This was my first time ever painting on a wall. I never scribbled on the walls of my home and my mum is really proud of that!

This used to be an empty wall at my workplace, where we (all the art club members) used to meet to sketch once a week. The idea to paint the wall was in the air for quite some time already. And so we began.

I would love to share what I learned in these 2 months. Don’t worry, I have a lot of cool pictures too. There are some guidelines when it comes to doing something BIG at your workplace. You might be interested in it if you too plan to pitch your creative ideas to your superiors.

• Form a core team To begin with, a core team was formed to design the illustration. Ever heard of ‘Too many cooks spoil the broth’, it’s true. That said, it is always good to have open discussions throughout the process to get multiple inputs and to keep your team on the same page. Very crucial.

• Be realistic Following that we had a calculated timeline, estimated cost of the resources and volunteers with assigned duties to manage the event. We presented our sketches multiple times and brainstormed on how to get it done every week. These logistics discussions kept the expectations real.

• Have a story The difficult yet fun part begins when you start exploring colors, illustration styles and share them with your team. Honestly, that is the point I realized that art needs to be a strong relatable story for it to resonate with the audience. And what’s better than a story inspired by the organization’s shared values.

• Consider the final execution The real challenge arose when the artwork was finalized. We had to go from paper to laptop to projecting the artwork on the wall and finally painting it. Understanding the challenges associated with scale of the artwork was important. We used 3 projectors to project the illustration in 3 different parts on the wall to reduce distortion and for a smooth transition on the wall.

• Collaborate I believe that however big the project if people involved are passionate about the work the output would never cease to surprise you. Apart from the core team, we reached out to M G Doddamani who is a professional artist and his amazing student, who helped us get started on the right note. We had a great number of volunteers helping us out and the organizing team making it a successful fun event for all. Always remember it’s OK to ask for help.

• Have fun This is what matters in the end. We painted the wall and painted hands too. It is an experience we all will remember.