What is createtcetera?

 

Pronounced "create etcetera", createtcetera began as a blog documenting my design experiments in early 2012 after years of being in the making. In late 2013, it transformed into a Facebook page reaching a wider and a more engaged audience. Then it naturally progressed to an Instagram account (quickly followed by two more Instagram accounts, one dedicated to ceramic collaboration with my partner Parag Pathe called @maatipottery, and another one @cobi_thedawg to document the shenanigans of our puppy, Cobi). This website is aimed to work as a central directory of my projects, a portfolio of sorts.

 

Over the years, I have dreamt and discussed with my close friends, the possibility of embarking on a very special project. That of living my life for art, through art. Createtcetera is the first step towards this lifelong dream. By serving people who appreciate arty, crafty, folksy (and at the same time, contemporary) designs to brighten their and their close ones' lives, I will continue doing what I do best, while bringing beauty and joy to the lives of countless others. Win, win. Right? Right!

 

I believe that each individual is unique, as are their relationships to other individuals around them. Createtcetera is all about creating personalized art, using both words and design, but in myriad ways and means - hence the all-encompassing term "etcetera". I am excited by the idea of developing unique projects for each and every one of my clients.

 

Making stuff, along with writing, has become my form of meditation. And this is my temple. Welcome to createtcetera.

 

Who am I?

 

My name is Atreyee (and I also go by a variety of other nicknames, but that's another story). I am a designer, art teacher, creative writer, dreamer and all-out nerd (yes, I wear that particular cap extra-proudly) based in Mountain View, California. My specialty is mixed media artwork, rich in layers, patterns, textures and colors, inspired by my deep and intense internal and external world. I work with different media like acrylic paint, watercolor, ink, clay, wood, fiber, photography, found objects and mixed media. I am a graduate of Columbia University's architecture school and have previously lived in Nagpur, Pune, Mumbai and New York. Apart from creating art which I cannot live without, a parallel calling is teaching. I have taught art and art-adjacent subjects to students of all ages and abilities since 2015. Apart from everything design, art and craft, I am also passionate about books – especially classics, fiction and comics – poetry, baking and traveling to little known places, preferably with my dog and partner.

 

How did I get into making stuff all the time?

 

That's because I cant sit still. Just kidding. Sort of.

 

I have a background in architecture, design and publishing. Five years of undergraduate studies, a break year of experimenting with different facets of architecture in profession and two years of grad school, followed by one more year of grueling internships makes for nine really fast, rewarding and exhausting (all at the same time) years in five amazing cities. But during all of that (and even the years before that), first and foremost I have been creating. "Duh," you say? Well, I have not been just creating architecture submissions and research papers, but also the following:

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Creative writing, poetry, essays, prose, blogging. Sketching, doodling, painting, using oil, acrylic, watercolor, ink, etc. Illustrating stories, poems and situations. Making greeting cards, picture frames, calendars, comic strips. Photography. Abstraction. Transformation and best from waste. Paper crafts and scrapbooking. Knitting, crocheting, needlework and sewing. Event planning. Home decor. Traditional Indian art forms like mehendi (henna), rangoli, alpana, warli, etc.

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Since 2015, slowly but surely, teaching has become a major percentage of my time, effort and energy. I am as inspired by my students as they are by the projects, concepts and techniques I bring them. Since starting to teach, my art making has evolved into smaller, easy to carry projects. This way I continue to have a daily art practice. Daily self portraits on teaching days. Art journaling to process frustrating as well as fulfilling days. Working on bigger projects, but one small step at a time. Etcetera.

 

A lot of etceteras.

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Why do I choose to continue?

 

As artists are wont to, I leave a piece of my in everything I do. I love to create heart first, works that are authentic, as complex as human beings are, as varied in quality as the world we find ourselves in. While teaching, I focus on the humanity and uniqueness of each person I teach. I like to use different techniques to do so. I experiment with words, color, texture, light, shadows, volumes, etc. to express the best possible embodiment of intangible elements. I like minimal elegance at times, while at others, I feel the need for boldness - in thought, action and creations.

 

I like interacting with people and getting to know what makes us humans tick. I believe that every single person one meets, even if for a minute, changes forever the way one looks at life. Because of that, it is fascinating to me, to be able to design specifically for individual thoughts and tastes, and to have the privilege of getting to inspire you when I get the chance.

 

And so, I continue venerating my paintbrushes and geeking out over the scrap-paper aisle at the local art store.