In this episode of Larger than Us, Keerthi and Sneha talk about what it means to be stressed vs burnt out. As we come close to the end of the year - life's pace picks up a little - Sneha and Keerthi talk about triggers and forms stress can be present in their life. While they talk about ways they view stress, they also talk about different advice they've received from mentors and experiences in order to look to become better at managing stress. As they break down certain aspects - work-life balance, work scenarios, friendships, and relationships - they conclude the episode with ways they find themselves motivated to continue working on themselves. 

In this episode of Brown Art Network, Sneha and Keerthi talk with Veena Murali - a 22 year-old solo female traveler who’s traveled to a total of  55+ countries and recently went on a ‘Journey Around the World in 180 Days’ solo trip. They talk with her to learn more about her passion for travel and how she became a solo traveler. While they learn about her personal experiences with the countries she's visited, they also talk about the perception different cultural identities have around the world and how to push past what the media shares of those countries to expand your own perspective. Not only do they touch upon the perceptions of traveling in terms of identity, but they also talk about the beauty of traveling solo, the stigmas of traveling alone (especially as a desi woman), and how to travel on a budget. As they conclude their conversation, Veena provides advice from her experiences to those who look to break out of their comfort zone and travel by themselves, especially as a desi woman. To stay in touch with Veena's traveling and experiences, follow her on Instagram @nyctonomad. To learn more about her journey to countries around the world, read her book Far, Wide, and Solo here: https://books2read.com/b/farwideandsolo

We are back from our break! In this episode of Larger Than Us, Keerthi and Sneha talk about the idea of self-love and how they would define it from their experiences, how confidence, social media and other realms of thought in society affect the way we perceive ourselves. While they discuss these topics, they also dive into the aspects of our community that limit us from practicing self-love and how we can move forward in breaking those perceptions. They end the episode with concluding thoughts on the future and how they see themselves growing further into the idea of loving their whole authentic self. -----  [intro/outro credits]  Ravi Ray Audio: https://ravirayaudio.com/

In this episode of Larger Than Us, Keerthi and Sneha talk about cultural appropriation - how to define it, examples of growing up with it, and how it affected their mindset towards their identity. While they discuss the difference between appropriation vs appreciation, they talk about how other minority groups are appropriated within the South Asian American community. As they reflect on why people act this way, they conclude their thoughts on how to change the mindset that leads towards the cultural appropriation of other cultures and often times people's own cultures in hopes people join in on changing the environment towards these negative behaviors. ----- [intro/outro credits] Ravi Ray Audio: https://ravirayaudio.com/

In this episode of Brown Art Network, Sneha and Keerthi talk with Poonam Rahman - Founder and CEO of two international nonprofit organizations, Virtue Mental and Shattering Bias in S.T.E.A.M., both, designed to provide free resources to historically marginalized communities. In their conversation they discuss non-profit organizations and their larger social impact. While they discuss her background in non-profit work, they also discuss the importance of inclusivity in the workplace and ways in which non-profits can stand-out and make an impact. Poonam concludes the episode with advice she would give to others looking to pursue their own career in social justice or non-profit work, as well as some ways in which viewers can contribute and support their local non-profits. To learn more about Virtue Mental and Shattering Bias in S.T.E.A.M. and how you can help out with the organizations, click here:  https://www.virtuemental.org/ https://www.shatterbias.org/ ----- [intro/outro credits] Ravi Ray Audio: https://ravirayaudio.com/

In this episode of Brown Art Network, Sneha and Keerthi talk with Anirudh Rajagopalan - music composer, director, performer, and founder of AR Productions. They dive into his training in classical music in the Western and Carnatic world and how his identity being Indian-Japanese-American affects the way he approaches blending different music styles. While they discuss his background and technical abilities in music, they also discuss how he formed AR Productions and where he hopes his career evolves in the next few projects. Anirudh concludes the episode with the advice he would give to others pursuing their own career in the music industry, looking to develop their own identity within their musical genres. To learn more about AR Productions and some of the work Anirudh has produced and written, click here: https://www.anirudhrajagopalan.com/home ----- [intro/outro credits] Ravi Ray Audio: https://ravirayaudio.com/

In this episode of Larger Than Us, Keerthi and Sneha make it a little special. They invite their siblings to talk about being the youngest, reflecting on their childhood years, and how being the youngest affected them in a South Asian household. Sneha and Keerthi take this time to reflect with their siblings on growing up and looking towards the future as they face different life challenges. While they have fun asking each other questions about fond memories, they also ask questions about the pressures of being the youngest and how older siblings can support them. They wrap the episode with the advice they would give to help strengthen sibling relationships in general, to those looking to tighten the bond between their siblings and the memories they all have reflected from. ----- [intro/outro credits] Ravi Ray Audio: https://ravirayaudio.com/

**SPOILER ALERT - We do touch on a few moments within the movie so please go watch Definition Please on Netflix first if you don't want spoilers! ** In this episode of Brown Art Network, Sneha and Keerthi talk with Sujata Day - actress, director, and writer about her directorial debut film Definition Please, and how the movie elevates South Asian representation on screen, especially with conversations surrounding mental health. They dive into her personal experiences with how she appreciates her upbringing and background, but also the lack of discussion around mental health growing up. While they discuss her personal experiences and career, they dive into several core topics of the movie, from a fan perspective, to connect it to the larger conversations that are needed within our South Asian community in general. They conclude the episode with her advice to up-and-coming writers, actors, and directors entering the entertainment industry and share her career path hoping others can learn from her experiences. To learn more about Definition Please, go watch it on Netflix or click here: https://www.sujataday.com/definition-please  -----  [intro/outro credits]  Ravi Ray Audio: https://ravirayaudio.com/

In this episode of Larger Than Us, Keerthi and Sneha dive into the concepts of rejection and failure, how they differ from each other, and how the South Asian community views these concepts with the meaning of success. While they utilize their personal experiences to navigate through these topics, they also question how they can improve themselves in order to process rejection and failure in a healthier light. They also dive into external factors like social media and see how they change the perspective of handling failure or viewing other's timeline and comparing it to themselves. They conclude the episode with the advice they would provide to younger individuals based on the reflections they had in their conversation today. ------ [intro/outro credits] Ravi Ray Audio: https://ravirayaudio.com/

In this episode of Brown Art Network, Sneha and Keerthi dive into the importance of having cultural representation in children/teen movies and TV shows. They discuss from their age to now how the on-screen representation has shifted and the impacts it has on shaping perspectives. While they discuss the industry itself, they talk about their personal reflections from childhood and how the on-screen portrayals can affect individuals as adults on topics such as sex, intergenerational trauma, healing, stigmas, and stereotypes. While they talk about the serious notions of representation, they dive into the importance of embracing your inner child - a product of enjoying children's movies and experiences as adults and removing the shame that comes with it. They wrap the episode with their curiosity about the future and gratefulness for the conversations current movies have stirred when talking about heavy topics. ------  [intro/outro credits]  Ravi Ray Audio: https://ravirayaudio.com/