Hello!
Ikigai.
I have always harboured a love for Japan. And Japanese words. Ikigai happens to be my most favourite (Kintsugi comes a close second).
By academic qualification (is that even a thing anymore?), and core career experience, I am an advertising and marketing professional. It was, once upon a time, my entire life. So much so that, it consumed me wholly and left me in shambles. Besides the creative glory and glamour of the advertising industry, there is also a dark side that constantly rears its ugly head. Interestingly, there is a Japanese word for this too. Karushi. How would I ever find my Ikigai when I was nearing Karushi?
Funnily enough, I found several outlets to my Ikigai. Decades ago, when a dear client of mine commented that I had the voice of a PSA reporter, I brushed it off with a chuckle. That seed laid in me though, evidently. Because, years later, I would take a giant leap of faith holding on to that very seed and knock on the doors of the ARN office in Dubai.
Today, I am a senior voice artist/ actor in the industry with nearly a decade's experience. My new found confidence resulted in many other spin-off pursuits as well - creative writing, classical dance, pencil sketching, painting, hosting television shows, and even doing a movie. Who would've thought, eh! I, for one, never imagined any of these wild turns of events in my life.
This website is... sort of... me espousing my Ikigai - which is all of the artistic pursuits I follow, and attempt to do justice to. I hope you have fun here. Vidhya is my name and Gaia (that's Greek though) is where I belong. Hence, Vid Gaia.
For all work-related queries, please reach out to me via the details on the Contact page.
Arigato!