Kankana is a food blogger and author of the cookbook ‘Taste of Eastern India’. She is also a food and lifestyle photographer and a social influencer. We interviewed her because we love her food and lifestyle photography. She is mom to 7-year old Avyan. You can follow her work @playfulcooking.
S: Who is Kankana?
K: I am a mom who loves to cook, click photographs and socialize. I am an extremely organized person and very passionate about my work. I started food blogging in 2010 (as a hobby) and started freelance work with brands in 2014.
S: Tell us what a day in your life looks like.
K: I follow a routine on weekdays and intentionally have no routine on the weekends.
Mornings include breakfast with the family, checking emails and social media. I squeeze in a workout before I start cooking and then usually do a quick photoshoot before the entire family gets together for lunch around 12:30 pm. Me and my son eat our lunch at leisure, chat and spend time together.
The afternoons are filled with video shoots or household chores and I try to wrap them up by 4:30 pm in time for some tea and a snack with the family. Then we usually head out for a walk.
Later in the evening, I edit my photos and videos before and after dinner. I like to edit them 2-3 days in advance, so that I can see them over and over; re-shoot/re-edit/color correct etc, in case I feel something is missing.
S: How do you replenish your energy?
K: A cup of chai is all I need. If I have a creative block, I take a break from work for a few days; just cook for myself and the family and don't shoot any photos or videos. The last 6 months, I have also stopped working on the weekends and spend more time on activities like hiking, gardening, biking - and that’s been really great.
S: I wish I had my child’s...
K: Energy.
S: My work is my...
K: Passion.
S: What’s your advice to mothers embarking on new ventures?
K: It's in our nature, as mothers, to do the best for our families and we tend to forget what we want. So, I would say that if you have an idea, figure out 1-2 hours for yourself in your daily routine and just START and keep at it. Don't wait for it to be perfect; do it consistently, on a daily basis and you will learn a lot over time and polish your skills.