An illustrator and graphic designer by education, her passion for the arts has seen her dabble in several professions. While she holds an honours in Illustration and another in Graphic and Media Design, she is also vocalist and guitarist for two city-based bands, Hashish and The Prose.
She is an amateur photographer and runs a social media and PR company with her sister. Her impeccable taste and natural sense of style has even seen her work on various projects as a costume designer. And these are just some of her passions that she’s made a career out of. Meet Ridhii Paul who is out to show the world that you can have your cake and eat it too!
The 25-year-old studied at the London College of Communication and the Chelsea College of Art. “I really feel as humans we can never be satisfied with just one thing. Variety is in fact the spice of life. Different kinds of food to eat, clothes to wear, books to read. The same goes (for me, at least) with work. I’ve had my share of working at a nine to five job three years ago but realised soon enough that I was just not made for it. And also, being a freelance illustrator doesn’t really pay the bills,” she chuckles.
Ridhii seems to have her act together admitting that juggling so many jobs is not always simple. “Sometimes, I could be sitting in my studio watching Game of Thrones all day and sometimes I cannot even handle the pressure of juggling band practice and client deadlines. I guess the saying is true, when it rains, it pours! But it’s the thrill that keeps me going. Some people may even call me a workaholic.”
Having her family’s support and encouragement has also enabled Ridhii to come a long way. “When I was 17, I went through a pretty hard phase of trying to make my parents even understand what graphic design meant. So I guess after that, they’ve just let me do whatever makes me happy,” she says.
While each job comes with its own set of hurdles, Ridhii reasons: “Work is like a seesaw. Sometimes you’re up and sometimes you’re down. Not many people understand the value of art. And not many people want to pay for it. So that’s quite a challenge.” That said, she admits, “There’s no greater feeling than waking up every day and doing what I love.”
This column features those who choose to veer off the beaten track.
