Welcome to the Little Leaders Podcast, where we inspire confidence, connection and change through conversations with kids just like you and me.
Grab your favorite snack, find a comfy spot, and enjoy today's guest.
Before we dive into today's conversation, we are thrilled to share a great resource with you.
Our free, daily confidence building checklist is packed with simple and effective activities designed to boost your child's self-esteem.
Click the link in our Instagram bio to get your free checklist, and don't forget to DM us your child's wins.
We are excited to connect with you and now enjoy today's episode.
But we have a really special guest today, all the way from India, and his name is Durban.
And Durban.
I would love to welcome you and thank you for taking the time, especially with our different time zones.
Would you like to tell us a little bit about yourself?
Yes, sure.
I am Dhruvinder Meen and I am 15 years old and I am the editor of Kilion Maga Kids magazine.
So I love art designing, graphic designing, animation.
I love to create graphics and I love creativity and I love to sketch.
And I have many hobbies, but I cannot mention them all.
I have a big collection of books and I have a small library at my home and I have over 500 books which I love reading.
Books is my life, I can say.
And art also inspires me all the time.
So art and books, my life, always.
I love that.
Do you have a specific type of genre that you like?
Do you like history, fiction, nonfiction, or everything?
If I would like to say that I like fantasy books those are my favorite but real life experiences and motivation books and the books that inspire people, to inspire kids to do something in their life.
And I like those also because they also inspire and motivate me sometimes.
Yeah, yes, I totally agree.
What makes you a good example to others?
I would like to say that I don't take myself as a good example, but I like to present myself as an example, that I am, at a means of 15 years old and I can give an example to others that you can do anything at any age.
Age doesn't matter.
Age is just a number and it just defines you as what amount of years you have spent on this earth, but it doesn't define your talent or your creativity.
So i would like to say in the end that age doesn't matter and you should follow your passion and follow your dreams, giving you the podcast and editor of Kilimanjaro magazine, which I'm very delighted to be.
And I'm happy to God that I am so grateful for being the editor and starting a kids magazine.
What was your inspiration?
Like, when did you know that you wanted to create Kidlit Magazine?
Was there a defining moment?
Can you tell us about it?
Yeah, sure.
So at the time of COVID-19, tough times when everyone was at home and lockdown was there.
So everyone at home was very bored.
Kids especially.
They used to go to school and have a lot of fun, but now they were stuck at home and as you tell that you were a teacher and covid-19 struck you hard and you were at home, so you felt means very sad because you cannot meet your kids.
So i thought that i should create a magazine and i was learning graphic designing at the time.
So i thought that why should i put my skill to waste and use my skill to create a good thing?
So i used my skill and created a clear mag magazine And it was a nice experience.
I faced difficulties at the first and I was 10 years old, so not much of an experience.
So I started a little bit.
We got our first author and I created the whole magazine.
It was a good experience for me to start and to do something for the kids.
So when you say it was hard at the beginning, I think creating a magazine has got to be difficult for adults.
You were 10.
So what were some of the things that were hard and how did you overcome them?
At age of 10, I was new to the graphic designing field.
I love to use computer from a small age.
In childhood, I liked to use computer and I used to do paint, scribble on paint.
Microsoft Paint, I used to scribble on it.
So my mother and father saw that I had interest in the graphic designing.
So they sent me to an institute and I got my learnings and got to know about the softwares to use to do graphic designing and means.
I was at the age of 10.
I learned one software.
So I thought that means I should create a magazine.
But when I really started creating a magazine, I saw that there were many difficulties and you have to manage things.
So my mom has always been a supporter to me and she supported me that I will help you in everything and all.
She manages everything.
She gathers all the information from the authors and she gives to me and I create the magazine.
So yes, it was difficult, but you have to face difficult times in your life and the one who overcomes it is the best.
So overcoming it was difficult, but I think that everyone should not lose hope and just keep on going.
When you keep on going means the things will come in place automatically.
You don't have to think about that much.
Just keep on doing what you love to do.
I agree.
And it's just so inspiring hearing that coming from you.
What impact do you hope that Kid Leo magazine continues to have in the future?
Kiddomag magazine, I'm sure, has created and will keep on creating an impact on the kids' lives, and even authors.
Not only kids, authors, parents, kids, teachers.
That effect will remain always.
And I think that Kiddomag magazine inspires and advertises good books, which kids should really read, and it also features kids drawings stories, which means boost their creativity, because when they see that my story and my drawing has been published in a magazine, so they feel very delighted.
They feel that i should create more and say more.
That will keep them motivated for the earnings for the some time or for always.
They will be motivated that yes, i can create drawing and it is valued.
My thing that i create is not waste, my thing is valued and it's published in a magazine.
So this is how a ilio mag magazine creates a impact on kids lives Great resource for teachers also to teach their kids and great activities for the kids.
So teachers can also use it.
Parents can also use for their kids.
So it is nice for the kids to have something around to stay away from the screens nowadays.
Screens are a lot of problem.
So, but on keeping on the screen you can see literally magazines, because the parents also feel good that they are doing something right.
Not only playing games and other stuff.
You built a huge literary community with everybody.
And I've had the honor of being in one of the magazine issues and You are right.
It is just run so efficiently.
