Meet Anjali Raghunathan | Writer

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

Hi Anjali, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
I think work-life balance looks different for creatives, so we do have to think about it kind of differently. Most of us don’t clock in and out of work like you would for a traditional desk job. A lot of us have ideas knocking around our brains 24/7, and being consumed by a new project can be a very enjoyable part of the process. So I think “work-life balance” is less about setting aside personal time and more about setting healthy boundaries with our work based on our own individual needs. Sometimes people who work with creatives (but aren’t creatives themselves) expect us to give everything over to our work–if there’s a detail about our lives that feels unique or marketable, that’s always up for grabs. And, sure, some people love to draw from their own experiences and, for them, nothing is off-limits. But not everyone’s going to be comfortable mining their trauma or bringing personal details about their family into their art. So I think it’s important to know and be able to communicate what parts of you you’re willing to share with everyone and what parts of you just belong to you.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’ve always felt this weirdly intense urge to seek creative outlets, including writing, ever since I was little. I’m not totally sure where it came from; it’s not like I’m from a family of artists. My parents didn’t actively push me into it, although they were very encouraging once it became apparent that it was literally the only thing I knew how to do. I’ve always wondered why any of us are the way we are—how much of it is conditioning and how much of it is kismet? (“Nature vs Nurture” is a theme that constantly haunts my writing, maybe for this exact reason.)

In my writing, I gravitate to boundary-pushing, character-driven tragicomedy. If the hyphens are any indication, I love writing stuff that rests comfortably in the complexity and contradictions of its ideas. One of my favorite things is exploring how my characters respond in ways that feel both fresh and emotionally authentic, even if the event they’re responding to is fairly heightened.

I started out working at a small production company before transitioning to being a Showrunner’s Assistant on an HBO Max series. It definitely wasn’t easy, I’ve literally cold-applied to hundreds of jobs without hearing anything back. A lot of my opportunities have come from just being at the right place at the right time, but I had to make the decision to put myself out there to even be at that “right place.” It’s so easy to doubt yourself in the moments where you’re not making progress, but it really helped me to stay patient and focus on the things I could control, like improving my craft.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
My sister usually comes to visit for a week in January, so I thought about her upcoming trip. I like doing a combination of touristy things and personal things. Like, yeah, the Grove is really touristy, but it’s also really fun for someone who’s never been there before. But I also like sharing a slice of my actual life with the person who’s visiting. So we’ll also go to game nights at my friends house or for a walk in my neighborhood. Some of my sister’s favorite places I’ve taken her are Girl and the Goat, Great White for the ambience, Alamo Drafthouse (or just the movies in general to get a sense of the movie-going culture), Slipper Clutch, and maybe a trip to the beach when it’s warm enough out!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My family, both biological and chosen, deserve a huge shout out! It’s so easy to take them for granted (and trust me, most of the time I do) but they give me all the love, support, security, and creative material I’ll ever need.