Baby Boomer Girl: Living with Simplicity & Creativity
Radha Sahar: aka Baby Boomer Girl – melds Creativity with the Simple Life …
Radha: In Hinduism, Radha is known as Lord Krishna’s beloved consort. In Sanskrit texts such as The Vedas and Puranas, her name means prosperity, perfection, success and wealth.
“As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler; solitude will not be solitude, poverty will not be poverty nor will weakness be weakness.” Henry David Thoreau
Simplicity in Creativity: Sacred Flame Art by Radha Sahar
The abundantly talented Renaissance woman, Radha Sahar, aka baby boomer girl, stopped by my blog a few weeks ago to leave a comment and share her views on living a simple life. I followed her back to leave a comment on her blog, Baby Boomer Girl, and discovered a humorous, highly successful and creative woman quite befitting the name Radha.
Radha is a founding partner and director of Universal Children’s Audio, a composer, singer/songwriter for children’s music, a producer for adult contemporary music, a visual artist/painter – Radha Sahar Interactive Art, writer/blogger – Baby Boomer Girl Blog, volunteer for The New Zealand Virtues Trust and The Sacred Site. In her many incarnations, she has also served as a Kindergarten teacher, music tutor, and music therapist and all around performer.
After connecting with Radha on her blog and on Twitter, I asked her to share her world and work with us and she relented. I am delighted to have Radha share her “wacky sub-persona, Baby Boomer Girl” and world with us. Enjoy!
“Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity! I say, let your affairs be as two or three, and not a hundred or a thousand. Instead of a million count half a dozen, and keep your accounts on your thumb-nail.” Henry David Thoreau
Creativity & Simplicity: Radha Sahar
Foundation Questions:
Tell us a bit on your background: Who are you? Where did you grow up and where do you live now?
I grew up in Dunedin in the South Island of New Zealand and write the Baby Boomer Girl blog. I am a composer & audio producer for Universal Children’s Audio (UCA Music), an independent record company with its own production studios, which my business partner David Antony Clark, (composer & sound engineer), and I founded 22 years ago. Our work has won several awards including the World Peace Music Award (2007), two Tuis in the NZ Music Industry awards, and an Honorable Mention in the ISC (International Songwriting Competition, Nashville). Currently, I am working on a live show Baby Boomer Girl’s debut album.
What do you do for a living?
I am a self-employed singer songwriter; audio producer and painter. I co-direct an independent record company, www.ucamusic.com specializing in children’s music. Plus we are now launching adult music – our latest label is ‘Won’t Sit Down’ – for Baby Boomer Girls music … My paintings can be viewed on my art website (like many self-employed artists I wear ‘several hats’!)
“Be content with what you have, rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.” Lao Tzu
Simplicity: Exterior of Kakuna Hill Hut
Why did you choose the path you now follow?
I am driven to create … I could not hack regular employment for long – I just had to do my own thing.
When did you decide to make key changes in your life?
In my early 20s, I made changes…
Share your world view: How do you live your life and manage your household?
I live with my man in a one room hut off the grid. My blog article, Echo Living, gives a good picture of how I live and what I value; simplicity, kinship with the human family, non-consumerism, green politics, inclusive spirituality, creativity …
“The best things in life are nearest: Breath in your nostrils, light in your eyes, flowers at your feet, duties at your hand, the path of right just before you. Then do not grasp at the stars, but do life’s plain, common work as it comes, certain that daily duties and daily bread are the sweetest things in life.” Robert Louis Stevenson
Simplicity: Kakuna Hill, New Zealand via Radha S
Reflective Questions:
What do you consider the most important thing about yourself?
Making a positive contribution in the world; making contributions that can bring others cheer.
What motivates you to get out of bed?
Work, life, nature and … being alive!
What makes you happy/laugh?
Just about everything!
What makes you sad/mad?
Greed, exploitation, injustice and cruelty.
“Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.” Albert Einstein
Creativity: Triptych - Aotearoa; the people, the land, and the sea...
What would you do differently with your life if you had the power? With the world if you had the choice?
