How we Made it Through the Ups & Downs of 2024 w/ Charuka Arora

This set effectively summarizes and segments the detailed content of the interview into easily navigable chapters for viewers.

00:00 Returning to Solo Episodes

00:57 Reflecting on the Year

02:54 Business Growth and Challenges

05:46 Community and Artist Support

09:03 Future Aspirations and Podcast Evolution

Charuka (00:01.578)
Okay, I am back after a really long time. I don’t even know after how long I am recording a solo episode. I know I keep on saying that I will, but I just feel like I’m pretty much at comfort with the interviews I do. I know that solo episodes require a lot more push from my end and I am trying, but I’m very excited to be back today.

I was actually scheduled to record an interview and since that didn’t happen I was like, know, why not record a solo episode? Since I’m already here, I have blocked my calendar, why not do that? Now, what’s up? A lot of things have been happening. I can’t believe that we are already sitting in October, which is like so strange. I didn’t even imagine how fast…

this year could go by and I’m very excited to reflect back on how this year has been. And I wanted to share with you a lot of my own learnings, what I feel has brought me through this year, what I’m looking forward for the next year and the coming few months. When we started planning for this year, there were a lot of ambitions, a lot of new things that we wanted to do.

And I think this has been a very big deal maker. Like, you know, I remember sitting down with my team. I remember sitting down with Rabia and like, you know, we had chalked out things that we wanted to do this year and the number of books we wanted to publish, the number of calls we wanted to do, you know, so many newer things. And I am glad that we have tried to stay on track for most of the things. So far, we’ve been able to publish, I think, 30.

plus books. We’ve drastically upped our game when it comes to producing premium books for artists, collectible books. We’ve grown the business quite a bit in terms of the offerings we are doing, in terms of how we are getting crafty. I like that approach because I’ve been in a place where I wanted to run a business, but you know, just, just the way traditional businesses

Charuka (02:25.152)
the aggression there is and how one runs that. Like, you know, it just didn’t speak to me as much. So, you know, I kept on saying to myself, this year, I’m going to do it with love. Whatever I do, I will do it with love. Two of my colleagues and my teammates from Arts First Project had their children. So that was very exciting. It was also a huge transition phase for us because I wanted to support them as much as I can.

and also how the business can support them but also in the meanwhile we keep on doing the things we need to do. Yeah, I mean the first few months were very slow. The first half of the year was very slow actually. It wasn’t only for us. I know it was for a lot of people. But I just keep telling myself that you know there’s going to be a slower time, there’s going to be a better time. You know some months are…

better than the others, some months are worse than the others and if I can get through the good ones, I can also get through the bad ones. Yes, that’s about it. You know, I have also realized that I don’t want to push too much. I like surrendering in the sense of knowing that, okay, this is what I want, but I’m not going to lose myself over it, that if I am not going to feel like a failure if I don’t go through that.

but I’m going to give my best to be able to reach to that point. And I think that has been extremely important for me. We did quite a few new titles like the creative process book and experiment we wanted to try and see how it is received by our artists, by our collectors and art lovers. We did the 100 emerging artworks, 100 emerging artists. I think these two titles are so interesting. And I think…

As year on year we are doing these series, I feel the value we’ve been able to add to our artist’s career, how so many people want to be a part of these projects because the value they bring. We’ve also worked very hard on being able to promote our artists well. We’ve expanded our team so that we can cater to artist queries, to being able to create more better content for them from interviews, interview treatments, grown art.

Charuka (04:46.202)
podcast, scheduling how we can inculcate our artists from the podcast side to it. you know, a lot of those things we’ve been intentional about how we can give a number one thing I’ve been kept on asking myself. How do we give artists more and more? How can we make this a no brainer for artists? I understand the submission fee artists put in, but I want to make sure that

every penny spent, like they get way more than any penny that they spend with us. And, you know, we always try to push out unique content about them, promote them to our books, to our platforms. This year we’ve also focused a lot on, and this is something I’m going to focus a lot more actually on the 2025 also, which is increasing the distribution of our books. This year we…

We’ve expanded all our books to barnes and nobles. Next year, I’m hoping that we will expand to more stores worldwide, different bookstores, which is very exciting because I know when I started, I never knew this could be possible for me. I didn’t even know if I would be doing this. I didn’t even have an idea I could be doing this myself because when I entered, also lost myself knowing that I had no…

This wasn’t a provision for me. I couldn’t place myself in a book. I couldn’t even imagine there was a book, let alone making one for others. And I think that is the beauty of life. when we surrender, we surrender to God. We surrender what this means to us. And just let things happen while giving our best. I think that is extremely important.

Arts to hearts project has grown in ways that I’m very very grateful for. I really love the community, I love the work that we do, I love my team. I spend a lot of time with them and that is something that I’m truly excited about also in the future. I hope we can do something that in the long run you know really artists feel like my god the work.

Charuka (07:12.278)
we did was something that made a difference in their lives. And we put a lot of effort in our work knowing that while we grow, every artist that we work with grows with us. So the growth is not only ours. I know that a big dedication for me is knowing that if we continue to grow, our artists continue to grow with us. That is extremely important to me. To be honest, it’s running a business can get a lot messy.

