07 Jul Operating from All Chakras. Queen Bee at RedGreenBee. Visual Artist, Binaa Permaar.
Levitating Monkey: Congratulations on your recent rebranding. Can you tell us how you got started in marketing, branding, making art?
Binaa Permaar: My love for colors started at a very young age in Canada. From the age of 6, I was fascinated by colors and I used to experiment by mixing different colors of bubble bath to make new colors and hide them under my bed. At school, rather then paying attention in class, I’d add crayon tips to clear glue and observe how the colors melted. I found it easier to remember and learn numbers and words through colors. At the age of 11, during art class, I discovered and fell in love with clay. From then on I had decided this is what I wanted to do. I continued focusing on art even after I moved to UK – and then chose to specialize in Visual Communications at UCA (University for the Creative Arts) in Surrey, UK. After graduating I started my own consultancy in London, Hotmasalachai. From there, I moved to Bangalore, India, where I worked in Corporate Communications for a real estate company, Sobha Developers. In 2013 I started my own Branding Consultancy, RedGreenBee.
Levitating Monkey: How do you feel they are all related or not? (Was it hard to combine your love of all these into one business model)?
Binaa Permaar: For me it wasn’t difficult to combine everything, I just flow with what I enjoy doing at that moment. I have a tendency to get bored quickly so its important for me that I learn different ways to express my creativity. Art and Design are closely related, Art is more about satisfying yourself, whereas the latter is always about the client. Its provides me with a change when I get tired of either one – when I am always creating for someone else sometimes it can get frustrating when I am not able to fully make it the way I envision it, so then art is such a relief! And vice versa, when working on your own art, sometimes you get a creative block so working with someone else’s project gives me inspiration.
Levitating Monkey: Being born in Canada, having also lived in London, what lead you to settle and set up your business in Bangalore?
Binaa Permaar: I needed a change, there are plenty of brilliant graphic designers in London. I wanted to use my skills where they were really needed, to make the most of what I can do. Learning to transfer my skills from London to a place like Bangalore has been an amazing experience for me. It’s always mind expanding to learn and work with a completely different culture and set of people. It is very satisfying to be appreciated for your work and to be able to make such a difference with design. From branding the CEO’s private jet, working on design projects in Dubai, to sourcing corporate stationary in China! I was very lucky to get a chance to work directly with the Chairman Emeritus, Mr. PNC Menon and his son, the Chairman, Mr. Ravi Menon at Sobha Developers.
With this experience under my belt, I started my own Branding consultancy. In Bangalore, a city of startups and creative chaos, my branding skills are always in demand. By moving here, I have had incredible opportunities and experiences that I probably would not have been offered back home.
Levitating Monkey: How do you find your amazing roster of clients? (i.e., A great seafood restaurant in Indiranagar called, Blu Oyster, Asharira, a metaphysical-based site)
Binaa Permaar: I have been lucky enough to get my clients through referrals. After I finish a design project, I usually get a few clients that have seen the work and also want some designing for themselves. I have a connection with the healing community here, after studying several courses over a few years. Everybody needs good branding whether it’s a healer or a restaurant.
Levitating Monkey: I read a line on your website that was a beautiful affirming quote, “When you love what you do, you are driven to do more, to go forth and create.” Can you tell me what that means to you, personally?
Binaa Permaar: Yes, of course. If you love what you do, you flow and it doesn’t become work anymore, but rather a passion and with this passion and energy you can create the most beautiful design or art or anything! Just create! And that’s what I do, I create! My best design projects have been the ones where I really love the client’s project, (as if it were my own project), then the creativity shows and the client also feels it. After all, everything is energy! I am very lucky that I have been able to take my childhood love of art further as my profession, and all this was only possible with the loving support of my parents who always encouraged me do what I wished and never compared me to other children and left me with my colors.
Levitating Monkey: I was lucky enough to see photos of your commissioned art pieces recently. What inspires you to create such vibrant art?
Binaa Permaar: I had started my Krishna series of oil paintings in the UK, each painting was visualized in my meditation of Krishna, expressed in color. My devotion to Krishna inspired me with that particular series.
My life-size belly dancer oil paintings were a series of paintings that captured the flow and beauty of these dancers, in the moment. Whatever inspires me — at that moment, is what I usually meditate on until I get a vision. My recent commissioned art was for The CEO of Sobha Developers, he had his own idea of contemporary art which I executed, taking inspiration from the chaotic city of Bangalore.