I wouldn’t change my own life, other than being able to share my music with absolutely everybody! One adaptation for the – What would you do differently question is that – I would change my life if I could make it even more simple, healthy, loving and sustainable; there is always room for improvement.
Through my music, writing and art, I hope to give something positive to the world. In LaLa land, I would stamp out greed and corruption, honor mother earth, put a ceiling on what outrageous ‘earners’ can earn (they don’t ‘earn’ it – they take it!), distribute resources evenly; especially food and essentials to the whole global family while also encouraging population control & sustainability.
What guiding principle(s) do you follow to make your life meaningful?
I follow the Virtues from The Virtues Project (an initiative, started 1991 to empower individuals and families to live by their deepest values). – I particularly like drawing a Virtues Reflection Card each day and focusing on strengthening that quality whenever I can …
What word(s) of advice would you give to others today?
Lighten up and laugh …
How would you like to be remembered?
As a loving person.
Happiness is…..?
Inside.
“Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.” Confucius
“Live simply that others might simply live.” Elizabeth Seaton
Simplicity: Sunset on Kakuna Hill
Radha is a super talented composer/songwriter/blogger/artist who lives and works with her hubby/creative partner in Kanuka Hill, New Zealand. She loves music and everything to do with the creative process yet cherishes the simple life which feeds her creativity. Radha’s humor shines through in all she does and you may connect with her through her Baby Boomer Girl blog, her twitter page @babyboomergirl1, My Space page, on Facebook and via YouTube
Do you have any creative questions for Radha? Do you have a fascinating career path to share? Do share and please leave your feedback with us. Thank You!
PHOTO CREDITS:
All Photographs of Radha Sahar, her Art, her Home ~ courtesy of Radha Sahar
Until Next Time…
Ask. Believe. Receive. ©
Elizabeth Obih-Frank
Excellente! Just what we all need to start our week – to simplify.
I admire people who are able to kiss the office goodbye and follow their creative dreamszm
Thanks for the simplicity! How did Radha get her name?
What challenges did she face starting her music company?
Thank you! 😉
I so agree with you on the creative dreamszm comment!
TY for your support too! 🙂
This is really great and thank you for giving us another wonderful interview. I like the pictures of Radha’s home and art. How did she do that sacred flame art? I like it very much as the colors glow. Also, her smile and spirit shines in the interview. Thank you.
Love the support and comments always! TY! 😉
Hello Bree and Cassie – glad you enjoyed reading about my unusual lifestyle – thanks to Elizabeth’s sensitive writing.
I got my name from a yogi way back when … it was chosen according to the Indian system of astrology as a basis, then his mediation on my personality – it is not my birth name, as I was given Radha in my early 20s -it has just stuck and feels so much ‘me’ …
My ‘Sacred Flame’ and other such works are twisted canvases – I covered the back of the canvas with gold leaf, painted the front then cut the whole painting in shreds, twisted those and affixed them back to the original front surface. Yes- I like that one too! It’s out on hire at the mo …
Warm regards to you both
Thanks again Radha for your generosity and for stopping by to respond to questions.
I enjoyed getting to know you and your work better. Kanuka Hill looks like paradise …
Merci! 🙂
love the blog, love the pics… very lovely… keep the positive interviews going… i can use the uplift! thanks!
Thank you for the support always! 😉
E
Great interview! Wonderful questions and fascinating answers. We all should appreciate the simple things in life and well, life in general!
Btw E, you’ve won a blog award! You can claim it at: http://americangirlinbristol.blogspot.com/2010/04/you-won-sunshine-award.html
I know it’s not much, but I hope you enjoy it. 🙂
Thank you for the award… I will read up on it and pass it on… in the coming weeks! very sweet! 🙂
Elizabeth, Congratulations with your blog award.
I’m so glad for you. Your blog is a pleasure to visit. I’ve told you that before.
Because of this interview you did with Radha, I got to know more about Radha.
Congratulations on your blog award Elizabeth! – You are introducing so many interesting perspectives and lifestyles to the global community. I will tweet about it and hopefully send visitors.
wow amazing info dude.