August 2023: Writing and birdwatching from my sweet studio during my residency at the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts.

July 2022: This is what pure joy looks like when you find Indian food on a tiny island. Inishbofin, Co. Galway, Ireland

About me (in a nutshell)

MY JOURNEY FROM VISUAL ARTIST TO WRITER
After studying at the California College of the Arts (CCA), I was hired to illustrate for a local cookbook company. It wasn’t long before they needed a graphic designer, and I jumped on the chance to learn to design books on-site. As an illustrator and photographer, I fell in love with the graphic design process - to nurture an idea from conception to the printed page provided the ideal combination to launch my creative career.

Although I’ve enjoyed my role as a graphic designer, I am steadily making the transition to full-time writer. As a visual artist there is a constant, streaming narrative of imagery flashing through my mind at all times. I’m fascinated by the power that writing has to create images, and vice versa. I admit to being an eavesdropper and pensive observer, having spent the majority of life as an introvert, quietly listening. Listening and observing – to the dialogue, dialect, and everyday cadence of my environment. I’m particularly interested in the behind-the-scenes glimpse of life that is often forgotten or overlooked, and those intimate moments that connect us.

I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, surrounded by good food, water, diversity, and innovation. I adore writing and taking photographs, especially of food. I would never turn down a quest for a pastry, a cup of coffee, or a story. I am most happy when I’m surrounded by family and friends, sharing a meal, or baking a birthday cake for someone I love.

Read Why I Started Writing (and Thank God I Finally Did) and join me in
launching Midlife Bytes on Substack. I appreciate your support!

A QUESTION I’M FREQUENTLY ASKED: HOW DID YOU GET YOUR NAME?
I was born in a small village in South India. My parents joined the Peace Corps after meeting in San Francisco, falling in love with each other and with India. After leaving the Peace Corps, they found teaching jobs in Kodaikanal - a hill town in southern India. We returned home to San Francisco when I was six months old and I’ve had a taste for masala dosas ever since.

Volunteer Work: Designing in Paradise

In 2016, I had the opportunity to spend six months in Belize, volunteering my graphic design skills with the Belize Audubon Society. As a bird watcher and nature enthusiast, I was delighted to donate my time and experience to an organization very close to my heart. Here are some photographs from my incredible journey.