Every artist’s journey is uniquely theirs, and we loved hearing about Melissa Sondhi’s, and why, as she says, “she works so hard.”

Melissa is starring as Juliet in the current production of Opera San José’s @operasanjose Romeo and Juliet (running until Sept 24) as one of the title characters, and she is also one of the first-ever Wadhwani Artist-in-Residence for a South Bay opera company. 

Purvi Shah identified a way to leverage her training and a career in design, along with a hard-won experience in dealing with pediatric cancer, and turned it into a compassion project. As Executive Director of Kids & Art Foundation @kidsandartorg Purvi helps families confront the disease by teaming children touched by cancer with artists. Purvi founded Kids & Art in 2008 after her son Amaey was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. She sought a way to make a difference for her own child and thousands more like him. It also served to create some order in her overturned world. Amaey passed away after battling the disease for six of his nine years in 2011.

In honor of Childhood Cancer Awareness month, and to be inspired by these lived experiences, we urge you to listen, and to demonstrate your support for this organization, and the many that are doing work in this area.

Drasti is a dynamic dancer, with a foundation of training and experience in Bharatanatyam, and a performing artist known for her energy, dramatic expressions, and versatility of Eastern and Western dance forms.

Hear about Drasti’s journey with dance, dispelling the myth of “starting late” and the deeply personal and relatable topic of her upcoming full-length work “Paheli: The Riddle of Motherhood” which explores themes of identity and its evolution through motherhood.

Based in Karachi, Sajeer Shaikh @sajeershaikh is a journalist, poet, content creator and consultant with 8 years of experience in digital and print media in Pakistan. Her writing is both witty and reflective, often using a bit of levity to call out the realities of minorities and provoke an awareness that might otherwise be ignored. When Sajeer is not writing, she’s busy making and consuming memes or obsessing over Bollywood.

Sometimes the road you plan to take, leads you to the road you’re meant to take. This week’s guest is a perfect example of exactly that!

Priyasha Shah @priyashashah is the founder and CEO of Sakhya @shopsakhya a peer-to-peer South Asian fashion resale marketplace and community which aims to finally create a hub for sustainable and accessible South Asian fashion. Priyasha began Sakhya after witnessing the sheer amount of waste being created as a byproduct of the manufacturing industry she worked in.

Hear more about Sakhya, and you can help to make South Asian fashion truly sustainable through giving once-worn clothing a new life, and be inspired by Priyasha’s story of marrying multiple passions and callings.

Hajra Khan @hajrakhan.14 is not only a PHENOMENAL Athlete and the former captain of the Pakistan National Football Team, as well as a three-time Guinness World Record holder, she is also an advocate for gender equality in sports, a mental health for athletes, AND a mental health ambassador for British Asian Trust. This conversation is inspiring as we hear about Hajra’s drive and discipline, while she also speaks openly about her own journey with her mental health.

When someone follows their calling, is it fair to call it both kismat and being the recipient of the right kind of support and encouragement? We think so!

Hear Humayun Memon @humayunmemon share about his journey as an artist in Pakistan, and both how it was his early exposure to art that inspired him, as well as the wonderful combination of family support, AND the encouragement of teachers who knew how to lead and inspire! A beautiful conversation that describes the recipe for happiness.

ome might call this week’s guest a “quadruple threat” as Radha Mehta is a Film Director, Producer, Composer & Painter. Though we don’t disagree, we prefer to say that Radha is oozing with heARTistic inspiration!

Mehar Khursheed @curlistani Pakistan based social justice advocate, has been getting her into all sorts of [GOOD] trouble for a very long time - which we love! Wondering how? Listen on Heartistry 🎙

With Mehar’s strong convictions on social, political, legal, and environmental issues truly being her passion, she reflects in this excerpt from her conversation with Farah about how, as she puts it, used to have her “internal misogyny”, explaining what that meant to her, what changed and why.

You’ve likely heard of the fabulous Jikaria sisters, and next week is your chance to really get to know 1/3 of the trio - Omika Jikaria!

Omika Jikaria @omikajikaria is a business strategy consultant, meditation teacher, yoga and reiki energy healing practitioner, and dancer. In addition to putting out positive and inspirational content through dance with the @jikariasister Omika is passionate about enabling people to cultivate clarity, insight, and peace, in a world filled with distraction and excess stimulation.

We are here for all the Omika represents, and can’t wait to share her journey!