A show by Deepa Janakiraman
The art, the money, and the grit behind a creative life
Real conversations with artists, authors, and creators from around the world — about building a creative career on your own terms.
Real conversations with artists, authors, and creators from around the world — about building a creative career on your own terms.
Built By Grit is a conversation series with artists, authors, and creators across disciplines — dancers, musicians, writers, and makers from classical traditions and contemporary fields, from India and around the world.
We go deep on the economics, the discipline, the sacrifices, and the joy. Practical, no-nonsense conversations for anyone serious about building a creative life.
Deepa is a Bay Area-based creator with a deep insider's knowledge of the Indian classical arts world — as a practitioner, observer, and storyteller.
Built By Grit was born from a simple question: what does it actually take to build a life in the arts? Not the polished version — the real one, with the economics, the doubt, the sacrifice, and the grit that doesn't make it into the performance.
Every conversation she brings that same curiosity: honest, specific, and always asking what nobody else asks.
Watch the show →New episodes every week.
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Hindustani · Vocalist
On singing across traditions and building an audience outside India.
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Dance · Bharathanatyam
Running a dance school for decades — the economics and the discipline behind it.
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Carnatic · Vocalist
What a modern Carnatic career actually looks like — performing, teaching, and building an audience.
Watch →Every episode is as splendid as it is enthralling and educational. Deepa presents such thoughtful questions and blends everything into a greatly memorable experience.
Hindustani Vocalist & Guest
Her focus is on the artistic life — building that life, sustaining it, navigating its hurdles. The interviews are terrific.
Author & Guest
Deepa does a terrific job of planning her interviews with very thought-provoking questions. I had a wonderful session with her.
Author & Guest
No spam. Just a heads-up when a new conversation drops — plus occasional notes from Deepa on what she's been thinking about.
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