‘On Earth we’re briefly gorgeous’ by Ocean Vuong, is a book I recently read, and I’m starting my profile with the mention of it, because I believe that it has deeply changed my outlook on life, and art. It’s like the title suggests, we’re all gorgeous for a minute on Earth, and it’s upon us to make that minute count.
I’m Simran Khatiwala, a 17 year old student from Fountainhead School, Surat. I immensely love art, which includes literature, poetry, visual arts, movies, books, fashion and music. I’m not well-versed with all these languages of art, but I enjoy writing poetry, and creating installations, paintings and other such visual forms of art, and believe that I’m quite good at it. I love reading, and have grown a special interest in reading classics in the last year.
Music on the other hand, is something I truly appreciate, and have tried learning before, but am not proficient at it. It’s one of my goals in life, to learn how to play the guitar and drums. Another thing that I would like to improve on is voicing my opinions. I believe that I can form good arguments and have a lot of opinions, but I don’t always say them out loud, because of my shy nature. This has improved over the years, but there’s still a lot of room for improvement.
I’m a bit unsure about my future aspirations, as they’ve changed a lot in the last two years, but I’ve always been passionate about ‘creating’ something beautiful, my love for writing would help me create a penned form of self-expression, that I hope will be something others can relate to/learn from. My interest in visual arts is something I plan to use in creating emotional and visual experiences, and through fashion, which I ardently believe is a significant form of identity and confidence for all individuals, I wish to create designs and styles that speak for myself and others like me.
Travelling, and experiencing different cultures has been on the forefront of my mind since forever. I like learning about the people and places of different kinds, and I can’t wait to expand my horizons and see more of the world soon.
Surfing and skydiving are two activities I’ve dreamed about, but haven’t yet gotten the chance to experience, so I am really looking forward to learning how to surf and try skydiving in my future.
Two things that I truly want to advocate change in are the basic structures of schooling systems, and the significance we give to mental health. Both are things I’ve struggled coping with in my life, and believe that with fresher perspectives, education systems can become more efficient and personalised, and mental health can too, be seen without a filter of taboo.
Like Ocean Vuong said “The most beautiful part of your body is where it’s headed.” So most of all, I can’t wait to see where I’m headed, and everything else I discover about myself and the world.
