Engineer From Bhilai Is Now Chasing Her Creative Dreams: Sabhyata Naidu

Since childhood, she says, "I had this hobby of collecting SCRAP ITEMS - anything which I thought could be converted into something beautiful. Sometimes, people used to call me ‘ Kabadi Wali’ (scrap collector). During my college and school days, I gifted some handmade cards and goodies to my friends for special occasions. After college, I got a job and got stuck in the cubicle life for a couple of years. I was thinking of getting into the banking sector as I thought the banking job would give me sufficient time to focus on my passion (this was pre-demonetization :P ). I had saved a decent sum in the last couple of years so I quit my job and started preparing for the IBPS (the banking entrance exam). I worked really hard but probably fate didn’t want me to count notes till midnight so I missed out by a couple of marks. But today, I am happy that I missed it!"

Why? Because 28-year-old Sabhyata Naidu has become the founder of OBRTI - an art-and-crafts venture that creates a handmade-eco-friendly stuff! How cool is that!!

"A year down the line, I had to quit that job on an urgent basis in order to go home due to some emergency. When I got back, I realized it was going to be the same struggle again. I thought to myself - If I really have to struggle, why shouldn’t I do it for something that I have been dreaming for since childhood. I gathered up all my savings and got all the essential items for professional crafting, learned some few basic things and started my venture ‘OBRTI’. Today I believe, all that happens, happens for good," Sabhyata smiles with pride. Sabhyata is an engineer otherwise! She laughs," Yes, I completed my BE in IT in 2011. So, I was a techie. And now I am applying the skills to make a craft out of junk!" And we both laugh at that!

Sabhyata was born and brought up in Bhilai, Chhattisgarh. After graduation, she got selected for a job in Delhi and her family encouraged her to go on and grab the opportunity. "I worked there as a Technical Associate for a year and then moved to Bangalore as it is the Silicon Valley of India and I realized that this is the best place to be if you want to be in the IT industry. So, I landed here in the search of a job in the IT sector."

But then she was a broken woman inside, "My father was a lawyer and mother was a homemaker. I lost my mom at an early age. My father also passed away last year. I just have a younger brother, who is still trying to find his way in life. All these incidents left me with a gap in my soul which probably would never heal. And thus OBRTI happened, initially just as a hobby. It’s also a way of releasing my stress and anxiety. When you love doing something, it takes away all negative things from you. Anything and everything can be made beautiful and valuable if molded in the right way."

And side-by-side she says SHEROES also happened to her, which changed her as a  person," I joined Sheroes somewhere in mid-2017. I was going through a bad phase and was actually looking for a platform like SHEROES where women could speak out, share, learn and emerge stronger. I must say that was one of the best decisions I took. Every day, I spend a few hours in the app - going through all the posts, the journey of different women and their stories. It helps you with your daily dose of motivation. I even got business related answers, financial, medical, a travel-related answer which has helped me in different ways."

Her SHEROES profile at ART, CRAFT & PHOTOGRAPHY COMMUNITY is full of her work at OBRTI, which she is running single-handedly for now. So there are Paper crafts- cards, tags, bookmarks, album, scrapbooks, origami etc. And also some decoupage items like the pen-holder, magazine holder, key-holder, tray, watch box, jewelry box, wall decor, photo frames, photo Polaroids etc. She also deals in handmade plain and designer candles. But the top of the charts and most favorite ones are up-cycled items – glass bottle decor, cardboard pen holders, tin pen holders etc. And not to forget the invitation cards (Invites) – for any and every occasion that she crafts by hand, personally.

Having gathered much love in SHEROES communities, Sabhyata attended the Sheroes Summit 2018 at Bengaluru, "It was an amazing experience for me. All the members, Sairee- Founder of Sheroes, Merril (sweet-heart) or Yashmita, everyone is so humble. Every single person from Sheroes team I met was very helpful, energetic and so full of joy."

And today she has gained so much confidence and strength that she is all set to take the biggest leap in personal life. An elated Sabhyata informs me, " Soon I am getting married to the man of my choice. He belongs to a different religion. We are quite accepting of each others’ religion and that’s all there is to it. I met him in college. We have known each other for over 12 years now and have been through a lot of highs and lows during this time. And with his parent's blessings, we are all set to start a New Life!"

Though she works from home, though she has no consistent income as of now, is all hopes excel at OBRTI. "Mahima I have no fancy studio or any team. I try to fetch as many orders as I can. Right now, I am focused on increasing my customer reach and making my customers happy. This is a niche field and it takes time for a business to gain traction, but with consistent efforts, I am sure I will get there someday soon," asserts a very determined Sabhyata. She has also joined SHEROES SHE Starts Up Community and is participating in community chats to get more knowledge around entrepreneurship.

She also adds, "I have learnt to take it one step at a time, just concentrating on the present and trying to keep negative things out of my mind. Being in touch with a psychiatrist helps, and even though the victory hasn’t come yet, I am sure I will make it one day.  Looking back, I could have been wiser at the start of my career, or I could have done a bunch of other things differently. But then I would have not been able to take care of my dad, who needed me right before he passed away. A wise career stand would per-say had saved me a lot of trouble. But that would have also meant that I would have ignored my father? Never. And would I be doing, chasing my passion if 'I would have been wise in my career as per the neighbours?" No, I wouldn’t have been doing what I am doing today. So, at the end of it, I guess it all turned to be fine!"

She also adds something from her past, which is really helpful for others to follow: "Highs and Lows are a part of life. Whenever I feel low or get an anxiety attack, I meditate. Definitely, I am taking sessions from a psychologist, who is helping me go through this time. Many people don’t even try to consult a psychiatrist or psychologist, because of the social stigma attached to it. But people must realize that mental illness is also like any other disease, it’s just that we are not open to accepting the fact. I also watch a lot of inspiring videos, where people overcome their rock bottom scenarios. Even SHEROES has a Helpline, for that matter."

A story of catharsis, a personification of determination, Sabhyata who also loves to sometime go back to Kathak which she learnt as a child, leaves us with the message:

"Every problem has a solution. There will be a lot of people to put you down but don’t worry, have faith in yourself and crawl. Time will heal everything. Keep your cool and Trust in Karma”.

If Sabhyata's life and determination have inspired you, do share her story. And don't forget to pour best wishes and love for her in comments column - she gets married this Jan 2019! Y

You can follow her work at OBRTI on SHEROES.