With Museum of Failures, Rhiya Shirwaiker wants people to rethink how mistakes are viewed
CHRISTINE MACHADO | NT BUZZ
In an era of hashtags such as #livingmybestlife and #slaying, where only the glossy version of life is projected and often exaggerated, Rhiya Shirwaiker wants people to talk about their failures instead.
“Our conditioning is such that nobody celebrates their failures even though all of us have failed at something or the other. Even the extremely successful. In fact, they probably have had more. They have just kept trying and losing until something worked for them. But we all just highlight the wins so much,” she says.
Shirwaiker wants to change that. “What I want to do is normalise talking about yourself and sharing your story. I want to show people that even what they may consider insignificant or ordinary matters and there are people who actually want to listen to them,” she says.
This led Shirwaiker to start the Museum of Failures, an open-mic event where people can talk about anything from a break-up to losing a job and what they learned from it. “The idea is to share something from your journey so that other people can learn from it, get a new perspective in life or maybe just be able to relate to it.”
Shirwaiker says the Museum of Failures was initially meant to be a one-time event at Doolally in Miramar. She expected only a few people to attend but it was fully booked within a few hours. “It really shocked me. But it also showed me that there was a need for such events,” she says.
In fact, while people could simply attend and listen, everyone ended up sharing something. “Some later told me that they had never shared what they spoke about with anyone before. So I think, this was like a comfort space for people where they felt understood and not judged. We were celebrating them not for the things they couldn’t do, but just for living and getting through whatever they were going through,” says Shirwaiker, who believes anonymity may have helped participants speak more freely. “With a stranger, you may never see the person again so it doesn’t matter as much. It gives you more space to be honest.”
Shirwaiker is no stranger to organising community events. Currently working in experiential tourism and with Airbnb, she started her own company, Circle of Solitude, six years ago, organising workshops and retreats, particularly for women. Earlier this year, she also started a women-only group which is especially helpful for tourists, newcomers and those looking to make new friends. It is open to women of all age groups.
The group now has more than 100 members and usually meets over a meal. “The point is to get women out of their homes. You don’t have to do anything or bring anything. Just come, relax, meet people, have good conversations, eat some food and have some drinks,” she says, adding that she plans to gradually expand it.
(Museum of Failures will be held today, September 5, at 4 p.m. at Doolally, Miramar.)
