Issue 9 Writer Spotlight | Saroj Kunnakkat

C+B: Tell us about yourself, Saroj!

SK: I am a neurologist who focuses on epilepsy. Writing (and visual art) have been a part of my life since early childhood. They are and have always been ways to think in ways that are less concrete. So much of what I learned through these media have been incorporated into how I approach my career as a physician.

C+B: Describe a time when you doubted yourself. Explain the scenario and how you were able to work through it.

SK: Motherhood at its start was a period of profound doubt. In a way, I've come to embrace the doubt as part of the journey, and taking stock in each moment, what goes well, what makes my child feel safe and secure.

C+B: Describe a time when you felt successful in your creative pursuits. Explain the scenario and what was so impactful for you.

SK: Success is really when whatever ideas I have percolating somehow make it out into the world as something tangible.

C+B: What do you think makes a creator or their work impactful?

SK: When art stirs up emotions and forces us to think, this is when it has the greatest impact.

Find and support Saroj here:

IG: @sarahjococonut

Me in 3 words: Quirky, surprising, and stubborn. I think I am a bit of an oddball, my tastes are varied and usually unexpected (like the fact that I am a fan of both metal and South Indian classical music styles). I wouldn't have become a physician if I wasn't so stubborn, so set on this path despite the road that lay before me all those years ago.

My favorite creator of all time: Atul Gawande, as a physician and author he embodies so much of what I hope to emulate in both spheres.

A medium I’ve never tried but want to: Watercolor, because of how gentle and subtle it can be. Really the sheer reason I haven't tried it is because I have a toddler running around.