It can get utterly confusing a lot of times. Like I remember in the beginning of the year, the market was extremely slow. We were barely able to get to our expenses. We were not able to attract a lot of artists. We were still like we were really experimenting, pushing things, but very few things were actually working. And we really had to sit through that moment and believe that, okay, we’ll keep trying whatever works.

there will be something or it will get better some day or the other. I just think it does, I think that really works. Today when I look back at the four or five years of compounding of how Arts to Hearts came to life, feel like we were just this tiny, like it was just me and the blog and everything. And now then, you know, we produce from one book.

every two or three months to two books every month and so many other projects women in arts open call for artists promotions for artists working on back-end on collaborations reaching out to artists working with curators and galleries my goodness sometimes I don’t even realize and that is the point sometimes we think we’re not doing enough or this this action is so insignificant and small

that it will maybe not compound into something, but I don’t think that’s true. I think a lot of success is those small actions that we move towards and move forward with, and I think that is extremely important. I really want this podcast also to evolve into something more.

Charuka (09:31.51)
I don’t know how that will happen. I do like the interviews. I still want to do them. But I also realize holding the podcast, the team, my own art practice, the other businesses, a lot of things on my plate sometimes can get too much. And recording really blocks my calendar a lot of times. And I’ve been doing it for quite some time now. And I feel like maybe I could create a bit more space for something else, even in the podcast.

I’ve been actually hoping to start the Modern Maharani podcast, which is my art focus. And I feel like that is something that I’m truly, truly very, very excited about. Hopefully I will start today now after this podcast. Hopefully, fingers crossed. I’ve been putting it out for so long and I’ve just not been able to do it. But I know I will get there. I know I will get there. Yeah, so 2024 looking back.

has been a mix of lows and highs. I think it has been an year where you just, you know, those little movements, you just sail through it. And that’s what I’ve been always focusing about. How do we just get through this day, this month and make small progress? I think I’ve become a person all about small, small, progress, everyday progress, nothing big, nothing small, just…

everyday small progress and I think that’s extremely important to me because I know that all I care about is just being consistent, keeping at it and evolving as I grow and being able to share support with my own team, with our artists and to be able to make all of our efforts worth while we all enjoy it. Yeah, I think that’s the goal of it.

And I’m very excited to see what the next three months, the end of this year, bring for us. I plan to take a leave at the end of the year, and I want that to happen for all my teammates. And before that, I want all of us to work really hard, to put our best, to have fun, to play, and to experiment. I think that is why we create. And I love, we all love the work we do. We love…

Charuka (11:57.442)
creating the content, the books, you know, all of those things. This year we also started the Arts2Huts Club membership in the previous episode. You must have seen an insight with Sara. The goal for the next year, I want the membership to grow better. I want the podcast to grow better, to become more valuable. I am all ears if you have feedbacks, what Arts to hearts podcast has been for you.

If you’ve listened to us, you’ve been published in our books, been a membership or whatever. If you have any feedback or if you want to send a word of encouragement, even a word of criticism, we’re open to everything. I think the goal is to keep having a conversation that is extremely important for me. And yeah, that is a quick update for me for everything that’s been happening.

this year and I can’t wait to see what happens in the next few months and next few years. I hope you stay here for the good, for the best of all of us and I hope this community grows stronger.

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About the Guest(s):

Charuka Arora is the founder of the Arts to Hearts Project and Host of the Arts to Hearts Podcast. She is also an acclaimed Indian artist known for her contemporary embellished paintings. Her unique blend of gouache, collage, embroidery, painting, and drawing explores the intersection of art, culture, heritage, and womanhood. Through her work, she tells stories of female strength and encapsulates them in pieces that can be treasured for generations.

Episode Summary:

In this solo episode, Charuka reflects on her journey over the past year, discussing the growth of her business, the challenges faced, and the importance of community and support for artists. She shares her aspirations for the future, including the evolution of her podcast and the goals for the upcoming year.

Key Takeaways

• This year has been a mix of highs and lows.
• I want to do everything with love.
• Supporting my team during transitions is crucial.
• Small, consistent progress is key to success.
• The growth of Arts2Huts is a collective effort.
• I want artists to feel valued in our projects.
• Feedback from the community is essential for growth.
• The podcast will evolve to include new ideas.
• I aim to expand our book distribution next year.
• Creating a supportive environment is my priority.

Notable Quotes:

“I’m very excited to reflect back on how this year has been.”

“I wanted to support them as much as I can.”

“I think that is the beauty of life.”

Charuka Arora is the founder of the Arts to Hearts Project and Host of the Arts to Hearts Podcast. She is also an acclaimed Indian artist known for her contemporary embellished paintings. Her unique blend of gouache, collage, embroidery, painting, and drawing explores the intersection of art, culture, heritage, and womanhood. Through her work, she tells stories of female strength and encapsulates them in pieces that can be treasured for generations.

Charuka’s work draws inspiration from Hindu mythology, recognizing women as vessels of Shakti, the cosmic energy. She beautifully portrays powerful goddesses like Durga Maa riding a tiger or lion, symbolizing their unlimited power to protect virtue and combat evil.

Through her art, Charuka invites us into the world of women, showcasing their beauty, strength, and resilience. Her creations not only exhibit exceptional talent but also serve as an inspiration and a symbol of hope for those challenging societal norms.

Arts to Hearts Podcast is a show delving into the lives and passions of renowned artists. From running creative businesses and studio art practices to cultivating a successful mindset, Charuka Arora engages in heartfelt conversations with her guests. Experience your personal happy hour with your favorite artists right in your studio.

Through candid discussions, Charuka and her guests reveal the joys and challenges of a vibrant creative life, both within and beyond our studios. Get ready to be inspired and uplifted as you tune in.