Over the past year and a half, the coronavirus pandemic has affected the lives of most of us in one way or another. For those who lost their jobs because of it, life came to a standstill. Our today’s story is of one such person who, despite losing his job due to COVID, resorted to his passion without giving up, and today stands as an inspiration in front of all of us.
From Surat, Jalak Desai She also turned to her hobby of painting to deal with the pandemic, with no idea that she would be able to turn her childhood passion into a thriving profession and make money selling it. It is worth mentioning that Jalak was very interested in painting since childhood and also used to participate in competitions in school.
Although an artist was always alive within her, 31-year-old Jalak decided to pursue a career in medicine because neither she nor her family were sure she would be able to succeed through the arts.
“Nobody supported me because art is considered as a volatile career. “
In the year 2011, Jalak after completing his Masters in Pharmacology started working in a pharmaceutical company with a monthly income of Rs 12,000. However, after working in this field for almost 4 years, in the year 2015, Jalak took a three year break to take care of his children.
When his child turned three, Jalak again turned to the professional world and began teaching in 2018 as a visiting lecturer in pharmacology at an Ayurvedic college, continuing his journey until March The coronavirus pandemic in 2020 did not bring the world to a screeching halt.
After losing his job during Covid, Jalak decided to take back his childhood hobby amid the lockdown to keep himself busy and started posting his created artworks on social media profiles. In no time, his unique artwork was flooded with praise from friends, family and many strangers. The immense admiration of the people inspired Jalak to pursue the arts full time and then he never looked back.
A year ago, Jalak, on the advice of her loved ones, started a website called ‘JD Creators Lane’ where she showcases her works. Jalak received Rs 15,000 for his first artwork. Since then, she has sold more than 40 paintings and has managed to earn around Rs 3 lakh, which is much more than what she earns in the pharma sector. Not only this, his artworks have also been bought by many celebrities including Gujarati film actor Prenal Oberai.
“When I sent a picture of myself to actor and comedian Hemang Dave, she couldn’t stop praising me,” says Jalak.
Fulfilling all her responsibilities as a mother and wife, Jalak devotes at least four hours a day to her art and works with a variety of mediums such as canvas, bottles, and works ranging from abstract works to The paintings of Shrinathji and Buddha depict many subjects, which are close to her heart.
In a conversation with BusinessKhabar, she said, “I don’t want to be an all-rounder, but I love doing all kinds of artwork as it gives different kinds of creativity. Resin art is currently the hottest trend and I have made 30 wall clocks, 6 wall pieces, coasters and many more so far.
Jalak comes from an era and family where traditional careers were considered the norm, and so she put her passion behind. She admits that despite being sad, she continued her career in the pharma sector as she had a degree in the subject. However, later after the encouragement of his loved ones, he embraced his passion back.
“When I look at my paintings I realize that I have wasted many years of my life. If I had started earlier, I would have achieved a lot.
Despite a late start, Jalak’s business is booming, and she has bought a new home to store his paintings as there was no space left in his current home. She says with a smile that people treat me differently now, no one sees me as a pharmacologist anymore, they all refer to me as an artist. I have become really popular in my circle of friends and family.”
Finding her passion, Jalak wants to inspire other women to do the same. She hopes to train women who have an interest in art and help them sell their works through her website and exhibitions. Jalak believes that women should become financially independent. Financial independence gives a different kind of independence and confidence that every woman deserves.
Jalak’s story is truly inspiring. She has proved that if passion is pursued with a strong will, success is definitely achieved.
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