Turning embarrassing moments of daily life into comedic relief comes naturally to Neha Sharma. The CA-turned-doodle artist now harnesses the power of her paints to create relatable comics that mirror the everyday.
Excerpts from the interview with Neha Sharma:
T+L India: You’ve obtained a degree in Chartered Accountancy. What motivated you to switch?
Neha Sharma: I’ve been doodling for as long as I can remember—at the back of notebooks, on walls, and newspapers. I took up accountancy since I liked the subject, but when I started studying it, it wasn’t what I envisioned. [During this period], I started posting my doodles on social media, started following artists from other countries and [noticed they were] more well versed with digital art. [Seeing that] I became a self-taught artist while pursuing CA. I got my first commissioned artwork through the internet, and realised I could make money by doodling.
An observation that compelled me to switch was that I noticed I would look at the time every five minutes during my CA internship. While doodling at home, however, I could sit at my desk and illustrate for six-seven hours.
T+L India: What is your creative process?
Neha Sharma: I don’t have a single creative process; it depends from illustration to illustration. For example, my sachi ghatna comics are based on real-life incidents. About 95 per cent of the artwork is based on my life, the rest five per cent is mirch masala (exaggerated). It’s inspired by something embarrassing that I do or a weird incident that happens to me. Instead of tackling the situation, my first thought is to turn it into a comic. I make comics for the world to laugh at my tragedy!
T+L India: Do you have a personal ‘happy place’ that inspires your art?
Neha Sharma: The comfort of my house. My studio has all my art pieces and that motivates me to create new pieces. My dog Minty—also a prominent character in my comics—and the four dogs I have on my street, are also my ‘happy place’. Travelling gives me happiness too, but that’s short-term.
T+L India: Art is believed to be therapeutic. Have there been moments in your life when it has helped you personally?
Neha Sharma: I get anxious sometimes. When I was younger, I couldn’t recognise this uncomfortable feeling where I couldn’t function. In those moments of stress, I tend to lean towards drawing. When I decided to leave CA, it was a big decision, especially since I have a single mother. I felt I was letting her down by venturing into a field where I may not make enough money. I used art to cope with that difficult period. Even today, you’ll see patterns and lines in my notebook every few pages. It helps soothe my brain.
Related: Meet Dr Sharon Rajkumar, India’s First Happiness Evangelist
