The (embarrassing) brain-sneeze that defined my career

While furiously scribbling my chemistry paper in Grade 8 mid-term exams, I had a brilliant moment where I drew context & quoted the Bhagvad Gita.

An unexpected stunt, which I wanted to kick myself for, once I left the examination hall.

Slokas and chemistry – WHO makes such absurd connections? Slowly I became one of the early adapters of sneeze-shaming – before it even became a thing. (Boo Corona, Boo 2020!) Except that, this one was a BRAIN SNEEZE.

Like one of those virus-ey sites where you keep dismissing pop-ups, my projectile brain-sneeze haunted me for days! I could hear the chemistry-examiner’s sarcasm. The class sniggering at poor me.

And then came the results.

“Extra marks for making it contextual”, grinned the (evidently impressed) examiner as I received the answer-sheet in my clammy palms.

Thus, exam papers became my first official canvas for creative expression. The good grades followed, not just because I knew the subject, but more because I enjoyed interpreting & expressing it beyond the textbook.

Many more delighted examiners later, I was hired in Corporate Communications to write press releases, news articles and influence press folks to endorse my agenda. And I was hired again for Copywriting because I loved to surprise, connect & convert with my writing! And then I was hired once again for Consumer Communications – where I experienced the joy of mining for opportunities to surprise & delight customers.

Have you ever had a brain-sneeze? Tell me about it in the comments!

P.S. Meanwhile, we need to stop sneeze-shaming because it is not a symptom of the-virus-that-hijacks-zoom-meeting-topics!)

P.P.S. How cool is this scene from 3 idiots where Rancho explains the concept of a machine in his own style! Courtesy – Vidhu Vinod Chopra Films