TRUST ME I KNOW WHAT I'm DOING

Abhay (00:00.098)
Hey friends, this is Abhay Dandekar. Before we get started, don't forget to subscribe to Trust Me I Know What I'm Doing on YouTube, Amazon, Spotify, Apple, or wherever you listen or watch. That way you never miss our show celebrating the vibrant Indian and South Asian global experience. Thanks.

Hi, I'm Gayatri Chouhan. I'm an online craft artist and this is Trust Me I Know What I'm Doing.

My name is Abhay Dandekar and I share conversations with talented and interesting individuals linked to the global Indian and South Asian community. It's informal and informative, adding insights to our evolving cultural expressions, where each person can proudly say, trust me, I know what I'm doing.

Hi everyone, on this episode of Trust Me I Know What I'm Doing, we share a conversation with craft artist, Gayatri Chouhan. Stay tuned.

Abhay (01:05.422)
So you can probably ask anyone who knows me well that while I certainly appreciate arts and crafting, I am not inclined nor do I have any gift of making things. But maybe my knowledge, skills, and attitudes are about to change. So Gayatri Johan is an online craft artist in India whose vibrant and terrific creations blend tradition with a fresh modern vibe. Her work harmonizes the simple and sophisticated.

and offers a compelling flair for crafters of all ages, and even those crafters who may not even yet know that they are craft artists in the making. Through her digital presence, she's inspired a growing community of makers to discover and rediscover the beauty in handmade art. And we're so grateful to share some time with her. Gayatri, thank you so much for joining. Trust me, I know what I'm doing this evening.

Hello. First of all, thank you to you and let's.

Excellent. You know, so in thinking about all of this, all of this is certainly a journey for you. But so when do you first remember crafting?

So this is my childhood hobby. So whenever there is a vacation, I used to do crafting at home rather than playing outside with kids like friends. there's one day I was making a gift for my friend watching a YouTube video and it was not looking good. So I made it again and in my own way. And I showed to my brother that let's see my one is better than the video.

Gayatri (02:39.586)
Then he said me that you should also start a YouTube channel and post your videos on YouTube. So he helped me for the first video and in starting I was very shy but after getting comments and likes I get a little confident to post more content. Like this is how my journey started.

You know, after that first video, that second video, when did you start feeling more comfortable with this skill that it became a little bit easier to do?

When people are commenting me that they are waiting for my next videos and you are doing really great, then I feel more confident to post more videos.

Yeah, so almost that idea that people are now maybe have an expectation that they want more videos from you. Yes. And that sort of fueled some of that confidence. You know, in the beginning, at least, when it started becoming more popular, what did that feel like? Because in the beginning, it was just a hobby that you were doing as a child. And now this was growing and really helping people and giving something to look forward to for many people.

I feel really good when people say that it's very good craft. I really like reading and and making It was my hobby before. I know lot of crafting. in every field. But mainly people like gifting more so I gifting.

Abhay (04:14.05)
You know, a lot of your crafts and cards are so beautiful because they're so simple, right? And for you, why is simplicity so important?

So actually when I was kid and I watch YouTube videos and try to make something from watching videos I feel really bad because that material that fancy papers was not available in the market. So when I started YouTube channel I decided that I will use simple and easy to available material so everyone can create after watching my videos. So that's why I keep things very simple and basic so

Everyone can enjoy and also try to make them by themselves. That's why I make simple crafts.

You know, does so it's definitely something that is appreciated, that is things are simple that people can make. That's not so complicated and they don't have to get expensive materials either. Yes. But do think it requires on your end, a lot of effort to make sure that the projects are simple? Yeah. That even even the presentation for a viewer might be simple, but it might take a lot of effort to make sure that it looks so simple.

Yes, it took a lot of efforts and I thought twice and how can I make it simple, as beautiful and as a meaningful. So it took a lot of efforts.

Abhay (05:41.922)
Do you have to sometimes in making sure that things stay simple, do you sometimes have to take some projects and say, no, no, I can't show that because it's too complicated or it's not simple enough.

Yes, there are some of the crafts which looks really great. So I try to explain in my YouTube tutorials, how can it. There are a lot of crafts that they are really difficult. So I don't make that type of crafts in my videos because it will going to be more difficult for the audience as well.

Do you do you find yourself that you want to make those crafts?

make everything, but I limit myself that this is not my field. You know, there's a lot of things to create and I really love to create a lot of things.

