Reetika Vaish discovered the art of decoupaging, fell in love with it, and made it her profession
Most people belonging to the growing breed of crafters in the city have “always cherished” the dream of starting their own art/craft venture. But, Bengaluru–based Reetika Vaish has a different story. “I was never an art or craft person until my son was born two and a half years ago. As I stayed home to care for him, I surfed the net and chanced upon the nuances of decoupaging (art of decorating an object by gluing coloured paper cut outs onto it in combination with special paint effects, gold leaf and so on.) What started out as a hobby soon turned into something I was extremely passionate about to make a career out of it,” says the founder of RTK’s Creations (www.facebook.com/rtkcreations).
Reetika’s work primarily revolves around exhibiting prints of Indian culture and the beauty of nature. She says, “I do my best to keep my creations unique and not use the prints again for another product. I also customise them with my clients’ pictures to their products.”
With time, her product line has expanded and RTK’s Creations now offers items such as handmade trays, coasters, watch organisers, keepsake boxes, metal planters, etc. Wallets, mobile cases, tablet sleeves, up-cycled bottle lamps, and candles are also among her popular products. In addition to creating and retailing, Reetika also conducts workshops over weekends.
Reetika, who holds a double post-graduation in finance and commerce, says, “The need to exhibit my creativity and connect with people encouraged me to give up the corporate world and pursue my passion. Having the full support of my family and friends sure made the switch easy,” Reetika narrates.
She adds, “That apart, things weren’t easy for me when I started this. I had no clue how to market my products. Gradually I started posting my work on craft portals like Bangalore Craft Lovers and Fevicol Hobby Ideas. I finally got down to creating a page of my own on Facebook and that’s when orders started coming in. Free time is still an issue as my son keeps me on my toes when he is awake. So I work on my projects/experiments/orders in the night after he sleeps or over weekends. My husband has also been my biggest encouragement.”
Like many other crafters, Reetika too took to the internet for lessons. Later, she attended workshops to learn the techniques in depth and to gather contacts of suppliers to source base materials. The challenge she faces is to “convince people that these products are handmade and that it involves time and effort. It is therefore a challenge to explain our pricing to them. But personally, the most interesting challenge is to keep experimenting and enhancing the appeal of my products.”
This column features those who choose to veer off the beaten track.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus / by Neeti Sarkar / Bangalore – December 01st, 2015