Meet an Artist: Megha Balooni
from the 2021 art series
Storytelling takes place in many different forms, not just writing. When an artist shares a piece with others they also share a piece of who they are with their audience. We see the expression of their aesthetic, culture, and identity woven into their work.
This is definitely visible in the artwork for Yellow Arrow Journal. During each journal submission period, we ask for creative nonfiction, poetry, and cover art that reflects a chosen theme. We get incredible artwork created in various media and choose the one that best represents the theme.
To celebrate our talented cover artists, we will be releasing a series of blogs to share their stories and the importance that art has on their lives.
The fourth artist that we are featuring in our Art Series is Megha Balooni. Megha is an architect currently residing in India. Realizing her love for stories—written and visual—from early on, she believes these two mediums to be her most strong communications tool. Through her visual designs, she is striving to curate a more inclusive and optimistic world. Her works take inspiration from nature, emotions, and expressions. She also contributes to World Architecture Community, an online architectural publication platform, where she enjoys curating interviews. She enjoys reading, cooking, and spending time wondering. Her art piece, “Lidya,” was seen on the cover of Yellow Arrow Journal, Resilience: Vol. V, No. 1, Winter 2020.
You can find Megha at thelidyart.com or on Instagram and Facebook. And in September, you can see her incredible artwork on the covers of Yellow Arrow’s EMERGE zines: Pandemic Stories and Coming into View. More information about EMERGE will be available soon.
Megha recently took some time to answer a few questions for us.
What do you love most about art and why?
Just the fluidity and how there is no right or wrong in art. Humans are conditioned to abide by rules otherwise we would go bonkers. But with art, you can truly discover yourself. It can be a way for you to express and cope. It can be a way to feel good about yourself, it could be healing.
What are your top five tips for aspiring artists?
Some learnings that I can definitely say apply to all creative endeavors: make a vision board that includes your inspiration and aspirations, have faith in yourself and your abilities, allow yourself to learn and unlearn as you grow (shed that past skin if it doesn’t feel like you anymore!), there’s space for everyone to thrive, and don’t allow your insecurities project onto your personality. Things might seem rocky and too bright some days but if you keep pursuing, it will create a path for you. And lastly, love what you do!
In three words how would you describe your aesthetic in art?
My aesthetic takes inspiration from nature, emotions, and female expressions. It’s a culmination of what I’m feeling the most at the moment which contributes to the colour palette and textures.
Thank you, Megha for answering our questions. You can purchase a PDF of Resilience in the Yellow Arrow bookstore, along with other Yellow Arrow publications.
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The 2021 art series was created and put together by Marketing Associate, Michelle Lin. Yellow Arrow Publishing is a nonprofit supporting women writers through publication and access to the literary arts. Thank you for supporting independent publishing.
