New Delhi, July 15 -- I spent last week attending a meditation workshop. The five-day workshop used art as a medium to help us gain a better sense of ourselves and how we view the world.

One of the activities specifically focused on identifying a truth from our life that we hold on to very tightly. Before the activity was even assigned, a tiny critical voice in my head reminded me how I've always been terrible at art. This activity involved using colours, paints, and clay. I was taken aback because I generally have healthy self-esteem and feel confident; yet, the idea of using paints and clay evoked a feeling of inadequacy.

As I sat and noticed what was rising in me, I recognised that what I was experiencing was an old feeling fuelled b...