https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Finding Serenity In Painting Amid All The Hustle

When in school, IAS officer Shuchi Smita Saxena considered drawing class a waste of time However, after joining civil services, she started finding solace in art During the pandemic lockdown, she picked up the brush and started painting herself
Indian Masterminds Stories

For years, Shuchi Smita Saxena considered art and craft as a waste of time. She believed that school is for education and sports. Hence, she focused on both and attending drawing classes as a matter of duty.

However, her outlook changed when she joined the state civil services in 2001. Soon, she was indulging in craft and embroidery and loved to make small things for her children. And, the pandemic gave her the time to learn and experiment with painting. Today, it has become a therapeutic exercise for her that keeps her calm and motivated.

Textured acrylic on paper

Speaking to Indian Masterminds, IAS officer Shuchismita Saxena, who is currently serving as Deputy Secretary in the Department of Revenue in Madhya Pradesh, talked about her journey. She has been promoted as an IAS officer of 2016 batch

Shuchismita Saxena

ART IN GENES

Ms. Saxena’s father who is a retired IRS officer also do sketching and painting as a hobby. Although during her school days, she considered drawing as a duty only, yet her projects came out very good. She was naturally good in drawing which, she believes, must have come to her through her father. And, her daughter also loves to draw and is learning professional painting.

In fact, Ms. Saxena got attracted towards art because of her father and the encouragement from her daughter. She said, “My daughter is learning the art. She is the one who encourages me. If she is drawing something, she tells me to try it. She also finds the stuff that I can paint on the canvas.”

BUCKET LIST

Ms. Saxena’s bucket list included hanging a painting done by her in the living room. After being selected as an IAS officer and joining the service, she started taking time out to make crafts and needle work. But, painting was something that required a lot of time and focus. Swamped with all the responsibilities, she did not get the time until the lockdowns during the pandemic.

As she was working from home, she got the opportunity to learn the art. She started off with lessons from YouTube videos and began painting. “I used to make sketches and acrylic paintings at first. The end product used to fill me up with happiness, so, I continued. Slowly, I moved to oil pastels, water colours and murals,” she said.

Ms. Saxena now also takes classes for professional painting two days a week. Her next target is oil painting. As she is still learning and evolving with every art work she completes, she is happy sharing her work on social media for now. Nevertheless, she definitely wishes to hold an exhibition of her art works in the future.


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
Hindustan Shipyard Limited HSL
PESB Declines to Recommend CMD for Hindustan Shipyard; Ministry May Extend Current Chief’s Tenure
IAS Ajitabh Sharma
“80% of Time Spent on Non-Core Tasks”: Rajasthan Principal Secretary Ajitabh Sharma Questions IAS Work Culture, Calls for Reform
Nitin Gadkari
India to Become Net Energy Exporter in 6-7 Years, Highlights Hydrogen and Biofuels: Union Minister Nitin Gadkari
Bank of India - BOI
Bank of India Plans to Raise Rs 20,000 Crore via Infrastructure Bonds in FY 2025-26
BEML Limited
For Operational Excellence, BEML Lays Foundation of State-of-the-Art Central Warehousing Centre in Bilaspur
rec-logo
Green Energy Boost: REC Forms New Subsidiary for 3GW Ananthapuram-II REZ Transmission Project
Bhupendra Patel CM Gujarat
CM Bhupendra Patel’s Pro-People Move: Uniform House Tax of ₹200 Annually for Rural Government-Assisted Homes in Gujarat
CM Nitish Kumar
Bihar: Gaya to Become Bihar’s Largest Industrial Township Under AKIC; ₹16,524 Cr Investment Expected
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
WhatsApp Image 2025-06-25 at 5.07
Why Has the DGCA Fined Air India Rs 5 Crore Since Privatisation?
Former Diplomat Ashok Sajjanhar
Iran Is Weakest Now, Needs a Face-Saver
WhatsApp Image 2025-06-23 at 12.39
Retired Officers Lead 7-Day Mission to Revive Betwa River with 55 Check Dams | Video Interview
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
Sanish Kumar Singh
“If you want it badly enough, you’ll find a way,” Sanish Kumar Singh AIR 8, UPSC IFS 2024 
The real interview, he says, was much more humane. “The board was conversational. The chairman opened...
Raju Wagh
When the Battlefield Became a Study Room and a Dream Took Flight
Amid IED blasts and anti-Maoist operations in Bastar, CRPF Commando Raju Wagh taught village kids, studied...
WhatsApp Image 2025-06-18 at 10.31
"I Just Wanted to Breathe Again": The Man Who Fought Death and Made It to UPSC
Struck by COVID at the peak of his UPSC prep, Devanand Telgote spent months on ECMO, unsure he'd live,...
Social Media
Shailaja Chandra
“Nanis & Dadis Have a Brain”: Former IAS Officer Shailaja Chandra Weighs in on 1970s vs 2025 Life Debate - “This Generation Has It Better”
Responding to Viral Post on Middle-Class Struggles, Ex-Bureaucrat Offers Candid Reflection on Then and...
Tigress Arrowhead
The End of an Era: A Queen Falls - Ranthambore’s Iconic Tigress Arrowhead (T-84) Passes Away at 14, Hours After Daughter’s Relocation
Ranthambore mourns the loss of one of its fiercest and most beloved tigers, Arrowhead, the granddaughter...
Screenshot 2025-06-13 194001
Wild Elephant Disrupts Riverside Picnic, Sparks Debate on Human Encroachment; IFS Parveen Kumar Shares the Video - Watch Here!
Mr. Kaswan used the viral video, which has garnered over 1.5 lakh views, to highlight the risks of human...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
Hindustan Shipyard Limited HSL
PESB Declines to Recommend CMD for Hindustan Shipyard; Ministry May Extend Current Chief’s Tenure
IAS Ajitabh Sharma
“80% of Time Spent on Non-Core Tasks”: Rajasthan Principal Secretary Ajitabh Sharma Questions IAS Work Culture, Calls for Reform
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
WhatsApp Image 2025-06-25 at 5.07
Former Diplomat Ashok Sajjanhar
WhatsApp Image 2025-06-23 at 12.39
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT