A little backstory about myself:
Hi, I am Meenu Mohanan, creator of “Letters from the Universe”. Many think that I am either a biologist or a botanist because of my love for flora and fauna. I did my graduation in Information technology and post-graduation in Technology Management. I worked for an MNC in India before moving to the USA.
Leaving job then moving to another continent was a nightmare. With added responsibilities of running home without any support like back home was creating more stress. With pile of household work and taking care of my son I felt getting stuck with phone in my hand.
The thing about social media is you can either fall into the pit hole of mindless scrolling or find inspiration and make good connections, I choose the latter. Now I run my small business via Instagram and connect with like-minded people and I have an amazing bunch of virtual friends who are my greatest cheerleaders.
I can’t agree more with the words of L R Knost: “Life is amazing. And then it’s awful. And then it’s amazing again. And in between the amazing and the awful, it’s ordinary, mundane and routine. Breathe in the amazing, hold on through the awful, and relax and exhale during the ordinary. That’s just living heartbreaking, soul-healing, amazing, awful, ordinary life. And it’s breathtakingly beautiful.”
A little bit about my small business :
“Letters from the Universe” is a nostalgic snail-mail experience for nature lovers of all ages. Each month you will be receiving copies of the original hand-illustrated letter featuring a particular species (animals, plants, fungi) around the world. Each letter comes with a collector’s card with a hand-illustrated picture of that species on one side and relevant facts about it on the other side. The letter includes lots of interesting information and fun facts which will make a perfect resource for nature/unit study.
We strongly believe that one’s connection with nature is highly influenced by their enjoyment of nature, finding beauty in simple things, empathy for creatures and a sense of responsibility.
The story behind “Letters from the Universe” :
I have always been a nature enthusiast and art person. They say being out in nature helps us see the cycle of life, as well as value the natural landscapes around us. Pandemic hit everyone hard. Especially if you are the parent of a toddler who is hyperactive and constantly need your attention it can be very overwhelming. If the sour mood is getting me down, I will go for a walk and feel alive. I was already making a monthly phenology wheel that depicts the change in temperature and weather and the local flora and fauna that I see during my nature walk even before the pandemic started. After the pandemic, I took nature journaling seriously and it became a part of my routine since I have nowhere to go.
Nature walks and natural journaling were the things that kept my sanity during the pandemic. I started to pay attention to the tiny details in nature and I must say that they are powerful sources of inspiration. I was thinking of ways to help the children and even adults notice the small details in nature and “Letters from the Universe” was born. It sounds crazy that in the middle of a pandemic when everyone was worried about their business, I started by small business.
How do I balance between LFTU and routine life?
When you are a small business owner and sole proprietor you are your own boss. I don’t have to work for a specific period which is perfect because my toddler constantly asks for a snack every 5 minutes(and won’t even finish it) and I have to read 100 storybooks to him in between my work. Then there are cons of being your own boss, you must push yourself to finish the work because no one else will ask if the deadlines are met or not. Recently “Letters from the universe” turned one year old and every time I am told that my letters bring a smile into the faces of children, I do a little happy dance. Some days are hard but it’s all about persistence and being passionate about what you do.
About the Author :
Meenu Mohanan manages Letters from Universe end to end. She starts from deciding monthly topic / theme, then illustrates, focuses on printing then markets her product around.She lives in Philadelphia, USA with her husband and son.
Social media links :
Meenu’s Instagram : @meenu_mohanan
Website : https://lettersfromtheuniverse.in
Instagram (small business ): @lettersfrom_theuniverse
In Picture : Meenu Mohanan