Yeah, yeah. So how do you make sure that you put those limits on yourself? Because for someone who likes to make everything, you can't make everything on, you you have to focus a little bit.

Gayatri (06:43.918)
Actually, there are certain people who like the same things what I am posting. If I post something different, they don't like it. Then I thought, let's leave it. If people are not liking it. But sometime I post like I, tomorrow I posted a Rangoli video. That was really good for me. But I think my audience doesn't like that Rangoli video.

That's difficult, right? Because you know, when you really love to create and make everything, you have to make sure that you're sharpening this a little bit and focusing a little bit so that you also like, yeah, you your audience likes it, you stay true to your audience. And that's also important. You know how I'm just thinking about this, but how do you deal now with mistakes and errors? How do you manage some of that?

Yeah, when I was younger, I feel really sad that I made this mistake. I have to make it again and I leave it sometimes. But now I thought that mistakes are also leads more options, more creativity that I can make it more better. So now I just calm and repeat this if needed or make it more, try to make it more beautiful out of the mistake.

Yeah, yeah. And sometimes, you know, do you find that even showing the mistakes is an important part of the craft making process?

Yes, it's important that if I'm making the mistake here, the audience will also stuck there. So that is also important to show the mistake that this can also be happened with the audience too.

Abhay (08:22.38)
Yeah, almost like a warning for them that when you're doing this, make sure that you also don't duplicate the mistake.

You know, you have such a large and growing following online. I was thinking about this. How do you balance the work that you do so that it is appealing to both beginners and also to more advanced craft artists at the same time?

Yes, like on Instagram, post, there we can post only one minute video or short videos. So in that I showed only few steps, how can an artist can understand how it's made. But for beginners, I post long tutorials on my YouTube. So if there is beginner want to learn something, they can go to my YouTube channel and watch the full video and all the measurements I show there.

what kind of materials I using. So I made both videos so everyone can understand and make that card. Make that crafts.

Now, you know, I'm I'm in my 50s and I'm not a young person anymore. But, you know, I'm imagining that you must get people who are interested in this of all ages. And have you found that your listeners and your viewers and your audience will share that? Yes, you know, I like this, but I'm a young person. I like this. I'm an old person that you're getting an audience of all different ages and all different skill levels also.

Gayatri (09:54.624)
Yes, yes, all type of all ages people are like my crafts like there are a lot of ladies who are aged but still they love crafting. They comment also they messaged me that we love your crafts and I see a lot of women's and men to young young people and kids also a lot of parents also messaged me that please create crafts for kids also that's why I created a separate page for kids. So

They are all ages people who are watching my videos.

I think that's great, right? Because it's great for parents, it's great for grandparents, and not only is it good for their children if they're helping them, but they can actually learn some of these skills themselves. You know, especially for parents and even for anybody out there, we talked about how the projects are very simple, but why must it also be affordable? Why is affordability also so important to you and the work that you're showing?

Yeah, affordability is important because everyone can create this. If I will use expensive products that everyone can't afford, then what is the meaning of posting the videos? Because actually this is a DIY video, do it yourself. So people will do, then they have the material and cost friendly like students. anyone who don't have that much budget and they want to create something, a gift for their friends, their family.

then it should be affordable so they can make it at home. You know what I'm saying?

Abhay (11:24.782)
Yeah, no, no, no, I understand. otherwise it doesn't appeal to anyone that they can't just do it right there on the spot with the materials that they might have or the materials that they can easily find.

You're listening to Trust Me, I Know What I'm Doing. After a quick break, we'll come back to our conversation with online craft artist Gayatri Johan. Stay tuned.

Abhay (11:56.704)
Every story told is a lesson learned and every lesson learned is a story waiting to be told. I'm Abhay Dandekar and I share conversations with global Indians and South Asians so everyone can say, trust me, I know what I'm doing. New episodes weekly wherever you listen to your podcasts.

Gayatri (12:18.83)
Hi, this is Madhuri Dixit and you are listening to Trust Me I Know What I'm Doing with Abhay Dandekar.

Abhay (12:35.512)
Hi, this is Farhan Akhtar

Hi guys, I'm Ananya Panday. Hi, I'm Kani Kusrutti. I'm Vidya Balan and you're listening to Trust Me I Know What I'm Doing

Hi there, I'm Abhay Dandekar and you're listening to Trust Me, I Know What I'm Doing. Let's rejoin our conversation now with craft artist Gayatri Chouhan.

