Who Paints My Soul’s Playlist?

When someone asks, “Who are your favorite artists?”, my mind doesn’t just stop at painters or singers — it starts doing a joyful cartwheel through every form of art. Because honestly, how can you choose between Raja Ravi Varma’s regal strokes, A.R. Rahman’s soul-touching tunes, M.F. Husain’s bold horses, or Lata Mangeshkar’s voice that could melt even the hardest heart? And of course, Shah Rukh Khan’s charm — that magical ability to turn even heartbreak into poetry, proving that acting, too, is an art of emotion and depth.

Art isn’t confined to canvas or chords. It hides in my mom’s morning coffee foam, the way she stirs it like she’s composing her own symphony. It’s in my kids’ random crayon doodles on the wall — a masterpiece titled “Oops, I did it again.” It’s in my husband’s slightly offbeat singing that somehow lands perfectly on the note of love.

If you force me to pick, I’d say my favorite artist is Life itself — unpredictable, messy, and magically creative. As Oscar Wilde once said, “Life imitates art far more than art imitates life.” Every sunrise feels like an S.H. Raza canvas — vibrant yet peaceful — and every monsoon evening sounds like a Rahman melody designed just for my emotions.

Of course, I deeply admire the greats — Tyeb Mehta’s intensity, Amrita Sher-Gil’s sensitivity, Zakir Hussain’s rhythmic genius, Arijit Singh’s emotion-packed voice, and Shah Rukh Khan’s cinematic artistry that transforms ordinary moments into timeless magic. But the artists who truly move me are the unsung ones: the rangoli maker at the doorstep, the teacher sketching dreams on young minds, the chaiwala who makes art out of conversation, and even the street guitarist who plays without an audience but with a heart full of passion.

“Art,” said Picasso, “washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” Maybe that’s why, even in chaos, I find beauty — in imperfections, in effort, in the art of simply trying.

💭 Thought to Ponder:
Perhaps our true favorite artist isn’t someone we admire, but someone we become — every time we create, love, laugh, or simply live with a touch of color. 🎨✨