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Tuheena Raj
Tuheena Raj
Part-time poet, full-time hustler, Tuheena Raj of @wordsofworth comforts her growing community with fluid words and often unsettles them when needed.

What started as a passion project right after her 21st birthday when she was still in college, is now a legitimate literary platform with loyal fans (157k strong on Instagram alone!). Unlike conventional influencers, however, Tuheena balances her passion along with a full-time job at Tata Trusts.In this exclusive interview with BeBadass, Tuheena talks about the secret to successful side hustle, time management and much more.

Were you ever nervous about putting yourself and your work out there on social media?

Yes. For almost 3 years I did not share my name on my account. Partly because I wanted people to focus solely on my writing and not trace down the words to the human who wrote them and partly because I felt like I wasn’t as glossy and beautiful like the people on social media look out to be. Anonymity gave me the comfort and liberty of saying things the way I wanted to but now I am confident enough to put a face to the name and have shared my name with the world.

How did you overcome that fear?

Every time I put out a photograph or two, I saw a genuine interest in people to know who I was. Over the course of the years, I too got more relaxed and less anxious about social media perceptions. Moreover, revealing my name and identity made me more approachable and relatable so I eventually shun the garb of anonymity.

Do you think you can call WordsOfWorth your side hustle/gig?

I think WordsofWorth is as much of a hustle or gig for me as a full time job. I work all 7 days a week and by that I mean, 5 days for my full time job with Tata Trusts and weekends for upcoming campaigns and projects for WordsofWorth. For me, both my job and my passion project are equally important and I don’t like to label ‘WordsofWorth’ as my side hustle.

In this gig economy, almost everyone tries to juggle more than one job. What’s your time management strategy?

It’s simple- If you really want to do it, you will make time for it, no matter what. For me, I mostly dedicate weekends and off work time to WordsoWorth. I write a lot of times on my way to work while commuting in the metro, during coffee breaks etc.  I am an early riser so I manage time by making a ‘to-do’list for the day and ticking things off it, one by one.

What’s the key to a successful side hustle/gig?

I think the fact that a side hustle doesn’t have to be categorized as one. If you are doing something which is your passion project and self-initiated, I think the motivation to make it work is also intrinsic. In case of a content creator- I think the fact that whatever you put out has a weight and an ability to create change really keeps you going.

How do you make sure your corporate job and your creative outlet, collectively don’t take a toll on your mental health?

It is difficult. Yes! Exhausting also to quite an extent. Social media expects you to create content at a breakneck speed and inspired writing does not happen every day. A relaxed mind space truly is the devil’s workshop but also the creative genius’. I try to stay detached as much as possible. I don’t post about my day on stories too much. I avoid stressing myself on the non-essentials.

How do you handle competition and comparison?

It is very natural to compare yourself to other content creators on social media, constantly track your growth and pay heed to the numbers, but eventually, you have to ask yourself why you started at the first place.  I honestly feel absolutely grateful for all the opportunities that have come way and I truly want to appreciate all the good things with all sincerity.

Your poetry addresses various issues from body positivity to toxic masculinity to sexuality and so on. Is it a conscious choice to be inclusive or do these topics come to you organically?

I think my writing follows a very organic approach. Not only do I believe in every single thing I write but I also write such things and say them out loud to make the digital space more receptive to such content. It is very easy to get drowned in the hordes of memes, gym selfies and OOTD posts we see every day but I truly believe that the digital space is powerful tool to communicate. I have always looked at my poetry as a tool to influence and empower and writing about inclusivity, toxic masculinity, feminism, equality and other such aspects only helps make the digital space more conscious, aware and considerate.


Do you consider it your responsibility to use your platform to provoke your followers’ thoughts on important issues?

Absolutely. I think I have the most important gift in today’s time. A voice and an audience that listens to me and I take none of it for granted. There multiple things going wrong in our country and the world and poetry does not thrive on its own. The things I read in the news everyday make me feel a certain way and thus it reflects in my writing too. Poetry is an art as well as a science of understanding what strikes a chord with readers and my words echo how I truly feel about things.

What do you think makes you and your work unique?

The fact that I do not claim to be a life coach or a Ms. ‘Know- It All’. I am a human who feels, perceives and writes about the world in her understanding. I am not here to push my judgements, perspectives or ideas down someone’s throat. I only want to highlight, point, extend a thought to a different tangent and leave it open ended for interpretation.

Define a Badass woman

I believe any woman who pushes the envelope to speak her mind and do something that impacts lives is a badass woman.
It truly is about taking the road not taken.

Name a few Badass women who inspire you

Starting from Virginia Wolf, Sylvia Plath to Kamini Roy, Chitra Banerjee and Justice Leila Seth
I draw inspiration from multiple badass women.

Your message to anyone who is too hesitant to put themselves and their creativity out there.

Content creation requires effort, continuity and true passion. You cannot treat it as a one-off hobby and expect to make it big. Social media consumes content at a miraculously fast speed and you are only as good or bad as your last post. So yes, it is demanding but also the easiest and the most inexpensive method to put your work out there. Be true to what you create, audiences notice everything. The moment they find the content isn’t genuine or heartfelt; they would find a better content creator. The creative space is saturated and only the best will truly leave a mark.
Start small but start now. It wouldn’t be a cakewalk but it would be a walk to remember.