You know, many of your projects, one thing that I love about the projects is they involve a lot of motion and a lot of movement. And to me, it signals that there's each project has some element of change in them. And I especially like the Happy Diwali wheel or the matchstick Dasara image where, you have a ramen ravern. It almost feels like you're directing a movie.

Abhay (13:28.97)
and you're telling lots of stories. So when you approach each project, does it feel like you're telling a story with each project that you do?

Yes, there is a story on behind the every craft that what is showing. That's why I put the movement in the card that that show the story of the card why I made this card. That's why I put motions in this all the crafts.

Well, and even some of the greeting cards, right? They're not just a simple fold out and you have a message. It actually is some movement and some motion. And sometimes it is the dissolving or the burning of the paper, or sometimes it's even a little bit of movement like the Diwali wheel. But are those really showing that there's going from one scene to another scene to a third scene? Is that kind of movement important when you're

sharing a craft store?

Yes, actually people enjoy the movement and craft. That's why I made a lot of my videos get 100 million views on that matchstick card, burning card. they enjoy that's why I also enjoy to make moving cards. That's why I make that type of cards. Because I feel it's simple cards are boring nowadays. So moving is important.

Abhay (14:50.656)
Yeah, no, definitely. Are you also someone who really likes movies and ads or commercials? Because again, same thing, right? There's always an element of surprise when you do these things.

Yeah, we really love movies and

Yeah. Well, do you want a lot of your crafts to affect people as almost like a surprise? Like they didn't expect that when they make the craft or at least the person who's enjoying

make surprising cards. That is my category. On my YouTube also my surprising card got more viral than the simple one. Because simple we seen everywhere the surprise surprising is most important. That's why I plan every craft to what I can do to surprise people.

Which is great. Yeah, which is really, really important. You know, the cards that you make, especially the ones that have those surprises, the technical aspect of each project requires so much planning and a lot of thought and a lot of skill. You know, is it in a way like, do you think that math and engineering skills are important, especially to create art like this?

Gayatri (16:01.44)
Yeah, back to the video.

Yeah, not everybody says that, you know, well, maths and engineering skills are super important for art. And, you know, if you do art, you don't necessarily have to be good at math and engineering, but that may not be the case in your, in your case, huh?

Yeah, maths is very important because measurements are very important. there is a difference in any measurement, the card will not work. If it's a moving card, it's a surprising card. The measurements are very important for this. But I explained the measurements in my tutorial so people don't have to worry about the measurement. They just follow the instruction and the card will become easily.

Yeah, yeah. I mean, do you find that people who are doing this work, especially like they be as you become more and more comfortable with it that you get more comfortable with the math and the engineering part of this as well? Have you done any of your work also as not just online, but do you teach or do you show people how to do things in person also?

Yes.

Gayatri (17:05.939)
Not now because from past six months I tried to post tutorials but that's why I make a team so they can post my videos on YouTube. I want to make classes and all these things but I'm trying to managing all this thing I will do it in future. So make classes and personally how can I teach people's like I really enjoy all these things.

I was going to say, is that a little bit different, right? Showing someone in person how to do this as opposed to creating something online on how to do

Yeah, both are different.

think of all of your crafts, right? mean, they're for mostly joyous occasions, right? There are weddings and birthdays and festivals that are out there. And yet, you know, we know that that cards and crafts and art are important for all occasions. So do you have ideas and crafts that are equally important for some of the not always joyous occasions, right? Sometimes the occasions are sad or they're more sobering or somber. Are some of your

cards or crafts also equally important for those occasions too.

Gayatri (18:13.256)
yeah. Right now I'm following the happy moments, but I never thought about the sad moments also. Cards are important. So I will also think about this and this is a new idea from you that I can make sad cards also on the emotional side. I remember I made a sorry card. There was a customer who want a sorry card. Then I created that card for him and I posted that card as well.

So I think that is also important thing for emotional purpose.

is just different, right? mean, like people want to have cards for every different kind of occasion or at least a way to express themselves. So I wonder if that's another yet another skill that you can show people on how to do that. What, you know, you mostly use arts and craft supplies that seem that people have are accessible, but are there different or new crafting materials?

that you're trying to explore in the future that may be useful to some of your audience as well.

