Sharmila’s Story

“Whoever comes here will get something out of it, whether a contact number or a new way of life [through the completion of training]. We’ve never turned anyone away.”

Sharmila Khushalani Karamchandani calls herself “the survivor.”  Sharmila – a native of Mumbai (formerly Bombay), India – struggled for years to overcome post-Sept. 11 prejudices and find her niche in American society. Salvation finally came in an unexpected form: a craigslist ad.

Empowered Women International (EWI) was looking for someone who could create handmade cards, and Sharmila responded.  What she didn’t know, however, was that she was about to begin a complete transformation as an artist – and as a person.

Of course, her journey began long before her craigslist job hunt.

A member of a very artistic family, Sharmila had always been more an observer of art than an artist herself.  But then high school charcoal and oil painting classes awakened in Sharmila a passion for the arts.

She went on to earn an undergraduate degree in advertising in Bombay, then traveled to the United States to visit her brother, Sunil Khushalani, in 1998.

While staying with Sunil in Georgia, Sharmila became interested in the graphic design program at the Savannah College of Art and Design.

“I’ve always been a knowledge seeker,” she said, “and I wanted to get a higher degree.”

So Sharmila converted her tourist visa to a student visa and started work on her master’s degree – which Sunil was kind enough to help finance – in January 1999.

Though she “naturally blended” with the school’s diverse student population, Sharmila’s treatment changed dramatically after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11.

“There was a lot of prejudice against people who looked like me,” Sharmila said. “I used to be stopped on the streets and asked if I was from Afghanistan. I could feel the hatred. That was very, very disturbing.”

This change in attitude hurt Sharmila professionally as well – she said that though she went to thousands of interviews, five years passed without any opportunities in her field.

Sharmila finally discovered the craiglist advertisement in 2006 while living in Virginia with her husband, Girish Karamchandani.

Her subsequent involvement with EWI did in fact begin with card making, but EWI staff members suggested Sharmila complete the “Training for Success” entrepreneurial program once they saw her portfolio.

Sharmila said she was skeptical in the beginning – she wasn’t earning an income and the program’s $150 cost seemed too steep.

“But something said that I should do it,” she said. “And ever since I took that program, my life completely changed.”

Sharmila cultivated a more professional approach to her art and also learned to work under pressure, schedule her time and promote herself and her work.   

Sharmila now sees her training as a finishing school of sorts.

“I had the talent, but didn’t do anything about it,” she said. “But now with the combination of this training, I feel more complete.”

EWI continued to provide Sharmila with opportunities even after she completed the program.  She began doing graphic design work for the organization and was eventually introduced to others who could also use her services.  She got involved with EWI’s microenterprises, and began creating and selling jewelry.

In addition to her passion for art, Sharmila’s interest in teaching has also been satisfied by her involvement with EWI. She worked in an after-school program at Mount Vernon Elementary, and eventually received a teaching position at Westwood College after learning about the opening from another EWI artist.

Sharmila said she is very grateful to have the opportunity to hone so many of her abilities through just one organization.

“I have a personality where I dabble in many things,” she said. “So a place like this – where we’re also evolving, trying to figure out how to fundraise, how to make money – has tapped most of my potential. It has pushed me and made me excel in all of those things that I love.”

While she is happy to have learned so much about her craft, the most important lessons Sharmila has learned are more universal.

“No matter where you come from, you’re going to have these patches in your life that are going to be a struggle. But how do you overcome it?  You do whatever it takes,” she said. “Have that faith in yourself.  That is the main lesson that EWI – and this country – has taught me.”

Though Sharmila said she is finally comfortable in her own skin, she plans to continue her evolution as an artist and as a person.  She would like to nurture her interest in fine art and continue to teach.  She also hopes to give back to others who may be struggling as she once was.

Fortunately, the hard times that Sharmila and others at EWI have endured allow them to do just that.

“All of us who work here are very intuitive and experienced, and we’ve gone through a lot,” she said. “So we have the ability to lift a soul. It gives others a lot of strength. Like, ‘OK, if you can do it, I can do it too.’”