What started as a passion project right after her 21st birthday when she was still in college, is now a legitimate literary platform with loyal fans (157k strong on Instagram alone!). Unlike conventional influencers, however, Tuheena balances her passion along with a full-time job at Tata Trusts.In this exclusive interview with BeBadass, Tuheena talks about the secret to successful side hustle, time management and much more.

Were you ever nervous about putting yourself and your work out there on social media?

Yes. For almost 3 years I did not share my name on my account. Partly because I wanted people to focus solely on my writing and not trace down the words to the human who wrote them and partly because I felt like I wasn’t as glossy and beautiful like the people on social media look out to be. Anonymity gave me the comfort and liberty of saying things the way I wanted to but now I am confident enough to put a face to the name and have shared my name with the world.

How did you overcome that fear?

Every time I put out a photograph or two, I saw a genuine interest in people to know who I was. Over the course of the years, I too got more relaxed and less anxious about social media perceptions. Moreover, revealing my name and identity made me more approachable and relatable so I eventually shun the garb of anonymity.

Do you think you can call WordsOfWorth your side hustle/gig?

I think WordsofWorth is as much of a hustle or gig for me as a full time job. I work all 7 days a week and by that I mean, 5 days for my full time job with Tata Trusts and weekends for upcoming campaigns and projects for WordsofWorth. For me, both my job and my passion project are equally important and I don’t like to label ‘WordsofWorth’ as my side hustle.

In this gig economy, almost everyone tries to juggle more than one job. What’s your time management strategy?

It’s simple- If you really want to do it, you will make time for it, no matter what. For me, I mostly dedicate weekends and off work time to WordsoWorth. I write a lot of times on my way to work while commuting in the metro, during coffee breaks etc.  I am an early riser so I manage time by making a ‘to-do’list for the day and ticking things off it, one by one.

What’s the key to a successful side hustle/gig?

I think the fact that a side hustle doesn’t have to be categorized as one. If you are doing something which is your passion project and self-initiated, I think the motivation to make it work is also intrinsic. In case of a content creator- I think the fact that whatever you put out has a weight and an ability to create change really keeps you going.

How do you make sure your corporate job and your creative outlet, collectively don’t take a toll on your mental health?

It is difficult. Yes! Exhausting also to quite an extent. Social media expects you to create content at a breakneck speed and inspired writing does not happen every day. A relaxed mind space truly is the devil’s workshop but also the creative genius’. I try to stay detached as much as possible. I don’t post about my day on stories too much. I avoid stressing myself on the non-essentials.

How do you handle competition and comparison?

It is very natural to compare yourself to other content creators on social media, constantly track your growth and pay heed to the numbers, but eventually, you have to ask yourself why you started at the first place.  I honestly feel absolutely grateful for all the opportunities that have come way and I truly want to appreciate all the good things with all sincerity.

Your poetry addresses various issues from body positivity to toxic masculinity to sexuality and so on. Is it a conscious choice to be inclusive or do these topics come to you organically?

I think my writing follows a very organic approach. Not only do I believe in every single thing I write but I also write such things and say them out loud to make the digital space more receptive to such content. It is very easy to get drowned in the hordes of memes, gym selfies and OOTD posts we see every day but I truly believe that the digital space is powerful tool to communicate. I have always looked at my poetry as a tool to influence and empower and writing about inclusivity, toxic masculinity, feminism, equality and other such aspects only helps make the digital space more conscious, aware and considerate.


Do you consider it your responsibility to use your platform to provoke your followers’ thoughts on important issues?

Absolutely. I think I have the most important gift in today’s time. A voice and an audience that listens to me and I take none of it for granted. There multiple things going wrong in our country and the world and poetry does not thrive on its own. The things I read in the news everyday make me feel a certain way and thus it reflects in my writing too. Poetry is an art as well as a science of understanding what strikes a chord with readers and my words echo how I truly feel about things.

What do you think makes you and your work unique?

The fact that I do not claim to be a life coach or a Ms. ‘Know- It All’. I am a human who feels, perceives and writes about the world in her understanding. I am not here to push my judgements, perspectives or ideas down someone’s throat. I only want to highlight, point, extend a thought to a different tangent and leave it open ended for interpretation.

Define a Badass woman

I believe any woman who pushes the envelope to speak her mind and do something that impacts lives is a badass woman.
It truly is about taking the road not taken.

Name a few Badass women who inspire you

Starting from Virginia Wolf, Sylvia Plath to Kamini Roy, Chitra Banerjee and Justice Leila Seth
I draw inspiration from multiple badass women.

Your message to anyone who is too hesitant to put themselves and their creativity out there.

Content creation requires effort, continuity and true passion. You cannot treat it as a one-off hobby and expect to make it big. Social media consumes content at a miraculously fast speed and you are only as good or bad as your last post. So yes, it is demanding but also the easiest and the most inexpensive method to put your work out there. Be true to what you create, audiences notice everything. The moment they find the content isn’t genuine or heartfelt; they would find a better content creator. The creative space is saturated and only the best will truly leave a mark.
Start small but start now. It wouldn’t be a cakewalk but it would be a walk to remember.