Brown Family, Colorful Visions

When you're raised in an Indian family in America, the balance between the two can get tough to manage. I was the eldest daughter as well, which, if you know anything about the theories about eldest daughters, didn't make my life any easier.

When I started leaning towards art as one of my passions, my family was surprised, even though my mom had been the one to place me in dance classes in the first place. When I began putting my energy into theatre, they felt as I was choosing that over them. When tech week came around, they would pout and hate the fact that I came home well after dark every day for a week.

But as time went on, my family began to see what it was doing for me. I was never as happy at home as I was surrounded by my cast and crew for a production. When I was dealing with the hardest times in my depression, I would write stories and paint, locked away in my own room. It was an escape from the pain my day-to-day life imposed on me.

That's why, when I announced I'd be pursuing a theatre major before law school, my family was somewhat more understanding than they would've been a couple years prior. They have been making promises to come see the shows I act in and direct, knowing how important these are to me, and how much of myself I put into each and every piece I work on. They've even commissioned me for artwork of the places they grew up in or tattoo design that they want. 15 year old me would never have anticipated this level of support, and thinking back on it now, I'm truly proud of their willingness to grow with me as I discovered my passions.