Welcome friend, thank you for finding me!
I’m Geeti. a.ka. Moodles (you can call me either). I’m an illustrator and designer, currently on a journey to be a better storyteller.
I was born in Kolkata, brought up in Delhi and currently living in Bangalore. These three cities represent three parts of my identity and life experiences. When someone asks you, ‘Where are you from?’, what do you say? Cos this question thoroughly confuses me. In my response, I usually pick the city where I have spent the largest chunk of my early life, i.e Delhi. But I have never formed an attachment with the city. So, I don’t feel like I belong to Delhi. Bangalore on the other hand, a place where I have spent about 5 years now, felt like home within a year of my stay. Despite an unfamiliar language and culture, the city has felt so welcoming and brought me such quality connections and sense of community.
To function socially, it’s important for me to find this sense of belonging in places, spaces and people I come across. However, it’s fascinating that what we need to feel like we belong, depends a lot on how our stories have shaped us.
For instance, my mother grew up in Kolkata and moved to Delhi after she got married. A new city, a new family. In all my years of growing up, she has asked this one question frequently about any new person she sees, meets or hears about. ‘Are they Bengali?’ I believe that was her language for seeking belongingness, for sights and sounds of familiarity from a life she has left behind.
For me, a response that holds a similar meaning, would be, ‘OHMYGOD me too!’ I look for comradeship in my idiosyncrasies; people or places that feel like I’m holding hands with them and jumping around with wild abandon. That’s the only company where I feel comfortable to be myself. Where I feel like I belong.
With the same zeal, I announce ‘Moody Muddles’ officially open for service!!!!
(Imagine lots of wiccan hooting at a medium-low decibel)
So, what the hell am I doing here?
Lately I have entered a rather lonely space where I’m cooped up in my own bubble. This newsletter is an effort to break away from that; to share more of me, my life, introspections and the stories I collect. Cos it’s easier to overshare on the internet than talk to people, am I right?!
For the first time I’m searching for belongingness on the internet and hoping I can bring some of that to you as well. If you’d like to share something, write to me on geetibarai@gmail.com. I’m a sucker for stories, just saying.
Thank you for reading! If you have subscribed to my newsletter, you will find the next one pop into your inbox anytime my mind is a muddle again.
Love and cheers,
Geeti