Levitating Monkey: Congratulations on your recent launch of Ocean In A Drop with Merkaba Life. What lead you to create body butter containing healing crystals of rose quartz?
Binaa Permaar: I wanted to share my experience of crystals with others, but I quickly realized that only healers or someone who already has the knowledge of crystals would buy it. I have been making my own body butters for over 2 years now and stopped buying over the counter because of the chemicals used. My brother, Dipesh Parmar, (Founder of Merkaba Life), had the idea of energizing the creams with crystals. This way, many more people would experience the healing benefits of crystals embedded in pure and natural chemical-free body butters. We also sell energized natural soaps named after the crystal its energized with. Each cream or soap comes with its own affirmation. The creams come with the actual crystal inside it. So far, we have lavender with amethyst- excellent for sleep and anxiety or traveling, mint with red jasper to keep you grounded, and rose with rose quartz to help with loving and accepting just the way you are! …and my favorite – Carnelian – kokum and sweet almond oil scented with ylang ylang and vanilla to activate the sacral chakra. Activate all your senses and flow with all the pleasures of life.
The soaps include, Dragon Glass, activated charcoal energized with obsidian and scented with frankincense, Sunstone, cinnamon and oats energized with sunstone and Moonstone, shea butter and coffee, scented with vanilla and energized with moonstone.
New to the line are soaps that look just like the crystals. These include: Yellow Calcite wand soap, scented with lemongrass and bergamot. Tourmaline – activated charcoal with shea butter, scented with cedar wood and bergamot (our ‘man’ soap). We will be adding more to the range, be sure and stay updated!
Levitating Monkey: What lead you to first get involved with crystal therapy?
Binaa Permaar: Being in such a busy city with a hectic work schedule, I started experiencing panic attacks, migraines and claustrophobia. I gave up my corporate job and started healing therapies like hypnotherapy, and this is where I was first introduced to crystals and they worked for me. After recovering from my ailments through healing alternatives, I started learning different healing modalities and it never stopped! I began to learn more about crystals and their uses, I studied them and then started sourcing and selling them.
Levitating Monkey: Do you offer personal crystal therapy readings?
Binaa Permaar: Yes, usually the crystal that you need is what you are attracted to, but I can check by doing a chakra scan or find out any particular issues that the person is going through and then recommend what is best.
Levitating Monkey: This last question is one we ask all our Experts to respond to, as it’s our way of providing a bit of uniformity to all our interviews. If you could impart three key life lessons to others on their (spiritual) path, what would they be and why?
Binaa Permaar: Only 3?
- The biggest lesson I have learned is to always be aligned with your soul plan. If you face too many obstacles in anything you do – let it go or make a change – the universe is trying to tell you that you are off your plan. Even repeatedly having ill health is a strong indication that something you are doing isn’t right. In such instances, take a moment to find out what it is that you are truly not happy with? If you look within you, you will get the answer. When something happens easily, effortlessly know that you are aligned.
- Although it’s great to be on a spiritual path, don’t forget you are here to enjoy the human side on earth, too. Many times, people get carried away pursuing the spiritual path, forgetting the simple earthly pleasure that we are here for. Operate from all chakras, do what you desire! Once we leave this earth plane we will surely miss what the earth has to offer.
- I have come across many people in the healing/spiritual field that have a good dose of ego attached to their spirituality. I think they need to be reminded to be humble, be patient with others who may not be into healing or spirituality. Don’t force others, everyone has their own perfect timing when they are ready. A spiritual person may not necessarily be a better person than someone who’s not. Everyone has something positive that we can learn from.
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About Binaa Permaar
Born and brought up in Canada, Binaa lived in London for 17 years and is now based in Bangalore. With over 15 years of experience in London and Bangalore, a year after graduating with honors in Visual Communications from the University of Creative Arts in Surrey, Binaa started Hotmasalachai Ltd.,a design consultancy based in London. Looking for more opportunities in 2010, Binaa followed her bliss and landed in tropical Bangalore! Being vibrant, sunny and chaotic, Bangalore is the perfect setting for Binaa’s creativity to flow. In 2013, RedGreeBee was born. See more of Binaa’s work on her website. Be sure and follow Binaa on Facebook to keep up to date on all the new products available.
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