By Ria Choolun
The owner of a botanical art business which started with her first art stall last year and is expanding with a monthly pencil club has described how having OCD has affected her.
Tasnim Bulbul, who set up her brand The Graphite Botanist, said she never used to think she had OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder) and always thought her regular cleaning was just the hygiene standard in her household.
“For me growing up it was normalised; both my mum and sister have OCD and so I never thought to diagnose myself,” she said.
Tasnim, from Leicester, hit her extreme once she graduated from studying Law.
She said: “At the time I had no idea how much it affected me but looking back I realise how anxious I was, the rituals I would do.
“For example, as soon as I woke up, I would straight away run to the shower – I thought everything was contaminated, I felt so dirty – and if someone were in the shower when I just woke up, I would kick off.”
Tasnim’s love of art grew during the years she studied the subject as a GCSE, however she struggled with her art being graded academically as OCD made her a perfectionist.
Tasnim said: “My first ever art exhibition I went to was botanical art. I cried afterwards, that was the first time I realised how much OCD was holding me back.”
When planning her pencil club, she stressed how important it was for it to be accessible, to ensure when seeking a location that there were no mental barriers.
Tasnim said: “It is so important for me to make art and nature accessible for all, and accessibility is different to everyone.”
Tasnim’s art is focused on using pencils. She recently started using paints, however, still struggles with that medium.
She said: “It is nourishment of the soul and not nourishment of the eyes, for me paints are very much expressionism based and more of the feeling of nature rather than depiction.
“When I create art it needs to be justified in my mind, it needs to be realism otherwise it triggers my OCD.”
She added: “I’m drawn to nature as every time you walk past a tree, you always notice something different, and the seasons constantly evolving is so beautiful.
“We so quickly overlook nature when living in a city, and when we start to observe it, it helps us reflect on our inner selves.”
A quote by artistic genius Pablo Picasso is something Tasnim lives by: “The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.”
To follow along on Tasnim’s journey or to view or purchase her art visit her Instagram page.
