Interview
Paperian Shivangi Jain’s ‘clingy’ relationship with writing
Shivangi Jain, an Instructional Designer by day and an artist by night, joined us in July 2020 and it feels she has always been there since our inception. She has embraced and expounded our principles of “first thoughts” (taken from Natalie Goldberg) and mission “to write a little more than before” since the very first meeting.
She goes over and above to make this community better. We have seen her diligently take notes during the second session of the meeting, Creatively Speaking, where we all brainstorm and come up with our own responses to a prompt on the screen. Thanks to her notes, we could make this beautiful mind map.
And, oh boy, does she spoil the community of The Folded Paper with compliments! She says, “If I ever imagined building a writers community, it would have been a mirror replica of The Folded Paper. You have positivity, fun, writing, imagination, and laughter, what more can we really ask for?”
No Shivangi, we will ask for more. We will ask to know you and the writer in you.
The Folded Paper: Shivangi, tell us about your writing journey.
Shivangi Jain: My love for writing dates back to 2012, when for the first time I came face to face with my love for writing while working on a school assignment, and since then I have never looked back. I have seen my writing grow with me, change with me, and experience life with me. I write to inspire, to make people smile, to impart a little more hope in my readers’ lives.
I believe that every piece I write has a little bit of me wrapped in it and every time when I share my work, I welcome the readers to be a part of my life.
TFP: At The Folded Paper (TFP), our motto is “Let’s write a little more than before” and we are driven by the vision that “anybody can write”. Your thoughts?
SJ: This is something I believe in and have been subconsciously practicing since I started writing. After becoming a part of TFP the importance of this simple thought became even more profound. To write is to introspect, introspection helps us express, expression is the key to fruitful communication, and it does not take a genius to know that communication is the foundation of any healthy relationship. So to write is to know yourself and be human in its truest form. Do you think everyone should get to be that way or only writers?
Everybody can write and in order to write you just have to write. Start with a playful teasing and you will never know when it turns into something intense!
TFP: How important is a community to write?
SJ: As our history of evolution shows, the sense of belonging gives us purpose in life, it boosts our confidence, and makes us tolerant. When it comes to writing, being a part of a community can never bring you any harm, you just have to find the right set!
Given the modern lifestyle where even dating has gone online, every minute we spend at virtual interactions, we are becoming more and more shallow and losing out on the spirit of communication. Being a part of a positive space where you can speak without the fear of being judged is the best thing that you can do to yourself and for the people you love.
TFP: We know you are a hobby junkie. Please share some of them with us.
SJ: I like trying my hand at new things. If I have to describe my relationship with my hobbies, I would say it’s great and immersive in the beginning and after a few days am just happy to know that it’s there to stay. Few of my hobbies are writing, performing poetry, doing embroidery work, traveling, playing badminton, running, dancing, doodling, making best out of waste, and volunteering.
Among all the affairs I have had, writing has been my one constant, it has been clingy and likewise I too hold on to it dearly!
TFP: Which is your favorite writing piece that has come out due to your ‘clingy’ relationship with writing?
SJ: Honestly speaking, it’s really hard to pick one. Off the top of my head I can think of one of my write-ups from a recent series that I was running on Instagram for the past few days, Lockdown Learnings.
Want to write with such passionate writers in a curious and creative writing community? Join The Folded Paper today, a positive community for anyone interested in writing.
Till we meet the next time, happy writing!
