My art website address

Hi Everybody, here is a link for my humble art website. I'll keep developing it as i grow :-). Thanks for your support always.
www.kamlikachandla.com 

The Essence of Childhood

I’m surprised, that the more I mature, the more I think about my childhood. I wish I had known that those arduous growing years, full of longing and aspirations, dreams and desires, wonderment and haste, anger and pain, inspiration and perspiration, questioning and settling, were going to turn into the most memorable years of my life. As I age and continue to transition through adulthood, I realize that one’s childhood is indeed the most impacting and determining phase of one’s life. It does not only remain a reservoir of memories but a constant source of reference while treading through new horizons, especially later in life. It’s as though you may venture out in any direction but your childhood and all its components remain the anchor. Especially, the darker moments have a more lasting and prominent place. Research in cognitive psychology has established that by now, so, it’s no mystery!

As an adult myself, I now realize what one’s immediate environment can do. It can either serve as a launching pad to propel forward gloriously or a diffuser that limits you to rise. The support one’s immediate family provides can go a long way in giving the strength and conviction to do well, to believe in oneself, to be virtuous, and most importantly to have a good value system that can guide one through. Whatever is put out in the environment is absorbed. It is a fact that children don’t do as they are told, but as they ‘see’.

 How much one provides monetarily does not have as big a role as we might think it does. Resources can only help in facilitating goals and the meeting of wants, but it is the emotional strength that offers a much richer, more sustaining foundation. It can give the strength and insight to deal with any ordeal and embrace every little joy.

Although my childhood was quite a mixed bag, full of adventure and many a shades of gray, it serves as a constant and consistent source of inspiration. It’s a true friend of mine, for it doesn’t only offer me insight as to what I must do, but often reminds me of what I mustn’t engage in. It teaches me a continuing lesson of good and bad, and helps me appreciate every bit of life. I was somewhat of a ‘parentified’ child growing up (which I learnt later while studying psychology) and hence, the more reserved and thoughtful one. But that is what helped me restrain and observe, pause and absorb, and urged me to evaluate while the other children my age were lost in the wonderland of being playful and carefree! That has had its consequences of course and turned me into this reflective person. However, I take it in my stride and with the risk of sounding boastful I have to share that I learnt very early in life how to make the most out of a situation, how to use every calamity or adversity to one’s advantage. I figured that requires a lot of patience and strong will power, but that is what makes you resilient with time. Today, I feel I have the inner strength to face anything that life may offer, and that too with grace and balance and perhaps a positive outlook… And yet, my childhood remains the most precious ‘time’ of my life thus far. In fact some of my most treasured memories are of the time spent with my siblings! It doesn’t seem to matter at all ‘what’ we did, but just the fact that we did it together, silly or stupid, significant or not, just the ‘experiences’ and ‘adventures’.

And although, it is not good to live in the past, it is essential to reflect and draw from it, the essence and beauty it offered. Even the dark moments are tools for introspection and improvement such that ‘mistakes’ are not repeated and that lessons are learnt.  Our own childhood may not come back but we can revive and relive it vicariously through our progeny, our nieces and nephews!

I encourage all of you to remember how important a role we can play in bringing up our children by just being positive, conscientious, and genuinely engaged. The quality time, love, and energy that we invest in them would reap the greatest rewards, the deepest joy. Even though this may be hard at times because of many a responsibilities, we must remember that for our children this is the most critical period, teacher, and base to grow from, or indeed become/remain a source of sadness for the rest of their lives. The best gift that we can ever give to a child is a ‘childhood’ indeed; for we all anyway have too long of an adulthood to deal with! So lets invest in our children, love them, spend time with them and let them dream on. Lets sow such seeds of strength that whenever they stumble, they have the power to withstand any setback with courage and a fondness for a place called ‘home’ and family, even when we are long gone…

Kamlika

Feb 22^nd 2013

Chicago.

Follow your true calling..

You wouldn't know that the whole world is waiting for you until you get out and appear on the stage! Believe in yourself and follow your true calling... The rest might not be as important as you think.

When you have it all..

Ironically, it is when you acquire/have acquired whatever you ever wanted that you realize what you really needed/need.... 

Real love...

Real love liberates you and teaches you benevolence and selflessness... And, then you are free!

Your Heart

When you hit the rock bottom of your heart, there are only two things that you can do: In that depth, befriend the truth, or remain a victim of delusion... 

Motherhood is something like that thing called love, it gives unfathomable joy and the most excruciating pain.... And your child is like that fresh crimson rose that never ceases to charm with its sweet fragrance...

Silence talks, teaches, and heals....

Life is only as much worth as we give it, but if we don't .... then life has a special knack to slip by, betray, and squander...
Embrace it and indulge in it.....