Sharmila especially encourages female artists and immigrants to check out EWI, but said the organization has something for everyone – including Americans and non-artists.

“Not everyone who works for EWI is an artist,” she said. “We utilize all kinds of talents. Whoever comes here will get something out of it, whether a contact number or a new way of life [through the completion of training]. We’ve never turned anyone away.”

Sharmila certainly has no regrets about her own involvement with EWI.

“It has made me very grounded and stable,” she said. “It has nurtured my soul.  Really, as the name suggests, I feel empowered. I feel like there’s nothing I cannot do.”

Written by Kaylee Kebort

Kaylee Kebort is originally from Conneaut Lake, Pennsylvania. She graduated from Gannon University in Erie, PA in 2009 with a degree in Criminal Justice and minors in Spanish and Forensics. Kaylee then moved to the DC area, after procuring a job with the federal government. She currently lives in Arlington with her one-eyed rescued cat, Sammi.

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Rabia’s Story

“Rabia’s resourcefulness, creativity, and drive, along with the excellent support she received from her family, allowed her to use what she learned from EWI and finally take the next step and then the step after that.”

My Love Letter to the Sun, Passion, Aspirations–vibrant colors swirl across their silk homes, creating emotion in each scarf.  The hands behind these silk treasures belong to silk artist, Rabia Naeem Pervez.  And, like most mothers, Rabia resists naming a favorite piece, admitting only that she has a special fondness for her heart-spotted ‘Be Mine’ collection, aptly named with her husband’s help.  Sifting through her scarves, it is hard to believe that not long ago, Rabia’s path was uncertain, her art barely a seed in her mind.

Rabia left Lahore, Pakistan in 2002, immigrating to her new husband’s home in the United States.  In Pakistan, Rabia had earned a business degree and worked in the corporate world before moving into a successful teaching career.  Yet, in the U.S., this successful and educated woman struggled to find professional and personal footing.  Having a different religion than those around her was, at times, isolating, and new cultural and social customs caused Rabia discomfort.  Even having to shake men’s hands proved difficult.  Perhaps most challenging was the U.S. review of Rabia’s educational credentials.  Rabia quickly discovered that teaching in the U.S. would require time and resources for more education.

Starting a family and rebuilding a career with limited professional, personal, and financial resources is hard.  Even after contacting everyone she knew for advice, Rabia felt lost.  In Pakistan, she used her love of art to make and sell clothing, providing Rabia with a viable option for working in America.  But, the clothing she was accustomed to making would be expensive to produce in the U.S. and would not exactly translate to an American audience.

Rabia wandered shops and art galleries looking for ideas.  She experimented at home, gaining confidence from the praise of those who saw her work.  Reaching the next step, however, eluded Rabia.  Then, after nearly two years of searching, Rabia found a door to opportunity.   While exploring the Torpedo Factory in Alexandria, she met an artist who advised Rabia to contact Empowered Women International (EWI).

Rabia completed EWI’s 12-week ‘Training for Success’ program and took advantage of their business coaching.   She created an artist’s statement, learned how to market her work, and built a rich portfolio.  EWI helped her choose price points and refine her art, even working with her to shorten her scarves inch by inch to maximize their appeal to U.S. clients.

With determination, Rabia pored through silk painting books and worked on pieces at home while her toddler daughter played.  When needed, Rabia relied on her network of former students, now scattered across the globe, to help her find the perfect supplies.  Rabia’s resourcefulness, creativity, and drive, along with the excellent support she received from her family, allowed her to use what she learned from EWI and finally take the next step and then the step after that.

Six years later, Rabia is a successful artist, business owner, and entrepreneur.  Her Web site, Silk ‘n Paint, brims with finely-painted silk scarves, beaded shawls, and hand-embroidered bags.  Rabia is branching out into making jewelry, working both independently and in collaboration with EWI when she needs product development and marketing advice.

When asked how EWI influenced her growth and success, Rabia quickly responds, “EWI took me to a new level.  They helped me move from being a vendor to a true artist.”  She also credits EWI with enabling her to reach goals beyond her art — Rabia now serves as President and Marketing Strategist for the IT company, Velocity Zone, which her husband founded.

