Written in Partnership with Amir BakianMindful Agency’s Head Writer Manisha Singh broke through cultural expectation, prejudice, and personal strife to carve a path in the fine arts. A talented Journalist, Author, Poet, TV & Radio Presenter, Pageant Queen and Mental Health advocate, Singh’s desire to empower her community through an intersectional lens – is finally coming to fruition.
Photo Credit: Adeeba Khan – @ms.deeviousbeauty
“Kiran means ray of sunshine,” she beams – her smile almost as bright as the fiery pink hair tied back into a pompadour that sits atop her head. Manisha Singh is talking about the middle name that was handed down to her by her estranged mother. Despite this nod to her upbringing, she’s stepped out the shadows of her family’s expectations of living a conservative, traditional life. Singh is pierced, tatted, and a massive proponent of 4/20; but more importantly she’s discovered her own individual value others failed to see in her, while finding the self-love that eludes the best of us. “I didn’t get the love I needed when I was growing up,” she says with a surprising air of confidence. “So I had to turn to myself to be that person for me.”
What shocked me was when Singh shared how she learned to love herself ‘too much to let anyone hurt her.’ It’s something I, personally strive for everyday – a constant uphill journey necessitated by daily affirmations, journaling, and meditation. Yet Singh’s self-taught path to enlightenment and fulfillment has been manifesting for a while. “One thing that changed how I felt about myself was implementing affirmations. It was a “surprise discovery,” she says. “… and it helped me blossom into the person talking to you today.”
It’s safe to say that manifestation has been a big part of Singh’s life; “I’m big into manifestation. One of my goals was to be interviewed in 2023, and here we are only two months in.” Singh’s ability to believe in herself manifested into a full-time job at Mindful Agency, a modelling career, as well as stints with Canadian media giants 6ix Buzz and the Daily Hive. “I’m grateful for those experiences but I painted the picture of that ideal environment and have found it with Mindful Agency,” she says. “Being surrounded by inspirational giants has been monumental to my growth. We have so much freedom to be who we are, while being embraced and celebrated for that.”
So what started Singh on her creative journey of healing? “It’s crazy how it all began; my parents were divorcing and I was getting bullied at school. I really needed an outlet.” Singh is extremely courageous as she shares experiences most people prefer to keep hidden. I feel we are kindred spirits as adversity seems to be a commonality we’ve strived to overcome. “I started to write poetry, and right away it alleviated,” Singh says. “My soul really needed to be writing, and once I did a weight lifted off of me.”
Originally choosing to share stories pertaining to the South Asian diaspora, Singh struggled to utilize her voice to empower those disillusioned by conservative traditional South Asian values due to external factors that interfered with her own academic and family life. Acting as a Mental Health Ambassador at South Asian Mental Health Alliance Association (SAMHAA), Singh created content that would connect like minded people and share their own struggles of alienation when breaking out of South Asian societal norms.
Ultimately, it would be Singh’s own alienation that pulled her away from continuing on her path to healing at a time in her life where her mental health was at its lowest. “It was a big blow because I really wanted to be someone other Fijian youths could look up to and understand their background a bit better. I wanted to uplift and inspire,” Singh continues; “it really was a rough period for me; I took part in the Miss Fiji Canada pageant and won, so I’m technically Miss Fiji Canada 2017, but my family life was falling apart. I stopped speaking to my mother, and was already estranged from my father – I felt very alone.” Moving in with her boyfriend – multidisciplinary Punjabi Hip Hop star Tru North, she started on the road to redemption and went all in on media and arts. “I was a host on Shaw Multicultural Channel’s Asian Pulse TV, as well as DreamZz Radio,” she shares. “It was honestly very scary to put myself out there. But there’s so much value in wanting to take that risk.”
Photo Credit: Adeeba Khan – @ms.deeviousbeauty
Step-by-step Manisha Singh was regaining her power, and with each hurdle she found herself closer to being the voice for the disenchanted. “I can help more people now thanks to my writing and it wouldn’t have been possible without the aforementioned hurdles. I really discovered who I was in the process.”
Singh continues; “I used to feel like I couldn’t express myself or use my voice in the way I really wanted to. So now I’m making up for it – I am empowering people. I’m in charge here, and I want the world to know what Manisha is all about.”
Manisha Singh is putting the power back in her hands after years of feeling powerless; she is Exclusively Manisha,as her Instagram suggests – and the level of confidence she has on her own healing journey is almost at its destination. “I’m going to blow up y’know,” she affirms. “Especially as an author – it’s imperative for me to exude confidence because the opportunities that are coming along are going to be insane, so I have to be ready.”
Her foray into authorship comes in the form of a children’s book, titled “If Trees Could Wave,” a book dedicated to ignite a passion for nature in the mind’s of young children. The book is slated for release on Earth Day, April 22nd and Singh can’t emphasize enough the importance of nature as a healing mechanism. “There’s so much power in being at one with nature, not to mention the power you gain from the stillness of it.” For Singh, having her own body of work is a dream come true. She tears up as the realization sets in that April is only two short months away.
Manisha Singh is back in the driver’s seat, and the road is filled with excitement, opportunity, and celebrity status; I can feel it, Manisha has already manifested it – it’s simply a matter of time. Better fasten up, it’ll be a wild one.
Manisha Singh is one of three uniquely talented Head Writers at Mindful Agency; she has interviewed some of the most powerful entrepreneurs in the world, many of South Asian descent – such as Amna Mirza, Anjali Bhimani, and Dr. Neeta Bhushan. Singh is also frequently published in Forbes, as well as Entrepreneur, Inc. & USA Today. Check out her journey across the socials; Instagram & TikTok.
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