DIDIHOOD ~ Issue 35

Happy New Year Didis! 

In our final send off for 2020, we hosted 12 days of giveaways on Didihood's Instagram page and we wanted to thank you all for making it a huge success. We were able to highlight Canadian South Asians and their creations and businesses and gift the goodies to members of our community! 
Thank you to everyone who generously donated for the giveaway: Natasha Ramoutar, Woodlot, TKC Design Inc., Sahajan Skincare, Ghlee, Vivek Shraya, Dhivya Visuals, Moms Chai, Navi Gill Wellness, Anoosha Syed, and BloomaMind by our featured Didi Maiyra Wasid. 

Meet the Didi: 

In our 12 days of giveaways, Maiyra Wasid — the creator of BloomaMind — donated one of her art prints and two of her stickers to the lucky winner on day five. Maiyra is a Toronto-based artist dedicated to bringing representation of the beautiful South Asian culture in the art world. She has also worked as an art instructor teaching art classes to at-risk youth in low-income neighbourhoods. 

When did you discover your passion for visual art? 

My passion for the arts actually began with the show Dragon Ball Z! I used to watch it a lot with my brothers when I was five years old and I started to draw out the scenes that we liked. The drawing just kept going and I started to draw everything from my toys to plants, family and friends. Not long after that, I became obsessed with all forms of visual art from film to photography, digital and traditional artwork. By my senior year of high school I had dabbled in all of it and knew I'd never be able to do anything else.

You are a self-taught artist; how did you hone your craft? 

Truthfully, all my work is just a product of practice. When I first started, I was unable to create anything new. I just had a huge passion for the arts and kept practicing and learning through the years and it got me to where I am now. I still consider myself a student and I'm still learning new things every day. It truly is a lifelong journey.

What pushed you to pursue art as a career?

Initially, I was very hesitant to pursue it as I was always told there were no jobs in the art industry, and I was also receiving a lot of judgement from friends and family. However, my high school art teacher gave me some sound wisdom. He told me that art is everywhere from the chair we sit on, to the buildings we live in; art influences everything. Following my passion was a risky move at the time, but one that I definitely do not regret.

What are some of the hurdles you faced in establishing yourself as an artist? 

Being South Asian, the community mainly embraces three careers — doctors, lawyers and engineers. When I first declared I was considering studying art, it was immediately dismissed and discouraged by everyone around me and not having any support or validation really set me back. I would feel insecure about my work and did not view myself as a real artist. Instagram and social media were a huge game changer for me because I received support from so many strangers around the world that would tell me how my work influenced them and made them feel. Knowing that pushed me to keep going and keep expressing myself through the medium that I loved.

Tell us about the pieces that you feature in your Etsy shop: 

My Etsy artwork is heavily inspired by South Asian culture. I like to highlight the beautiful parts of the culture while also addressing some of the problems within it with my stickers and paintings. I draw my inspiration from the small things like our food and spices all the way to the language and people. I feature a lot of stickers because I like to make my work accessible and affordable, as art deservedly should be. I aim to create more representation for South Asian and Muslim people because growing up in Canada I was never able to see my likeness represented in the mainstream media. That is why providing the right representation and inclusivity is so important to me.

What advice do you have for Didis looking to follow a similar path as yours? 

Remain strong and true to yourself. Do not doubt your capabilities and do not underestimate your magic. Life is short and if we do not do what we love, we are doing a disservice to ourselves. The world is changing every day and there will be so many new opportunities and jobs available for you to do what you love. 

What's next for you? What projects do you have in the works? 

I am so excited for 2021 as it will be a busy one for BloomaMind. There will be lots of new sticker releases along with new art prints and originals. In the future I plan to expand and dip into artistic apparel, making my artwork wearable for everyone. I hope to grow BloomaMind into a safe and beautiful platform in which there is something for everyone, and all who explore feel welcome. 

Upcoming Events:

If you participated in our most recent mentorship program, we are hosting a virtual panel event this month featuring mentors and guest panellists with expertise on freelancing in the gig economy across various industries. Keep an eye out for an email from us with the event details. 

What we're reading: 

The Farmers' Protests in India are ongoing. This is an issue that affects us all and of course hits close to home as many Didis in our community have family members protesting. Here are some online resources that we've been using and articles we've been reading. These pieces explore the issue from a feminist perspective, as well as highlight organizations that have boots on the ground in India such as Khalsa Aid. 

Oxfam India's report on the role of women farmers in India: "Move over 'Sons of the soil': Why you need to know the female farmers that are revolutionizing agriculture in India"

Feminism India published a piece on: "How art the recent Farmers' Protests in India a feminist issue?"

Rupi Kaur published an op-ed in the Washington Post called: "History shows Punjab has always taken on tyrants. Modi is no different."

Khalsa Aid International is posting updates on their efforts to support the protesting farmers on their Facebook page. Donations can also be made here. 

Trolley Times is a four page bi-weekly newspaper in Punjabi, Hindi and English founded in December 2020 to give voice to the Punjab and Haryana farmers.

For more information and resources, check out this Farmers' Protests Resource List. 


— Nikkjit Gill 

Issue 35 
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