We were lucky to catch up with Nistha Dube recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Nistha , so excited to have you with us today, particularly to get your insight on a topic that comes up constantly in the community – overcoming creativity blocks. Any thoughts you can share with us?
I’ve learned that creativity is something you must first live, then curate, then befriend, until you find yourself doing it all over again. Just as you would find the perfect balance of making plans while letting things flow in a friendship or relationship, creativity also requires an intentional balance of systems, flow, and lived experiences.
The best example of this would be when I published my first book, beyond the skin. While I had started writing individual pieces for myself in 2019 to process a growth journey I was experiencing, I had no intentions of publishing the poems in a book format.
About 1.5 years later, I came back to the pieces as I felt called to develop and share them, and found myself in a state of flow for the following days. I added a daily routine of consistent morning practices, blocked out times for writing, evening routines, and step-by step deadlines to the process to systemize the process and all additional elements involved (consultations, cover designs, editors, etc.).
Within 9 days, I had my first finished book.
Since then, I’ve struggled with putting out more works. I’ve created the systems, played around with ideas, developed some pages, yet still find myself struggling to continue.
This is when I lean into living. Simply being, fully in the present. Devoting myself to moments, walking away with memories. Be it walking, dancing, traveling, making art, or meditating, I find that in this space of detachment from any products is when my most magical ideas develop. Whatever is born in these moments, I can bring to my journal later, picking up the pieces as I go.
Having fixed strategies in your back pocket is essential for an artist. I often use fictional writing prompts from a simple Google search or social media to fuel my imaginative ideas – which can often take me on several creative tangents.
Lastly, you must wholeheartedly fall in love with this process time and time again. While experiences and systems are key factors to the equation, creativity must be seen as our friend. We cannot be frustrated when it is going through its own motions, its own stages of hibernation, waking, or activity. We must let it be what it is, and love it for how it shows up.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
A large part of my mission is to empower individuals to cultivate intentionality and purpose in their everyday lives. Much of my creative and professional work encompasses a wide range of topics within the umbrella of self-discovery, such as mindset development, introspective techniques, and tuning into one’s inner self. In my podcast, Rising, you can hear from a range of industry professionals- all the way from Forbes-featured CEOs to Vedic monks, on their journey of embodying self and creating purpose.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Resourcefulness: Diving into a career directly out of college with zero blueprint, I had no idea what each day would look like. A lot of my work involved scrappy ideation, cold phone calls/DMs, free online courses, basic content creation using my phone, free book publishing/podcasting softwares, and virtual networking/coworking events. Believe it or not, you have more tools and opportunities than you think- free of cost as well! Evaluate what you have access to everyday and ask yourself how those tools can be put to use to use.
Readiness/self-starter mindset: At the beginning of freelancing/entrepreneurship, you’ll inevitably have to wear a ton of hats until you scale. Be ready to become a student all over again, diving headfirst into podcasts, books, courses, and more, while managing all components of the task. It’s not about perfection at this stage, rather learning and getting comfortable laying the groundworks.
Consistency: We all know results don’t come overnight. Often times, it can take 100+ pieces of content, podcast episodes, or more, until you begin to see a bit of consistent traction. Without consistency, it can be easy to write projects off as failed attempts. Everytime you feel like things aren’t working out, challenge yourself to x number of more attempts- perhaps doing them slightly differently this time based off of how the last product performed.
To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?
My parents have always given me the space and opportunity to explore my creative pursuits from a young age. Growing up, I was fortunate to experience a variety of creative activities with them- ice skating and ballet lessons alongside my dad, practicing foreign languages with my mom, going to acting auditions with my parents, and brainstorming family business ideas together. They encouraged me to keep going even when I had doubts in my ability to continue building out my ideas. As an Indian American, I cannot explain how important this was to me. To not only feel like I had the freedom to push the envelope and break barriers I had typically seen around me, but to feel empowered in doing so and eventually help others explore a nontraditional path as well. Ultimately, I owe it all to my parents, and couldn’t be more grateful for their sacrifices and efforts.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.nisthadube.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsnisthaa/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nistha-dube/
Image Credits
Adil Naghmi
