Question 1- Kindly introduce yourself.
Answer- Hi, I am Santushti, second year student at Daulat Ram College. I am an athlete, author and the founder of a non-profit organization called ‘ZARIYA’. I'm the treasurer of Magic Lantern and Sepia, the Film and photography society of Daulat Ram College. My hobbies majorly revolve around writing. Apart from writing I am an avid reader and have a keen interest in photography and traveling.
Question 2: What motivated you to start working as a freelance content writer? What impact did it have on your writing?
Answer-Recalling my early writing days, I started out writing in my journal for my own satisfaction. At the age of 17, I published my first piece of writing, "Candid- A teen's life: unfiltered." The narrative gave readers a glimpse into both my everyday existence and the life of an ordinary adolescent navigating the pandemic. My younger self was looking for a way to express herself because the pressure had taken a toll on her.
So my first publication was the untold stories of my teens. I published another book when I was 19 which bundled together all of my poetries and anthologies. So these continuous periods of writing made me take up professional writing tasks, freelancing and other competitions.
Question 3- How did freelancing further hone your creative skills?
Answer: Before freelancing, as I previously indicated, I had primarily written poetry and other works of a similar nature. This experience helped me turn my focus to professional writing. Writing content for several clients while working from a small data source was part of freelance work. As a result, this journey significantly improved my ability to understand and convey information from any source.
Question 4- As a national team player, how did athletics shape you towards handling all the challenges?
Answer - I started playing basketball in sixth grade. I'd say it was a rapid phase because I was selected for the team and then went on to play all of the zonals and nationals. I continued to participate in national throwball competitions. I began playing cricket in eighth grade and had aspirations of becoming a professional player. I keep saying it, and I will probably say it again in the future, that everything I am or want to be is due of sports. They greatly influenced my personality, instilling in me a sense of power, confidence, and valour to confront any challenge.
Question 5- How do you balance physical demand of sports with other fields?
Answer - When I talk about balancing, it all plays back to the primary years of my schooling. I grew up in an environment that emphasised exposure. When we explore, we naturally experiment with a variety of activities. Playing sports, and involving myself in extra-curriculars, all of it was a choice and self-driven desire. So, if the individual is motivated to accomplish anything, they will prioritise the tasks on their own. So, for me, balancing meant focusing on athletics during school and shifting 50-70% of my emphasis to academics during exams.
Question 6 - Can you share the inspiration behind your publications- ‘Candid- A teen’s life: unfiltered’ and ‘Almost nineteen’
Answer-Now that I think about it, 'Candid' is a written account of a teenager's life, capturing all of the experiences and how a young mind , too naive to talk about political or economical issues. juggled its way through the influence of peer pressure, parental pressure, social media, and the graph of the ups and downs. It started as journaling but evolved into a helping hand for other teenagers out there. My other book, 'Almost Nineteen', is a collection of memories from the ages of sixteen to nineteen. The inspiration for the book came from all of the difficulties and changes that I was going through as I prepared to embark on a new journey: college. I wrote down all of the overwhelming questions that come to mind upon starting out in life.
Question 7 - How do you manage your time, balancing two diverse fields; sports and writing?
Answer - As previously said, effective time management requires passion. This tremendous determination to achieve stemmed from the biases I encountered when I decided to devote myself totally to being an athlete, working hard from the start of the day and competing at the national level in various categories. My parents were quite supportive, so there was no burden on my back. But those preconceived assumptions that one must be completely absorbed in athletics to achieve and that one cannot balance two fields at the same time drove me to discover so much more out there. Even in sports there are many rest days, when you are just recovering through the injuries and have ample time to take out your laptops and write your heart out.
Question 8 - What was the motivation behind the establishment of ‘ZARIYA’?
Answer - I remember reading about the adversity that had taken place in a slum area near NCR. It was the hot news and it struck me that irrespective of our ages what were we contributing to the society. Earning and to build up a lifestyle for ourselves cannot be the sole purpose of our existence. So, I ringed up my friend asking her to visit these slum areas along with me, distributing sanitary napkins to the women. We had a word with these women regarding sanitation and hygiene; I asked them what they used during their menses and was quite taken back when they responded with ‘nothing’. So, this incident led us to ‘ZARIYA’.
Question 9- How do you feel about the awards and accolades you have received in writing, especially the award you received from UNESCO?
Answer- I feel nothing but ecstasy as all of these were quite unexpected. I came across a post on Instagram about the PAN India essay contest being conducted by UNESCO and simply submitted my entry without any expectation in my mind. I submitted the essay on the day of the deadline itself. But the win surely made my teachers and parents really proud. I believe that sometimes recognition is secondary when you are passionate about a field, but if you are stuck somewhere in your journey then these achievements can really push yourself ahead.
Question 10- Do you have any role models?
Answer - My role model will forever be my parents. They have always supported my dreams. I dreamt of being the best dancer in the world, and was learning kathak professionally. Whether I aspired to be a dancer, or actively wanted to be a sportsperson or the very next moment aspired to be an author, they have never doubted my skills. I am also grateful to all of my coaches and trainers, who have guided me throughout this journey.
Question 11- Is there any particular moment where you felt really proud?
Answer - I have pursued diverse fields and have got the results I have had expected so choosing just one achievement over the another would not do justice. But the moment I felt true pride was when my parents said that they were really proud of their daughter.
Question 12 - What advice would you give to someone aspiring to excel in multiple fields?
Answer - My advice would be to break free from the societal boundaries, especially for all the girls out there. Go out, express yourself and explore without any limitations. If you love something, chase it because now is the perfect moment. Secondly, be disciplined as it will take you to places nothing else can. Just give your best shot without thinking about the results and everything else will follow.
HIGHLIGHTS-
●An athlete and an author, she is the treasurer of Magic Lantern and Sepia, the Film and photography society of Daulat Ram College.
●Santushti published her very first book ‘Candid- A teens life unfiltered’ at the mere age of seventeen. Her book explored the daily life of a teenager.
●Her other publication ‘Almost Nineteen’ explored the various challenges a young mind goes through as they try to figure out their lives while being on the verge of entering another dimension.
●She is the founder of Non profit Organization called ‘Zariya’
●Her achievements are countless, with her being the winner of PNK (Potential Author for Non-Fiction) and Year 2AC Award (Pan India Online Essay Competition)
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