Mindscapes: A coffee table book which makes you think

You don't want to accept and then there will be some anger 'why me?', 'why not somebody else?'. Then there will be grief in the individual or the entire family and everyone starts coping with that in their own way. And then you start coming back to life, accepting the reality and when once it is done, life will be beautiful. Mother will have thoughts that she didn't took proper care while carrying and all. She asshould realize that those are not at all the reasons and try to come out of it as early as possible."

Neena Rao, a mother of a special child is inspiring many mothers in this world with her coffee table book "Mindscapes: Canvas of Emotions in a Special World" by Margika, an NGO for Children with Special Needs. The highest spiritual leader and former head of state of Tibet, The Dalai Lama wrote a foreword to the book. "Children with special needs are often talented and intelligent in every specific way. The book Mindspaces celebrates the insights and artistic skills and heartfelt stories of such children."

Attractively designed, the book has colourful paintings and photographs by the contributors interspersed with biographies and verses by Mumbai-based law student Palomi Vatsayan and Hyderabad-based special educator Afroze Fatima and captures the nuances of everyday events. In the first chapter titled Art, brain and healing accompanied by sketches, Dr Matcheri Keshavan, head of Harvard Medical School, explains how art is an effective tool to heal and for non-verbal expression. Chapters on care, strength, optimism, passion and inspiration follow.

Empathy, raising awareness and de-stigmatising special children is Margika's aim, points out its founder Neena Rao. The focus is on advocacy, training, education and capacity building to include special children in the mainstream.

When her son Harshvardhan Rao was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, Neena knew almost nothing about the condition. Neena has a doctorate in environmental policies and left her high-powered job to move back to the US in 2015. Neuroscientist Dr Matcheri Keshavan's guidance, her training in leadership and mental health at NGO Sangath in Goa and learnings as a mother of a special needs child helped her to launch Margika in July 2017 to work in the education sector in Telangana, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Assam.

The book is an outcome of a virtual talent show that Margika held to boost the morale of the children during the pandemic. Describing the book, Neena says, "Through this book, we are celebrating these children's lives and whatever their strengths are, they deserve to be celebrated."

Telangana Governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan will be launching 'Mindscapes' in Hyderabad on December 6th. In an exclusive conversation with 'The Hans India,' Neena Rao shares about her experiences with "Mindscapes." Let's have a look into it.

Speaking about 'Mindscapes,' Neena says "Groups are often perceived as homogeneous, possessing the same traits, personalities, and needs. However, as a society, we need to realise and understand that groups are comprised of individuals who have different sets of these attributes. Every individual has different needs in their pursuit of self-actualization. Maslow's hierarchy of human needs suggests that besides the basic physiological needs, humans also need a sense of safety, love, and belonging to rise and meet their esteem and self-actualization needs. Every individual, highly abled in some ways and disabled in others, has a journey unique to themselves."

Margika, an NGO for children with Special Needs, believes in looking at individual identities for their personalities, traits, talents, and strengths. Art and creativity serve as a medium for special-needs individuals to express themselves and connect with their own emotions, helping them reduce their anxiety and stress. This book, Mindscapes, explores the honest, heartfelt stories of children and young adults with special needs, through a sincere expression of ideas. And entries include a variety of artistic mediums; poetry, paintings, sketches, stories etc. These young minds come from a place that holds a strong sense of purpose in life and have a strong sense of optimism that were needed in the distressing times of COVID-19.

Mindscapes provides individuals with special needs a showcase of their hidden potential, helping them to connect with professional artists in the mainstream and pursue their artistic endeavors. We know that this platform will improve their faith in their own capabilities, and generate joy amongst themselves and their families. The objective is to offer help, guidance, and encouragement in the long run, adding more meaning to the cause that Margika believes in.

Meraki is a Greek word for something done with creativity, effort and a lot of love to reveal the essence of the Established during the pandemic, 'Meraki' platform was Margika's proactive approach to reduce these children's stress and anxiety. It also furthers the endeavor of showcasing the self-expression of individuals with special needs to allow the essence of their being to blossom.

The overwhelming response of entries that Meraki received was heart-warming, especially when due to lockdowns, communication with 8000 parents of special needs children in Telangana and the rest of India could be done only through mobile phones. So, it was gratifying when numerous attendees logged in from India, North America, and Europe to watch the virtual talent show that was organized. Spontaneous compliments added to the joy and excitement of the change to children, their parents, and teachers. On seeing this, we were inspired to compile their creative, expressive contributions into this coffee table book. To you, the reader, we offer this book as a window into the world of these children. We hope that this compilation will help alter how you perceive individuals with special needs and their world, and appreciate the strength and love that the families constantly exhibit while supporting their loved ones.