We had the good fortune of connecting with Panini Pandey and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Panini, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Risks, in theory, are an essential part of being a creative. In my opinion, risks are a by-product of pure passion, and this passion is the currency of creativity. Creative endeavors may be planned, but creativity isn’t planned, because the beauty lies in the creative process. The creative process is like a treasure hunt through the act of learning and unlearning to discover new questions and abstracts. This process of learning and unlearning requires the ability to take risks, because that is the only way of aggressively pushing the boundaries. While I do believe risks is the only way of disrupting the creative ecosystem that can spark inspiration and movements, I have come to realize that risks shouldn’t be glorified. It’s always important to evaluate your position with the level of risks you intends to take. Any risk that could potentially paralyze you for a significant duration – mentally, physically or financially, should always be evaluated with reference to your position. I always make sure my foundation of a steady income and immigration status are unaffected by my creative risks, till I am able to put myself in a better position where I can rise above these restrictions. That being said, this is just my current philosophy about risks, I am looking forward to experiences that will further mould and change my approach to risks.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am a multidisciplinary artist – my work ranges from Music to graphics and videos. I am starting to surround my skills around my music to create holistic experiences for my audience. The multidisciplinary aspect of my craft allows me to collaborate with creators from diverse fields and backgrounds which is what excites me the most. Professionally, I am working as a digital product designer and work in a very robust environment where I collaborate with exceptional individuals to build start ups. I have always been very patient with my creative trajectory – focusing on the fundamentals of sustainability (like finances) first and then investing in my art to release music videos etc. It definitely has been a very complicated ride so far. It almost feels like living multiple lives having different personas in and out of work, but lately I have come to learn that this is the position I created for myself and wouldn’t have it any other way. I think cultivating patience for my creative projects has been immensely helpful since it took away all the competitive and insecure feelings and allowed me to have a more authentic approach towards my craft.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I live in Greenpoint, and it’s my favorite area in NYC. In the beginning I would introduce my friend to transmitter park for a nice lowkey picnic near the river. There are a lot of food spots near the park to grab something to eat. Next I would go to Good Bar in Greenpoint for drinks and food. If it’s one of their music nights we will be blessed with some amazing tunes. I would definitely go to Good Room or Nowadays at some point to dance till our legs give up. A trip to The MET or Cooper Hewitt. There is always some unique AR / Interactive experience near Hudson Yards that would be a part of the itinerary. I am not a foodie so I’d usually rely on Google for food recommendations but this is all I can think of at the moment.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are a lot of artists who have inspired me creatively on a day to day basis, and it’s a very long list. However, none of this would have been possible if it wasn’t for my parents. A big shout out to my parents for encouraging me to be curious. Despite being raised in a very religious Hindu family, my parents always let me exercise my curiosity even when I had questions about faith and religion. This habit allowed me to explore my creative side and pursue my thoughts and get inspired by artists all over the world.

Website: https://paninipandey.com/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/afkapanini

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paninipandey/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/afkapanini

Image Credits
Sambit Biswas, Mohit Mukhi, Gaurav Wakankar,

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.