As far as what the future brings, Rabia envisions her daughters growing up to fulfill their goals too, and smiles as she describes how they, having watched their mother work and grow, now create their own masterpieces and dream of being artists, businesswomen, and mothers.  Rabia also wants to continue refining her art and building her husband’s IT business.  And, as successful journeys tend to go, Rabia’s is coming full circle.  A mere 6 credits away from her teaching license and 9 credits away from her masters in education, Rabia will soon be able to fulfill her true passion and teach again.

Written by Samantha Crowe

Samantha Crowe has her doctorate in neuroscience from Georgetown University and is currently a neuroscientist and freelance writer.  She researches the impact of trauma on men and women, and has a vested interest in promoting social and economic stability through education and empowering women.  Samantha lives with her husband and daughter in Rockville, MD

 

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Meseret and Mekbib’s Story: Persistence, Hope, and Inspiration Help This Husband-and-Wife Artist Team to Succeed

A blob of paint, a splash of color, a swirl of motion. These elements merge to form images on each canvas.  In one, a man and woman are dancing joyfully together.  In another, a crowd of people sway in a vortex of bright light.

Over here on this wall, the mood is calmer, more reflective. An old woman sits on her doorstep, her worn face wreathed in smiles. A young girl gazes at a flower while the warm sun shines all around.

Meet Mekbib and Meseret – two professional artists in the Washington, DC area who have forged a life together through mutual respect for their differing styles, personalities, and approaches to their craft.

Both are shy at first. They’re modest and soft-spoken.  In fact, you might not guess that they each have university degrees in fine arts, and that they both are internationally renowned and have won awards.  It’s only when they talk about the art they’ve created and inspired in each other that their shyness dissipates and they really start to shine.

Mekbib’s eyes light up when he talks about his wife’s work. “I like her strong focus and technique. I like the educational aspect of how she captures emotions. And her colors! I can see a vibration moving in the eyes [of her subjects]; this is influenced by her color choices. It’s an impressionistic ability that I admire very much.”

Meseret is equally admiring of her husband’s talent. “I’m impressed by the variety of things he does. He’s a hard worker, and a philosopher. I learn a lot from him, especially about how to talk about art. I especially like his new style. Earlier this year, he had a wave of new creativity, creating a new line of 56 pieces in one month – it was about 209 hours. I know, because I was keeping track!”

When asked, Mekbib says he’s most interested in exploring large social themes such as human rights, the origins of all humans, and social justice. He likes to include imagery with symbolic meanings that can speak to future generations.  He sees part of his role as an artist is that of present-day historian. “That’s one reason why I’m drawn to history and historical figures,” he says.

And he doesn’t just mean famous historical events like Hurricane Katrina, or figures such as Jesus, Martin Luther King, and Barack Obama (although he’s incorporated all of those into various works), he also wants to capture on canvas the smaller moments of our time. Once, he painted a scene of women in his native country gathered by the riverside to do their laundry by pounding the wet clothing against rocks.  Someone asked him why he chose such a mundane subject. “Because this is a dying tradition,” he remembers saying. “Someday, no one will be able to see this. And my painting may be part of the only record that something like that used to take place.”

While Mekbib prefers to explore grand themes, Meseret focuses on the smaller, more intimate scale. Her paintings tend to be portraits or “figurative painting.”  She’s fascinated by facial expressions, and how to capture them in her work. “I’m not very good at talking about my feelings,” she explained. “But I can express my emotions through peoples’ faces in my art.”

Her subjects also tend to interact with nature in some way. They’re outside in open air markets or in front of their houses. “For me,” Meseret says, “Nature represents freedom and the absence of walls.”  She also explores the themes of hope, women as mothers, strength, responsibility, and inner beauty.

Despite many challenges along the way, this husband-and-wife team have dedicated themselves to being professional artists. Today, they may live and work in the Washington, DC area, but they still have strong emotional and inspirational ties to their native Ethiopia where their artistic journey began.