In paper crafting, I have used a lot of things, but in different craft styles, there are a lot of mainly like there are a lot of like clay art. I really enjoy the clay art, but I think my audience will not like this. So there are a lot of crafting style I want to try in future. Maybe my audience will also enjoy that.

Abhay (19:43.458)
Yeah, do you have a favorite medium that's not paper art that you would really like to explore? Clay, other types of fabric or textiles or anything like that?

I love to stitch also. I love to make home decor items from waste materials. There are a lot of things I want to try in future but right now I can't.

Yeah. Yeah. Again, it's like for someone who enjoys crafting and doing all of these things, you have to kind of choose wisely and, you know, especially for your time. I'm wondering, you know, do for your family, for your husband, you know, and when you're actually just not doing something online, do you experiment a lot with some of the other materials or, you know, yeah, what are some of the things that you try and do that don't necessarily make it to the online videos?

Well, right now I don't have time, there are a lot of things I tried when I was not posting like past to, from past to one year I'm posting constantly every day. But last year I made, I stitch also, I draw some things. A lot of things I do when I have time, but like I love mehendi or what I can, I love makeup.

Yeah, I mean, right. The possibilities are endless, right? Rangori, there's Mendi, there's stitch work, drawing and arts and painting. Sounds like you love all of these things.

Gayatri (21:13.986)
Yeah, I love everything. Yeah. In drafting like handmade things.

Right, right. So far this journey has been one that you've been exploring and growing and you have, like I said, just an amazing following out there. But what's been most surprising about doing this online? I mean, it's very hard work. You're quite busy. You have to try and share and make new crafts every day or post videos online. But what's been most surprising for you in this kind of online crafting journey so far?

getting people's different type of reaction on my videos in DMs and comments that make me surprised at how much people loving my craft. I never thought that that much people will love my handmade crafts and little cards. So that is very surprising for me. And people just loving all the things. And they order also. That is also surprising.

You know, has that part, have you had to learn some new skills that are not necessarily arts and crafts? I mean, you kind of have to learn how to run a business. You kind of have to learn how to manage a team. Have those been things that you've also had to practice and grow as well?

Yeah, there are a lot of different things I'm trying right now. Like you said, managing teams and also the shooting part, editing part, also I have learned. I don't know in starting how to edit when I started earlier.

Abhay (22:45.58)
Yeah, I can. mean, I know that some of that I've had to learn as well. And it's been a journey, but not something that I always thought I would do every day for sure. Every person is great at crafting and not every person is great at editing videos and not every person is great at running a team. But in your case, you have to try and be great at all three of those things. So, you know, how do you in this case, right? You are the main driver of this.

and you're an artist, how do you delegate some of these skills to other people?

Actually my husband's helping in all these things. He's a businessman. So he talked to editor also and the girls are in my team. They are helping. So we are work like friends. Like I explain them how to make the cards and they are also enjoy all these things. So I just hired that type of girl who enjoy the crafting as I enjoy. So they are also learning and making the cards like how I make. So that's how I manage.

That sounds great. mean, it sounds like part of it is just finding people who have the same vision and the same ideas and they can work together with you. You know, for someone who is learning about you or watching some of your videos for the very first time, how do you want them to feel? Or what do you hope they say about you and your work once they've experienced one of your videos or seen one of your crafts online for the first time?

I think they should feel happy and think that yes I can also create this video I can also create this craft it's so easy so I think they should feel like this like a lot of people comment that this is the perfect video I find the only one I can now I can recreate this so I got that type of comments a lot of time because I explain things in on my YouTube tutorials so they feel very really happy to finding my channel that yeah this is the perfect

Gayatri (24:43.628)
where I can recreate things watching all the measurements and materials I give instruction in the videos. So I think they feel happy after watching my videos.

Yeah, it seems like you have a real gift for also motivating people and giving them strength to try it at least. I think more than anything else, people are really finding that motivation and finding strength in becoming crafters themselves and really discovering a new skill or rediscovering a skill and making everyone so happy. Gayatri, thank you so much for joining us on Trust Me, I Know What I'm Doing. It was really a treat and we wish you nothing but the best of luck.

going forward.

Thank you so much. also really enjoyed this session of questions and thank you so much.

Thanks so much again Gayatri and you can find all of her work on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook. Please don't forget to share this with your friends and family and any kind rating or review is always appreciated. Till next time, I'm Abhay Dandekar.