Meet team artil: Maragatha Vadivu

Meet Maragatha Vadivu, writer and content creator at artil magazine!

Maragatha, how would you define yourself in one sentence?

"Oh, that’s a tough one! Right now what comes to mind is an aspiring dancer waiting to travel the world."

What brought you to this point on the planet and in life?

"A little curiosity, a little exploration, a little risk-taking and a whole lot of impromptu decisions along the way. As a psychology graduate and someone who has been raised in different countries, being exposed to various cultures and ways of thinking, I am very passionate about raising awareness of mental health from a cultural standpoint. So most of the tasks I engage with, tend to have that as a central theme in order to raise awareness among those around me regarding the importance of mental health in the context of their own environment. Also, I am privileged to have supportive parents and conducive surroundings that enable me to approach new opportunities and push myself to strive for the best regardless of how sparse the resources available may be."

How old are you?

"23."

If you were a song, what would that be?

"I don't have a song which I can say sums me up but I am such an old soul when it comes to music. My default favourites are anything ABBA, La Vie En Rose, She Used To Be Mine and Fly Me To The Moon."

And if you were a movie?

"Again, I don’t think I have ever seen a movie that I thought represented me but one of my all-time favourites is Roman Holiday; it is just such a feel-good movie that you can watch at any time and it is an Audrey Hepburn movie, I mean who says no to that?"

What book lays on your bedside table right now?

"The Tao of Physics; I have been on it for a while now, hopefully, I finish it soon enough to go on to the next one on my pile."

Name one thing you can’t go without

"Time for myself; there is nothing more soothing than having at least a few minutes on your own to organize your thoughts at the end of the day. And on the days where I feel I am at my wits end, it helps me to avoid feeling overwhelmed and puts things back in perspective."

..and a food you can’t say no to

"Anything mint chocolate."

Does dreaming belong to the night only?

"Not at all. Dreaming is not something set for a specific time of the day, and sometimes it is those dreams that help us see, even just for a moment, our goals with clarity and invokes the enthusiasm and the passion we need to achieve them."

What does your daydreaming involve?

"PETS! Getting a puppy or ten and just showering them with infinite amounts of love. That’s the dream!"

If you had the chance to go back in time and say one thing to your adolescent self, what would that be?

"I would tell myself to not worry about what others may or may not think about me; live life to the fullest and make magnificent memories. As a child I used to be very self-conscious - a people pleaser - and looking back I can see a few missed opportunities to try something new. Overthinking how others perceive you is an unnecessary use of your energy and as long as you are not hurting anyone or anything around you there is nothing stopping you from pursuing what you want to!"

What is your biggest dream?

"The next seasons of Mindhunter and Sherlock!"

And your biggest fear?

"Not living life on my own terms."

Beauty is…

"Being unapologetically authentic."

What does artil mean to you?

"artil has given me the opportunity to not only increase my creativity but also share my experiences with other members of the team and vice versa. It provides an avenue where we can share a range of information with each other; since being a part of the team I have learnt a lot of new things which I was not previously aware of!"

What do you do, when you’re not writing for artil?

"I work as an HR assistant for a startup in Dubai and practice as a freelance coach. When I am not working, I am either dancing, playing the piano or Netflix-ing and chilling. It helps me unwind from a rough day and provides a momentary respite from everyday stressors that sometimes become too much to handle."

If you could make a change through artil, what would that be?

"To highlight that although we are all very like-minded we have our streaks of individuality that set us apart from each other. We just need to acknowledge that our stories, experiences and opinions are different, be willing to listen to others and be supportive of each other’s journey. To build bridges using stories."

2021 has just started. What lies at the top of your new year resolutions?

"To not put myself in ‘boxes’ and break out of my comfort zone more often."