Key Concepts
- Bicultural Identity: Navigating life between two cultures and the challenges of belonging.
- Power of Small Magic: Finding strength and confidence in cultural symbols and traditions.
- Identity Confusion: Feeling lost or out of place due to conflicting cultural expectations.
- Transforming Negative Energy: Converting negative experiences into positive and productive actions.
- Belonging: Finding a sense of acceptance and connection, even amidst feelings of otherness.
- Shi (शक्ति): Divine feminine energy, strength, and the source of creation.
- Red Bindi: A traditional Indian forehead adornment representing intuition, wisdom, and mindfulness.
- Transferable Principles of Dance: Applying dedication, discipline, creativity, and collaboration from dance to other areas of life.
Navigating Bicultural Identity and the Feeling of "Other"
Ria begins by sharing a personal anecdote about wearing a bindi as a child, highlighting its significance in Indian culture as a symbol of intuition, wisdom, and mindfulness. She recounts experiencing racism for wearing it, illustrating the challenges of navigating a bicultural identity. She describes feeling "stuck between two worlds" due to conflicting expectations from both the Indian and white communities.
- Example: Not being considered successful by some in the Indian community due to her non-traditional career path (artist and cultural entrepreneur instead of a doctor, dentist, lawyer, accountant, or someone in finance).
- Example: Being stereotyped or pigeonholed by the white community for her creative and cultural work.
- Example: Being mistaken for a white person appropriating Indian culture while in India.
Ria identifies four factors that influence her identity:
- Experiences (Good or Bad): How she processes and internalizes experiences, acknowledging her difficulty in letting go of negative ones.
- Location: How her identity shifts depending on where she is in the world.
- Surroundings: The impact of the people she is surrounded by.
- Consumption: The energy she allows into her personal space, beyond just media.
She asks the audience if they have ever felt alienated or excluded, revealing that approximately 80-90% have experienced this feeling of "otherness." This highlights the universality of these experiences and their impact on shaping individual perspectives.
Transforming Confusion into Creation
Ria discusses her upbringing in Manchester with parents from different cultural backgrounds (India and Africa), which led to feelings of confusion and displacement. She channeled this confusion into creating projects that fuse Indian and Western cultures.
- Example: An Indian-inspired children's touring theater production based in Manchester, featuring a female protagonist who loves "a chippy with a load of vinegar." This blends Indian culture with a distinctly Mancunian element.
This creative output allows her to:
- Shatter South Asian career stereotypes.
- Redefine representation of Indian women's careers.
- Dismantle social and cultural barriers by creating inclusive and accessible work.
The Power of Small Magic and Indian Classical Dance
Ria emphasizes the transferable principles of Indian classical dance – dedication, discipline, creativity, and collaboration – as key to her portfolio career. She uses dance to promote togetherness and inclusion, regardless of background.
- Interactive Element: Ria leads the audience in a brief Indian dance workshop, teaching simple hand gestures ("open flower" and a clap with "hoy hoy") to demonstrate the accessibility and joy of the art form.
The Red Bindi as a Metaphor for Self-Belief
The red bindi serves as a metaphor for self-belief and the "power of small magic." It has given her the courage to create innovative projects and navigate identity confusion. It connects her to her childhood culture, heritage, dance, and inner self.
- Personal Connection: The bindi reminds her of her nanny, who would meticulously apply it with precision and patience.
Ria emphasizes the importance of finding what keeps you grounded and connected to your inner self. She acknowledges that it's okay to feel confused and not belong, as long as you have a sense of belonging in your heart.
Finding Your "Shi" and Achieving Higher Things
Ria concludes with her life's motto: "The world most definitely needs more smiles, more kindness, and more love." She encourages everyone to spread joy and compassion in their respective fields.
She reveals that the original title of her talk was "My Big Red Bindi is My Superpower," but she realized that the "super" is within each individual. She introduces the Hindi word "Shi (शक्ति)," meaning strength and divine feminine energy responsible for creation.
The ultimate message is to find your "Shi" and the power of small magic to create your own superpower. This allows you to redirect adversities and feelings of otherness into seeking and achieving higher things. The journey starts with a simple dot – the bindi – representing intuition, wisdom, mindfulness, and the power of small magic.
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