Meet Poornima Moorthy

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Poornima Moorthy a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Poornima, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?

Seeing my parents work hard to create the amazing life they have, has shaped my work ethic. They came to this country with two suitcases and a lot of ambition to make their dreams into reality. My dad came to the United States of America from India after graduating from medical school. He trained as a nephrologist at the University of Wisconsin Medical School in Madison and then joined the faculty of Medicine. He was involved in clinical practice of kidney diseases, teaching medical students and residents as well as medical research at the university and retired as an Emeritus Professor. My mom came to this country with my dad and learned English while raising three daughters in an environment with no family support. This is my foundation growing up observing them. We were taught that hard work is necessary to achieve one’s dreams.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

Creativity is in my blood. I have a B.A. in Studio Arts from Alverno College and a B.F.A. in Communication Design from the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design. Over the years, I have learned to keep on defining myself and what is important to me. Listening to myself and my inner voice, I am learning to live life with intention and purpose. I have always loved drawing, ever since I was young. I draw because it brings me joy and keeps me emotionally regulated. My goal is to inspire people to feel the many possibilities in life, to feel hope and to feel connected. Using my iPad and Apple Pencil, I create these elaborate patterned-filled whimsical landscapes, combining realistic and abstract imagery. Drawing for me takes me out of my everyday life and on a journey of endless possibilities. Being able to share this with others brings me immense joy.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Looking back at my journey in life, I think the qualities that stand out to me that have helped me in my path are, having the perseverance to keep on going, learning to believe in my creativity and growing into my confidence. Being dyslexic and having to learn different ways to do what comes natural to many, has taught me to keep on going, never give up even if it feels difficult and to lean into my creative strengths. Which I now call my superpower. When I was younger, I did not always feel this way. Going through all the experiences I have been through, I have learned more about myself and really believe in my abilities and skills. Having that confidence in both myself and my direction in life has helped me to accept my purpose. I would tell those early on in their path to trust their inner voice and believe in themselves.

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

I would love to become an illustrator of children’s books and I want to collaborate with authors of these types of books. Please contact me through my website, https://www.poornimamoorthy.com/contact.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.poornimamoorthy.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/poornimamoorthyart/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/poornima.moorthy.art/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pmoorthy/