Colours, Canvas, and Creativity

A well-known art curator, artist, social activist, and art critic, Dr Meenu Kumar, Founder-Director, Cosmo Arts India Gallery, holds several other key positions. She holds a PhD in Multimedia and has authored many books on the subject. Dr Meenu has also co-authored a book called ‘Passionate Pursuit of Visual Poetry’ with British writer, Marlyn Rushtin which dwells on her profound awareness of art. She is passionate about serving society and participating in social welfare initiatives. During the pandemic, she participated enthusiastically like a true warrior by organising immunisation drives and distributing masks and dry rations to the needy. Well, that’s not enough to her credit as she also runs a ‘She Shakti movement’ to empower young and specially-abled women artists. In an exclusive interview with Corporate Citizen, she talks about her work philosophy and how she maintains a work-life balance

Corporate Citizen: How do you set out your priorities to keep your work and personal life balanced?

Meenu Kumar

Meenu Kumar: I breathe art that makes me complete emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually. Art teaches one to be a good soul and helps strike a balance between personal and professional life. Relationships with family, friends and loved ones are just as vital as your career. I believe in striking the right balance by prioritising my goals and splitting my time accordingly. I make it a point to finish my office job on time, and I avoid using my phone or working when at home with my family. I frequently arrange random outings with family to spend time together and prefer having at least one meal of a day together.

CC: While on the move, what helps you the most in maintaining calm and peace?

Colours, canvas, and creativity provide me with serenity and peace. I prefer to spend time with my loved ones, listen to some good music or create a new piece of art to retain my calm. Also, I like to avoid social media since negativity on the internet is disturbing.

CC: What keeps you fit and healthy?

In order to keep fit and healthy, I have made a few simple lifestyle adjustments. I always make an effort to eat on time and never skip breakfast. I take milk or protein diet in the morning; I eat whole grains, sprouts, veggies and fruit salads during lunch, and for dinner, I stick to soups. I avoid binging and forego coffee and tea in favour of green tea and plenty of water to be hydrated. Also, every morning I dance for onehour and perform yoga for at least 20 minutes as it helps me stay fit.

CC: How do you like to rejuvenate and recharge and de-stress?

My profession as an artist and art curator keeps my heart, mind and soul engaged in a very positive way. I also enjoy designing jewellery and clothes that are influenced by art. Music and dance also help me feel rejuvenated. I love dancing and enjoy Bollywood music. I even play the piano in my free time.

CC: Five tips that work the best for you to maintain work-life balance.

Prioritise and analyse: At the beginning of the day, one must first assess the typical demands of the day and learn to articulate and prioritise what you have on your plate.

Take breaks: Taking micro-breaks from a hectic schedule can help you relax, reduce stress, and improve concentration.

Meditation: Try to take out some time to relax your mind and meditate or perform breathing exercises to overcome work stress.

Flexibility at work: Have open discussions with the team to understand everyone’s needs for flexible working hours as that really helps. Exclusive family time: Set aside some time to focus only on your family. Ensure that everyone is on the same page.

CC: Do you play any game which helps you in your work?

My favourite sport is swimming, and it helps me unwind from my heavy workload and teaches me how to be joyful even when I am stressed with work.

CC: What is the secret of your success?

In my opinion, the key to success is to get rid of the things that hold you back, such as laziness, negativity, and the fear of failure, and replace them with healthy, productive habits, such as working towards your goals and dreams.

CC: What is your philosophy of work?

My work philosophy includes a robust approach toward my goals. I keep researching my company’s mission statement, objectives, market niche, demands, risks, and competition to be ready with solutions for risks and strategies to grow my business well in advance.

Also, work is essential to me because I appreciate doing things that will either benefit or alter someone’s life, even in a small way. When I’m at work and have a problem, I use my motivation to assist others to solve it. Helping customers overcome challenges gives me a sense of fulfilment in my job. In addition, I have realised if my work benefits my co-workers, I am more driven to accomplish those duties. Working with others has helped me succeed in the profession, and I consider myself a team player.

CC: What message you would like to give to youngsters on time management?

One of the challenges we all encounter is time management. It is one skill that assists with boosting productivity to setting realistic goals, avoiding burnout, and achieving a work-life balance. You regain control of your day with effective time management. Time management skills are essential as they help to prioritise work and make value-based decisions, resulting in more free time, less stress, and improved well-being. To correctly manage time, I believe it is necessary first to recognise where your time is going and then develop reasonable objectives to allocate time for meaningful work. Also, make an effort to distinguish between urgent and important tasks.

CC: Can you define yourself in one sentence?

I am a divine feminine soul who embodies aesthetics, artistic creativity, intuition, knowledge, compassion, and inner empowerment.

CC: What dreams remain to be fulfilled?

Cosmo Arts Gallery began as a dream, and today, thanks to my and my team’s hard work, it has grown into a huge success but there is always more to accomplish. Since I already have a foreign clientele, I want to establish Cosmo Arts India Gallery branches worldwide and make it a well-known brand.

CC: Where do we see you 10 years from now?

I view myself as one of the most prominent entrepreneurs in the field of art internationally; by growing my Cosmos Art India Gallery all over the world in the coming ten years.