to capture a moment that gives me peace of mind – it could be a family event, a child's fantasy, and world, nature, or my reflections.  I even like to experiment with interpretations of some master painters' paintings, especially Impressionism, Post Impressionism, and Expressionist artists.  Vermeer, Seurat, Monet, Manet, Van Gogh are some artists I have tried experimenting with their styles.  Often my paintings and poems go together.  I painted an interpretation of Monet’s Water Lilies and wrote a poem:

In the hushed silence, the rainbow from far above Furtively descended,

Played hide-and-seek- with the water lilies.

It was the serenity of the moment that kept me mesmerized

And I drowned in a slumber-like calmness.

Last year, I was very much touched by George Floyd’s cruel death.  I wrote several poems and artwork on Black Right Movements.  They were published in different journals including Confluence UK. I am sharing some here.

God is the Color of Water

Who am I?

My confused eight-year-old reasoning,

muddled with fear, knew no bounds.

Is my mother really my mother?

Then, why is she different?

Searching, finding, lost at times,

my body and mind infused with orchestrated chaos,

I looked into the layers of my life’s scanty pages --

find an answer, open a mystery –

I asked with anxiety, and disquiet nervousness,

“Are you my real mother?”

“Yes, child!” you replied.

“Then, why am I different?”

You calmed my soul,

“We are all human beings,

 and God’s creation!

In our differences, we have similarities.”

“What color is God?” I asked.

You replied, “God is the color of Water!”

“But water has no color –

why did God put different colors in making us?”

My curiosity grew.

You smiled and took hold of my hand,

“God is an artist.  The canvas of the world is enormous –

He filled it with different colors to make it look beautiful.”

I smiled, I looked at myself, and I looked at my mother in the mirror –

yes, we were different, yet we were same --

both our hearts full of love.

Up above, and far away, God smiled

through a vast stretch of a rainbow --

shining different colors.

SB: Wow! This is great! You indeed are incredibly amazing.

MM: My art evolves as I submerge myself completely in it, and with it – it takes me to the realm of ideas, imaginations, and possibilities – it is a melodic whisper that guides and directs me when I am painting. As Thomas Merton said, "Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time." I am elated to be nominated The Artist of the Month, January 2021 by DCSAACI (DC South Asian Arts Council, Inc.).

SB Q 3: Hearty congratulations on the nomination!
Yes, we are very keen to know something about the children's books you have authored, especially about your most recent project, which you have coedited with Dr. Anita Nahal- another writer I admire a lot -an anthology of children's poems and nursery rhymes from around the world. I just love the jacket, which, I believe, is a painting by you. Kudos once again.

MM: Yes, the cover of our forthcoming book – Nursery Rhymes and Children's Poems from Around the World, which Anita and I co-edited, is a painting of mine.  In addition, Vikram Chopra has also included this painting in his forthcoming anthology (Corona Crisis -- Gems From Debris: A spectrum of Fresh Reflection) along with my poems.

It gives me immense pleasure to watch the wonder and awe in a child’s eyes – the first steps towards learning.  My book, The Gift, tells the story of two sisters – their love, sibling rivalry, and unshakeable bond.  A dramatization of this book is in process. My grandson inspired The Rainbow in my Room. He was trying to catch the reflection of lights coming through my window on the floor of my dining room. My love of storytelling continued in my life as a mother, grandmother, and educator.  My two-year-old son was the fussiest eater, so to make him eat, I invented the story of Mr. Puppet and his family, who lived in the vent of our small apartment who loved his delicious monster soup (i.e., black bean soup).  I create sing-along nursery rhymes for children, so when Anita suggested co-editing an anthology of nursery rhymes and children’s poems, it seemed like the perfect endeavor and collaboration.  Nursery rhymes and poems for young children are gateways of learning. Anita and I are thankful to all of the poets who contributed their arts and words to our so-loved anthology for children.

SB Q 4: Hearty congratulations to the two of you and all the contributors.
Tell us something about your future projects. For a multi-talented person like you, I am sure you must be working on many simultaneously.

MM: I am working on several projects right now. I wrote a lyrical, fantasy picture book for children between the ages of 3-7, but what is unique about this book is that it also includes resources for teachers in integrating different concepts of learning.  I believe in Reggio Emilia's philosophy, which originated in Italy but has gained worldwide recognition – to teach children through an art-integrated curriculum.  When completed, this book would fit this criterion, and I hope that this could be part of the early childhood curriculums in schools. Some other projects include publishing a book of my verses and art, a Canvas of Words and Colors; a book on education and brain development; and many other ideas are swirling around my mind – I jot them down for future writing references.

SB Q 5: As a very versatile person, who writes, reviews, paints, and teaches with great élan, what would your advice be to the youth of today? 

 

MM: The best advice I could give them are actually words of wisdom written by my husband, Kshitij Mohan. Kshitij was a person of extraordinary breadth and depth of knowledge.  He was a physicist but passionately in love with literature.  In 1993, he wrote a letter to our daughter, and said,

 

"There is great beauty in this world from the glisten of snowflake to the shimmer of a cobweb – from the purity in a child's eye to the principles of mathematics.  Explore it all, enjoy it all and revel in it … let the beauty of the world soak in your psyche."

SB: These words are indeed soaked in hues of impassioned wisdom. Hats off to Kshitij Mohan Ji. Yes, we need to explore the world around us with a child’s curiosity, and allow the hues of beauty to drench us, and not sit moping, frowning, and cribbing. 

 

MM: I would also tell them that we all have our own potential, talents, and interests. Don’t hide your potential, and spend time developing your interests. Use your passions as tools for expanding into different disciplines. Enjoy learning for learning's sake. Some advice for parents and educators too – understand your child and encourage them to forge their own way – be a support and a guide – and don’t try to hem them in or mold them to certain expectations you may hold. When they grow up, they are going to appreciate you for this understanding and love.

 

Thank you again, Santosh.  I sincerely appreciate this interview and the opportunity to showcase my philosophy, art, and writing.  It was indeed a great pleasure interacting with you.

SB: Let me tell you that I end this interview highly enriched and intellectually stimulated. A better person.
Hoping to see you splashing more and more of your creative hues- both through words and paints. All the best for all your future intellectual and creative pursuits.