Tibetans In Diaspora | EP 87 | JIGME CHOEDAK| STORIES OF TIBETANS | INTERVIEW : 125

Mental Health Month Series
“Overthinking makes my survival hard”
“I am Jigme Choedak and my friends call me as JC. I did my schooling from Upper TCV and then Suja. My family lives at Nepal. From Tibet, my Pala brought me to Nepal and from Nepal my uncle (aku) took me to India and admitted me to TCV School. From the small age of 7 years old I was alone at school till nine standard. I felt alone throughout my childhood since I couldn’t meet my family. Back in my mind I was always lonely and looked for attention and the void of love from my family. Because of that I always had identity crisis, loss of self-confidence and a shy personality, I always wanted to know “Who am I?”, and would raise questions about my existence. At third grade for the first time I was praised by my Tibetan teacher because of a drawing and from then on I started loving art. During school times I don’t particularly like listening to the lectures, I would always stay at the back bench, but I always drew, be it during my leisure times, class periods or assembly time. It helps me to forget about the thought of loneliness for a short period of time.”
“At first I started to draw to seek people’s attention and when they praised about my drawing I felt cool and it helped me built my self esteem. After getting in college I got to know a good senior who is an Indian that has also studied from TCV. He taught me what drawing really is, he would give me assignments and helped me improve and practice the art more. It really helped me get to know myself better and since then I think I started expressing my emotions and thoughts in drawing. YES, art helped me mentally. I have always felt self cornered but now I don’t feel that way. I am happy. It has helped me and it is still helping me confront my emotions. I had the habit of overthinking every small details due to which it my survival was on the line. But expressing my emotions and thoughts through art really helped me and my mind to break that barrier of overthinking thoughts.”
“I want to work on myself, specifically by drawing on canvas through various trails and errors and do exhibitions. I also want to draw comic books. With whatever income I can generate, I want to settle down then if there’s any surplus from my income, I want to help the newcomers. The message I want to convey for the artists would be to be true to yourself and specially to artist who draw, don’t draw to impress other but draw for yourself, have patience and don’t give up easily until you reach your limit to improve yourself. Let your emotion express and don’t bury your trauma till it will hurt you more.”
“During my nine standard I reunited with my parents and now I have developed a good relationship with them. Although it was hard for me to get close with them because of the long gap but now I am happy with them and they also love me and acknowledge my work also.”
This video is sponsored by the Department of Health, CTA with support from the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM). This is a part of the Awareness Campaign on the theme, Together for Mental Health: Break the Stigma initiated by the Department of Health, CTA.