Today we’d like to introduce you to Malvika Guliani.
Hi Malvika, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I spent years in the corporate world, building a career that looked exactly the way it was supposed to look from the outside. Structured, professional, goal-oriented. And for a long time, that was enough. But somewhere along the way, I started to feel a growing distance from the things that actually made me feel like myself.
When I took a career break, I didn’t plan for it to change everything. But it did.
That time away gave me space I hadn’t had in years — space to slow down, to ask what I actually cared about, and to follow that question honestly. I found myself drawn to craft. To make things with my hands. And the first thing that truly stopped me in my tracks was blue pottery.
There is something about blue pottery that is impossible to look away from — the cobalt and turquoise, the hand-painted motifs, the fact that every single piece is shaped and decorated entirely by human hands using techniques that are centuries old.
I started learning about it, collecting it, and visiting the artisans who make it. And through that world, I found my way to block printing.
The transition felt completely natural. Both are rooted in the same soil — Rajasthan, heritage, the quiet genius of artisan communities who have been keeping these crafts alive long before anyone called it art.
Today I lead workshops and events that bring this heritage into modern spaces — intimate evenings where women slow down, learn the story of this ancient art, and create something entirely their own. It has grown into a community I am incredibly proud of. Women who come as strangers and leave as something closer to sisters, connected by ink and intention.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Leaving a corporate career — even voluntarily, even intentionally — is disorienting in ways nobody really prepares you for. So much of my identity had been tied to a title, a structure, a clear sense of what success looked like. When I stepped away from that, I had to sit with a version of myself that didn’t have any of those things to hide behind. That was uncomfortable in ways I didn’t expect.
Then came the practical reality of building something from scratch. I wasn’t launching a tech startup with investor funding — I was a woman who loved a centuries-old craft and believed other people would love it too if they just had the chance to experience it. Believing that in your heart and actually convincing the world of it are two very different things.
The early days were humbling. And then there was the deeper challenge, which was learning to run a business around something sacred. Block printing isn’t just a product or a service to me. It carries the stories of artisan communities, of families who have dedicated generations to keeping this craft alive. Feeling the weight of that responsibility while also figuring out pricing, marketing, social media — it can feel like two completely different worlds that don’t always speak the same language.
But every struggle has taught me something I couldn’t have learned any other way.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
At its heart, Earthen by Malvika is about bringing an ancient craft into modern life in a way that feels genuinely accessible — without losing any of its soul.
I specialize in block printing workshops and experiences — intimate, curated evenings where women learn to hand-print using carved wooden blocks that originate from the artisan communities of Rajasthan, India. Every block tells a story. Every print is one of a kind.
What I’m known for is creating experiences that feel like more than a craft class. The evenings I host are styled, intentional and warm. What sets me apart is the why behind everything I do. This isn’t just about a fun night out — although it absolutely is that too. It’s about keeping a living heritage alive. The blocks I use are made by artisan families who have been practising this craft for generations. Every workshop I run is a small act of preservation. I take that seriously, and I think the women who come can feel it.
What am I most proud of? Honestly, the community. Women who come as strangers and leave as friends. Women who tell me they hadn’t made anything with their hands since childhood and didn’t realise how much they missed it. Women who walk in saying “I’m not creative at all” and spend the whole evening proving themselves wrong. That transformation — however quiet and small — is what I built all of this for.
But Earthen is growing into something larger — a space where heritage craft, community, and creativity meet. And I’m only just getting started.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
The biggest thing I wish someone had told me is that you don’t need to have it all figured out before you start. I spent a lot of time waiting to feel ready. Ready never really came. At some point, I just had to begin and trust that clarity would follow action — and it did.
A few things I genuinely wish I knew earlier:
Your story is your marketing. People don’t connect with products or services — they connect with people and purpose. The minute I started talking openly about why I do this — the artisans, the heritage, the personal journey that brought me here — everything shifted. Don’t be shy about your why.
Community over competition. Especially as a woman building something. The more I leaned into collaboration — with other makers, other event hosts, other small businesses
And the most important one — don’t let the business of it disconnect you from the love of it.
The beginning is always the hardest part. But it’s also where everything worth having starts!!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.earthenbymalvika.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/earthenbymalvika/
- Other: https://earthenbymalvika.kit.com/waitlist
