'Creativity Is Not Just For Children'

We all grow up with dreams of being an actor, a painter, a singer, a doctor, or a storyteller. But as we grow up and face reality, we rarely do what we had dreamed of as kids. That creativity gets lost somewhere beneath a pile of adulthood. However, it is very important to retain that child inside you and never let go of it, as losing that would mean losing a part of yourself.

Sinjini Sengupta, 39, a resident of Gurgaon, is an actuary-turned-author, speaker, and social worker. Hailing from Kolkata, she now lives with her banker husband who also happens to be a filmmaker and a daughter. Sengupta, the founder of the lighthouse, is on a mission to shift your narratives and help you rediscover yourself with storytelling. Lighthouse was among the few selected ventures to be incubated at IIM BANGALORE NSRCEL. 

When CitySpidey asked her about why she changed her career, she said, “We often think that creativity is for children and only some of the grown-ups are capable of creating. The lack of creativity burns us out and leaves us without meaning and joy. I had a pretty career-oriented academic journey and I never really thought I would be an author since I have been extremely busy with my high-flying corporate career. However, I must mention that I‘ve always been an ardent literature lover and always had been reading vehemently since my childhood. I don’t want that creativity to burn inside me but rather I want to live with it." 

She says that creativity is what stands important in everyone’s life. Besides being an author, Sengupta also inspires many people like aspiring speakers, writers, toastmasters, corporate executives and leaders, business school students, community leaders, and women influencers. She says, “My mission in life is to ingrain creativity in adults."

Manju Menon, 41, a resident of Bengaluru is a student of Sengupta and co-founder and CEO of NuSocia, a social impact consulting firm. Menon says, "Sinjini's workshop on storytelling is unique as it helps us discover the hidden storyteller in all of us. She does not just handle the techniques of storytelling, at which she is exceptionally good, but also helps us realise the philosophy of storytelling. Her workshop mode is designed on the element of trust and a safe space for participants to explore, experiment, and unravel the everyday stories which lie within and near each one of us. As an entrepreneur, I always believed in effective storytelling and this workshop helped me with a systematic approach towards the same."

Sengupta says that the ongoing coronavirus-induced lockdown has been a great time for her and also for Lighthouse as it grew and transformed in leaps and bounds. She knows how to create an opportunity besides knowing the troubles. She says, “For the first time, Lighthouse had a batch that had participants from four continents: United Kingdom, Europe, South Africa, and India, in the same batch. In subsequent batches, I’ve continued to have multiple learners from other countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, etc."

The 39-year-old is also an author. She says, “My book 'Elixir' came with its own plans. I got an offer to write a book from an established publisher even before I had a manuscript. That is the story of how 'Elixir' came about. The book was widely celebrated and was featured by almost all leading media and literary platforms. I’ve been truly humbled by its sweeping success.” 

She said that earlier her book was just a short story but later Elixir was adapted into a short film which was selected to be screened at the Cannes Film Festival in 2016 and then subsequently won several international awards.