“I have been an artist pretty much ever since the moment I could hold a pencil,” Mekbib recalls. “I was drawing at a very young age, and my mom encouraged me. But I couldn’t see doing it as a job.” Determined to pursue a more practical career, Mekbib was preparing to study to be an engineer when his mom sent him to art school instead.  “That’s where I met artists (including Meseret) who helped me see it as a serious profession.”  Mekbib majored in painting, but has experience working in all kinds of media, including sculpture, relief, and even computer graphics.

In contrast to her husband, Meseret always knew she was destined to be an artist.  Of course, there were a few doubts along the way.  Whenever she compared herself to others, she would become intimidated for a while. Also, while her dad supported her by paying for materials and the like, he wanted her to pursue a more serious subject.  But Meseret persisted. She started at night school, then got accepted into the full-time program during the day. Her major was mural art, but she also works in mosaics, frescoes, macramé, and string collages. She likes evoking impressionistic techniques through the use of color and texture. “Bright colors mean hope,” she says. “That’s why I’m drawn to them.”

Hope was something the couple needed a lot of when, in 1995, the government of Ethiopia changed and life turned upside down.  Mekbib’s father, who had worked for the previous government, was jailed as a political prisoner. Because of that, for a while Mekbib couldn’t get a job anywhere. Somehow they managed to survive those difficulties, and to keep up with their artistic endeavors.

Finally, the couple obtained diversity visas that enabled them to come to the United States. They arrived in 2001 just a month or so after September 11^th.  That first year in America was difficult. They lived in a tiny room in a friend’s apartment. Mekbib enrolled in college to study computer graphics and to improve his English. Meseret studied English as well.

Through it all, they kept right on painting. They carried their sketch books everywhere – on the metro, on the bus, in parks, walking down the street. When in the small room they shared, they would paint while sitting on the bed. Mekbib facing one way, and Meseret facing the other, they each would prop a large canvas against the wall and rest it on their knees. Sometimes, it seemed as if the painting was bigger than the room. “I worked on this one painting,” Meseret recalls. “I called it ‘Responsibility.’  It was 40” x 36,” which was huge compared to the room! But I felt strongly that we had the responsibility to keep going and not give up on our art. I poured that emotion and determination into that painting and into others I worked on during that time.”

Later, Mekbib got two jobs, which allowed them to get their own apartment. He worked in the field of computer graphics, and channeled some of his artistic talent in that direction. However, he never forgot his first love, and kept right on painting. More recently, he’s gotten commissioned work –from the DC government – to do various projects, including a large wall mural and a stained glass window.

In 2002, Mekbib and Meseret came in contact with Empowered Women International (EWI). They enrolled in the business incubator program. It was EWI’s founder, Marga Fripp, who helped them arrange their first gallery showing.  Because they had never stopped painting, they had accumulated plenty of artwork. And they had prepared for such an opportunity. “Still, there is nothing like that moment when someone steps forward and wants to buy your painting,” Meseret says with a sense of quiet awe.

“It’s true,” Mekbib agrees. “We both sold several paintings that day. We had sold a few other paintings in the United States – to friends, or to their friends. But this was the first time we sold our work to customers in a professional business setting. That was the moment we really knew that we could make it here in America as artists.”

“EWI has helped us tremendously,” Meseret says. She notes that EWI continues to provide gallery space to allow them both to showcase their work. The organization offers support and advice and counseling about the business side of being an artist. “And they’ve helped us feel like we’re part of a community,” she concludes. “That’s why we want to work with them to help other artists who are facing the same challenges we have faced.”

As Mekbib and Meseret prepare for the arrival of their first child, they are optimistic about the future. They still struggle, but it doesn’t stop them from pursuing their passion for art. Whatever challenges may arise, they are determined to just keep on painting through it all.

Written by Jody Uyanik

Jody Uyanik has worked as a writer, trainer, and international development consultant in more than 30 countries over the last twenty years. She has assisted artists and entrepreneurs from Casablanca to Katmandu, and designed and delivered training to folks from Tegucigalpa to Taipei. These days, Jody is focused on helping nonprofits that support women and the arts. Her motto is “let me help you tell your story.” And she is writing all kinds of things, including grant proposals, online courses, documentary scripts, web content, and even children’s plays.  She also helps her husband run his small business in their hometown of Alexandria, Virginia