The Incredible Journey of a Dancer, Writer, Therapist and Businesswoman !

A Writer, a Dancer, an Arts-based Therapist, an Entrepreneur, Founder- Director of Artsphere, Pune, a wonderful person and, most importantly, a very good friend are just some of the words, among many others, that I can use to describe Anubha Doshi.

When you were a kid, what did you want to be?

I wanted to do everything as a kid! I loved reading, writing, dancing, singing and, at the risk of sounding like a nerd, studying.  When I was 10, I decided to open a library for all the other kids in the neighbourhood. I recall my dad telling me that he would fund my library if I sponsored 2 visually challenged children from the earnings I made. That’s when I learned the importance of giving back to society – a value that I have inculcated and followed since then. When I was about 12, I wrote a book of Children’s Stories which was picked up and published by Pitambar Publishers in an effort to encourage young writers.   

During my school years, I educated myself in the various art forms and learned Bharatanatyam, Kathak and Jazz from different places in Delhi. I would’ve liked to attend many others too, but wasn’t able to simply because they were too far away. That’s when it came to me – why can’t I learn the various forms of art, dance and music all in the same place rather than having to travel from place to place.  Since then, it has been my dream to bring together all forms of art under one roof, so people wouldn’t have to travel from place to place to learn their choice of art form. I just didn’t know how to go about it then.

Can you tell us a little bit about your experiences and inspirations growing up?

My teachers have played an important role during my school and college days. Academic excellence helped me.  I learnt that if I put in my best effort, my teachers would want to help and support me. They were great mentors for me. They even helped me edit my book.

After school, I studied English Honors from LSR and then moved on to SIMC, Pune. LSR really prepared me for the outside world and I got the courage to move out of Delhi. Coming from a traditional business family, I was the first woman to move out on my own. Unfortunately, after 6 months of working in the corporate world, I realized it wasn’t for me. I decided to get back to writing and started working under a Mentor. He made me realize that I could never be happy doing only one thing. I needed to do several things at once, and continuously interact and engage with people. That’s when I knew, I had to be an entrepreneur! Excited with this discovery I went on to start an advertising company with 3 other classmates but that fizzled out too. I thought maybe it was time to revisit my dream and help it become a reality.   

You are a perfect example of someone who changed their career track to follow their dream... how did it happen?

Tripura Kashyap, a Dancer, Choreographer and Movement Therapist, has been one of my greatest inspirations. While working in Pune, I had the opportunity to attend her workshop on Dance and Movement Therapy in Bangalore. What could be better than using the therapeutic benefits of dance, music are and drama to help people! That was the turning point in my life.  The workshop changed me, and for the first time I felt passionate about something like I never had before. I immediately knew that this is what I wanted to do.  But for this, I realized that I would have to go back to college and study psychology. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy but I had to do it. So I went back to studies. I did my Bachelors and Masters all over again, this time in Psychology!

Going back to studies is hard, and you did five years of it… What kept you going?

This may sound surprising, but I always loved studying and learning (laughing). I wouldn’t mind doing more courses, if I could! My dream of amalgamating all types and forms of art and bringing them under one roof kept me going. A few years after completing my Masters in Clinical Psychology, came the birth of Artsphere.

My father, yet again, funded me initially and helped me start Artsphere. I hadn’t studied business or entrepreneurship, so I had to figure it all out on my own, but I used all the skills I had learned throughout my life in all my many ventures, to guide me.  I noticed that this side of Pune, i.e. Dhole Patil Road, Koregaon Park, Kalyani Nagar, etc. was deprived of cultural activities. Most of it happened on the other side of town – like the Shaniwarwada Dance festival. I wanted to bring dance and music to these areas. Artsphere was received very positively and we grew. It’s been a wonderful journey and we are continuing to grow. No matter, how big we grow though, I will always keep the one core value that my dad taught me, close to my heart – giving back to society. I sponsor needy kids every year to be able to join and attend classes of their choice, to give them an opportunity to learn different things and expose them to the plethora of cultures that exist in this county.

What advice would you give young people of today? 

Everyone blames the educational system in this country. Yes, it has its faults but that’s how life is. Use it to your advantage. This might sound clichéd but there is really no replacement for ‘Hard-work’! Work hard and work well and the system will work with you.  Be ethical and honest and people will want to work with you. Rise up to your potential. Make your teachers/ mentors see your potential, so that they want to help you achieve your dreams.

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About the Author

Aditi, a double Masters in Psychology, finds working at The Potter’s Earth extremely exciting and fulfilling. Aside from teaching and conducting academic research, Aditi is passionate about counseling and coaching teenagers and young adults. She loves dogs and music  and her new found love for Capoeira, a Brazilian martial art/dance form, keeps her occupied in her free time!