Creativity with a Cause: In Conversation with Ashreeta Mohanty

 

By Ankush Bharti 

Today, we are delighted to introduce Ashreeta Mohanty—a writer, author, editor, philanthropist, and environmental blogger whose journey beautifully bridges technology, academia, creativity, and social impact. Transitioning from Telecommunications Engineering to international academic branding and research communications, Ashreeta currently serves as the Assistant Director of R&D at IASTEM.org, where she leads global collaborations, speaker relations, and media strategy for international conferences.

A passionate storyteller and sustainability advocate, she believes in using creativity to create meaningful change. Her literary contributions, environmental advocacy, women-centric initiatives, and work in education have earned her recognition across various platforms, including the Pioneer Educationist Award. As we speak with her today, we explore her journey, her love for writing, her professional experiences, and her vision of creating a more meaningful impact through words and action.

1. Ashreeta, how do you balance your professional responsibilities with your passion for writing, and what does a typical day look like for you?

I honestly don't think I have a perfectly balanced routine every day. Some days are completely consumed by work, while on other days, I get more time to write. I have learned to work with my schedule rather than constantly trying to create a perfect balance.

My professional work involves conferences, speakers, content, collaborations, media, and a lot of communication, so there are days when my mind is completely occupied with work. But writing has become such an important part of me that I always find my way back to it.

A typical day usually starts with work-related responsibilities, calls, messages and planning. Whenever I get some quiet time or day, I write, edit, create, read, or simply note down an idea that comes to my mind. Sometimes even a small thought in the middle of a busy day becomes the starting point for something I write later.

For me, balance doesn't mean giving equal time to everything. It means making sure that the things that matter to me don't completely disappear because life is busy.

2. What role does writing play in your life—is it a profession, a creative outlet, a form of self-expression, or perhaps even a way of healing?

For me, writing is a little bit of all of these.

Professionally, writing has become an important part of my journey as communication plays a vital role in my profession, my writing habit help me sail through it. Personally, it is much deeper than that. I write because there are certain thoughts and emotions that I can express better on paper than I can sometimes say aloud.

There have been moments when writing has helped me understand what I was feeling. Sometimes I write to celebrate, sometimes to process something difficult, and sometimes simply because a thought refuses to leave my mind.

I don't think every piece of writing has to have a purpose. Sometimes writing is just a conversation with yourself. And that is probably why it has remained such an important part of my life.

3. Women often juggle multiple roles and responsibilities. How do you manage the pressures of work and personal life while still making time for yourself?

I have stopped believing that women need to do everything perfectly.

There are days when work takes priority, days when family needs more attention, and days when I simply need to step back and breathe because you need time for yourself too. I have learned that taking care of myself is not selfish. In fact, it helps me show up better for the people and responsibilities that matter to me.

I also believe that we sometimes create unnecessary pressure by comparing our lives with what we see others doing. Everyone has a different pace and different circumstances.

For me, making time for myself can be something as simple as writing, reading, listening to music, going out, dressing up, travelling, or just having some quiet time without feeling guilty about it.

I am still learning this, but I think one of the most important things is giving yourself permission to be a human being, not a machine that has to keep performing every day.

4. How do you take care of your mental health during stressful or overwhelming phases of life, and what practices help you regain your balance?

When I feel overwhelmed, my first instinct is usually to step back rather than force myself to keep going at the same speed.

I try to give myself some quiet time. Sometimes I meditate, sometimes I talk to someone close to me, sometimes I simply disconnect from work for a while. Travelling and spending time with family also help me reset.

I have realised that not every problem needs an immediate solution. Sometimes you just need to give yourself some time before you can look at the situation clearly.

And I am learning to accept that having difficult days does not mean I am weak or that I am failing. 

5. What do you prioritise the most in your life, and how do you ensure that your priorities remain aligned with your goals and values?

For me, relationships, peace of mind, meaningful work, and personal growth are very important.

Achievements matter, of course, but I don't want to achieve things at the cost of losing myself or becoming disconnected from the people I love.

Whenever I have an important decision to make, I try to ask myself a simple question: "Is this something that genuinely matters to me, or am I doing it just because I feel I should?"

That question helps me separate my actual priorities from external expectations.

I want to grow professionally, continue writing, explore new opportunities and achieve bigger things, but I also want to remain grounded and make sure that the person I become while achieving those things is someone I am proud of.

6. What is one important lesson your professional journey has taught you about resilience, self-belief, and being a woman in today’s world?

The biggest lesson has probably been that you don't always have to wait for someone to believe in you or simply you do need anyone's approval before you start believing in yourself.

My professional journey has not been a straight line. I have explored different roles and gradually moved towards areas that I genuinely enjoy, research, events, content, communication, writing and collaborations.

There were moments when I questioned whether I was doing enough or whether I was on the right path. But with time, I realised that everyone's journey looks different.

As women, we sometimes put too much pressure on ourselves to prove that we are capable. I think it is important to remember that we don't have to constantly prove our worth.

Be willing to learn, be willing to start again, accept that you won't always get things right, and keep moving.

7. In today’s world, where AI is increasingly influencing creative writing, what is your perspective on its impact on writers and the creative process?

I see AI as a tool, not a replacement for human creativity.

AI can help with brainstorming, structuring ideas, research assistance, editing, and even overcoming that intimidating blank page. As writers, we should not be afraid of technology. We should learn how to use it intelligently.

But at the same time, I believe that the most important part of writing is the lively experience, emotions, memories, observations and personal perspective which comes from us, the human being.

AI can help you put words together, but your experiences are yours. Your voice is yours.

So I don't see AI as something writers necessarily need to compete against. I see it as a catalyst, an accelerator, something we need to understand and use responsibly while making sure that our own voice doesn't get lost in the process.

8. What is one book you would recommend to every woman, and why does it hold a special place in your heart?

I would recommend Life’s Amazing Secrets by Gaur Gopal Das.

What I really like about the book is that it doesn't make life sound perfect or complicated. It talks about the everyday things we all struggle with, be it relationships, work, happiness, expectations, priorities and finding balance in life.

This book made me reflect on the fact that success is not only about how much we achieve, but also about how peacefully and meaningfully we live.

I also appreciate the way Gaur Gopal Das presents these lessons through simple stories and conversations rather than making them feel like instructions.

9. When life becomes particularly demanding, what gives you the strength and motivation to keep moving forward?

The people I love, the goals I still have, and the belief that difficult phases are not permanent.

There have been times when I have felt exhausted or uncertain, but I remind myself that life is made up of different seasons. A difficult phase doesn't define the entire story.

My family, especially my husband and the people who genuinely believe in me give me a lot of strength. My writing also gives me a sense of purpose.

I don't always have a grand source of motivation. Sometimes, motivation is simply telling yourself, "Let's get through today, and tomorrow we will see."

10. What advice would you give to a woman who wants to build a successful career while also pursuing her passion for writing?

Don't wait for the perfect time.

If writing is important to you, start with whatever time you have. You don't need to leave your career or completely change your life to become a writer. You can begin with fifteen minutes a day, a page, an idea, a journal entry or even a small post.

At the same time, don't underestimate your professional career. Your experiences, failures, conversations, people you meet and challenges you face can all become part of your writing someday.

And most importantly, don't compare your timeline with someone else's.

You may see someone publishing their fifth book while you are still writing your first chapter. That doesn't mean you are behind.

Build your career. Write when you can. Keep reading and keep learning. Give yourself time to grow.

You don't have to choose between being ambitious and being creative. You can be both.

And perhaps the biggest thing I would say to every woman is this: "You don't need permission to take your own dreams seriously."