Aditi Silveira on Her Love for The Creative Arts And Teaching

A brilliant actor, an even better singer-songwriter and one of the most loved teachers! Meet our Goan Insider Achiever Aditi Silveira.

She worked as an Assistant Professor in Communication Skills, Environmental and Social Sciences, Life Skills and Professional Ethics at Padre Conceicao College of Engineering for 6 years. She currently is a specialist in Communication and Outreach with an ewaste and plastic waste management firm called Karo Sambhav. You would have definitely come across her music covers with a ukele or her brilliantly written poems as ‘The FlowerChild’ on social media. Of social platforms, she has been a prominent face in theatre in the state of Goa having acted in various operas and theatre productions.

At Goan Insider we had a chat with Aditi to know a little more about her journey. The excerpts of our conversation are below.

Tell us a little about yourself

I am Aditi Silveira and my passions include music and theatre. I love to read as well and I believe in living one day at a time and living it large!

What interested you to get into teaching? How was the journey?

I always loved the English language and was passionate about teaching. I never envisaged that I’d actually get into the field because I wanted to get into events. But life took an interesting turn and I got a job teaching. The journey was extremely rewarding and I miss it so much. There truly is nothing like being a teacher and like they say, once a teacher, always a teacher.

What are some of the biggest challenges you faced when teaching in Goa?

I think the biggest challenge was trying to engage students and make them believe that what they were learning was actually important to their lives. I tried to make things interesting with a host of activities, discussions and I shared my life stories as well to enable them to relate to things.

How have the rewards of your teaching career been?

Seeing my students shine, grow and evolve into better individuals through my classes was everything that I could have asked for. I always held on to the belief that even if I was able to effect positive change in the life of one student, I have accomplished my mission. I also grew a lot as an individual – I pushed myself to improve my course content. I also helped my students personally and even though I can’t be there for them physically, I am grateful to technology for enabling us to always be in touch and for the opportunity to still be there for them.

You now work as a specialist in Outreach and Awareness at Karo Sambhav. What made you switch from teaching to this profession? How has your experience been at the company?

I had to switch because I lost my job. I had to look out for myself and the opportunity to work with Karo Sambhav presented itself. I was honored to be taken on board! It’s been a different experience for me and it’s something fairly new, since I’ve switched from the teaching world to the corporate world. It’s a real time practical usage of my skills and every day I learn something new! 

What got you interested in music and singing?

Music is in my blood and ever since I was a child, I was fascinated and wanted to explore music. I knew I wanted to be a singer or a performer or a part of a band. Our entire family is into music. My first real exposure was the cassettes played during our long Bombay – Goa drives. We’ve also been in the church choir and that’s where I got an exposure to singing. Over the years, I’ve explored various genres of music and the rest is history!

Do you write/ compose your own music? Will we be seeing any releases from your end any time soon?

Yes I am a singer – songwriter. The challenge to putting music out there is devoting the time to do so. I haven’t carved out time to wholly engage in releasing an album. I used to put up videos on YouTube but with work, it becomes rather difficult to make time for these creative pursuits. Maybe one day, I will release that rather awaited album.

What got you interested in theatre? Which are some of your memorable experiences or productions you have been part of?

Theatre too is a family thing. My dad, Alfwold Silveira, commonly known as Alfie, has staged numerous plays in the state. It is through these theatrical experiences that I slowly fell more and more in love with this art form. I have memories of each and every production but for me, The Carpenter’s Cross will always be extra special. It was a beautiful experience both theatrically as well as spiritually. Recently too we staged AD 2019 and it was a lot of fun. I enjoyed my role and loved the challenge of singing and dancing and the costume changes too!

You are quite famously known as ‘The FlowerChild’. Could you tell us more about this?

I got into writing quotes via the platform YourQuote. I loved reading the quotes others wrote because it inspired and motivated me. And I wanted to do the same for people. So I took on the name The FlowerChild because it resonates with my free spirit. I want people to know that they are not alone in their struggles.

You wear many hats.  An actor, singer, dancer, choreographer, costume designer, theatre producer and the list goes on. Which of these excite you the most?

I love performing, whether it’s singing my heart away or taking on a challenging role and dancing on stage. My love for these three are on par. Music and theatre are cathartic to me and the joy I get from being involved in these art forms is incomparable. 

Have you received any professional training or are you self taught?

I am completely self taught. I have the honor of saying that music and theatre run in my blood. 

Tell us how a day in your life looks like? Your schedule for a day right from the time you get up till you hit the bed at night. 

Once I’m up and I’ve brushed my teeth, I have my breakfast and read a book on my phone simultaneously. I like to start my day with positive thoughts. Once I’ve wrapped up with work for the day, I work out on video call with my best friend. I like to take my health seriously so I carve out time for a workout and we try to do so 5 days a week. After I’ve freshened up, it’s prayer time with my family. On a weekend we then generally play cards and have some bonding time. On the weekends, I like to take my car out for a spin and if time permits, meet up with my friends and/or hit the beach. It’s my safe haven. Before I sleep, I like to watch Youtube or Netflix for a bit just to unwind. There’s nothing like a bit of humor or cooking videos to make me feel relaxed.     

What motivates you?

I just want to be the best version of myself. I believe there’s always scope to improve and I want to keep learning and growing – be it in my personal or my professional life

If you have the ability to mentor another woman, will you consider it?

I would be honored to mentor anybody. If it means I get to share my life experiences and also learn simultaneously then why not!

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