And the way you lay out all of the pages, they're colorful.
They're very inviting.
And I am sure that there are so many people that can get so much information and ideas of what to do with kids in terms of books from it.
Yes, yes, yes.
We featured you as our cover and we loved that.
Everything was smooth and your page was nice.
And I think that you loved it.
Absolutely.
I did.
I did.
I made a copy of it.
And I'm a big believer in looking at things that help push you forward.
You know, you think about it when you see it like manifesting.
So manifesting power.
Yes.
So I have it with some other pictures of things that I've done.
So if I have a day where I just don't feel like I'm getting as many things done as well as I'd like, I always look at those and remind myself that I can do it.
And I agree with you.
Screens are wonderful when they're used in the right way, but there's nothing like a story that takes you somewhere on a journey in a fake world, a real world, a fantasy world that just exposes you to so much more.
Who is someone that you look up to as a leader and why?
And it can be more than one person, Durban.
I look up to my mom.
She's a really big supporter of me and my inspiration. because she works tirelessly for Kiglio Man.
She does not stop and she keeps on checking on people and managing everything.
She keeps my work less.
She tries to make my work more efficient and more less so that I can focus on my studies, also school and other my hobbies.
So she helps me a lot.
She is very hardworking.
She keeps track of all the things in her mind only and manages everything.
So I look up to my mother as my inspiration.
I love that.
I think you're very lucky.
All kids are that they have parents.
You know that they can look up to, because in our adolescent years and teen years, who do we spend the most time with?
Our parents.
And we learn so much from them.
So that is so nice that you have her as such an inspiration in your life.
Thank you so much.
And I like to thank my mother also.
What are some things that you look forward to in your future?
In my future, I look up to means taking Kidliumac to a whole new level and new heights.
And I would love to see Kidliumac one day as a big literary magazine which every kid has in their hands and does not focus on only games and mobile games, and wants to have a kidlio mag magazine.
So, and i also want to continue and pursue my passion and love for art, graphic designing animation, and want to continue my hobbies, because hobbies keep you motivated.
Whenever I feel down, I take my notebook and I sketch something.
I feel good.
It means keeps me motivated and lightens up my mood, I would say.
And whenever I'm stuck in something.
So I love to do my graphic designing and do something on Blender Adobe, Illustrator and all those graphic designing softwares.
Everyone has their hobbies, which keeps them happy and lightens their mood.
So I love my graphic designing.
That's awesome.
Have you saved your sketchbooks over the years so you can see how your art has progressed?
When i told you that i used to scribble on paint at the age of 10, so that scribbles for me is a little bit detailed but not that good.
But now i have come a very far way and now i can create a whole magazine by myself, and earlier i used to just do scribbling on.
So i feel very proud that i am progressing day by day, And every day is a new day and you need to learn something.
If you learn something every day, you are the best person in the world.
That means you are learning something.
Human should learn everything a new day.
That is my thinking that Keeping information on everything is good, but you should focus on your passion and follow your dreams.
You have an excellent outlook.
In a very busy world, as you know, how can we best stay true to who we are when we have so many distractions and things that pull us in different directions?
Yeah, I would agree that there are many distractions in this future world, and we see that there are Instagram, YouTube and many other websites which keep you distracted, and mobile games, which kids are very addicted.
Nowadays, YouTube videos and mobile games have taken over the minds of kids.
So parents should means i would say that they should encourage them to do physical work, they should go outside play and i would say that they should follow what their hobbies.
They should create new hobbies.
If you don't have one, find one, because hobbies, you should try everything.
Try everything and when you then you will know that oh, i am good in this one and not good in this one.
So you should follow what you are good and what you love to do from your inner self, not from that That anyone is saying that you should do this, but you should not follow anyone else's agenda or anyone else saying you should follow your inner self and say that I love art.
So I will do art and I will stay happy without doing art.
So I would say in this busy life and hectic life that we have all we all have now.
So we should keep a time period in our day in which we should relax or do our hobbies.
Which means lets off the burden of the whole day which you have faced.
So it just means peaceful thing to do your hobby.
I would say that.
It's my opinion that it's peaceful to follow your hobby.
I agree.
I couldn't have said it better myself.
Where can listeners find you?
I would say that if you want to contact us, you can go on our website, www.gilliamag.com.
And we also have an email on which you can send your drawings, stories, poems.
I would love to see if anyone emails us, emails their drawings, poems and stories.
And I'm sure that I will feature them in the magazine.
I guarantee you that, that if anyone sends me and it would be published in a magazine.
That's very generous of you.
I would like to say thank you so much for coming today.
It has been a delight to learn about you and your outlook on life which, at your age, is so positive, and you recognize the value of hard work and following your passions.
So thank you for joining us today.
Yes, I would also like to thank you for having me.
And I love your books.
I have read them and I read your interview and I got to know about that you love dogs.
I also love dogs.
And I think so you love the breed Akitas.
I think so.
Yes.
Thank you.
Thank you so much for having me.
We have some great picture books to share with you today.
Our first picture book spotlight is Louise Loves Art, written and illustrated by Kelly Light.
We hope you love it as much as we do.
For fans of Olivia and Eloise, This stunning debut from Kelly Light is an irresistible story about the importance of creativity in all its forms.
Meet Louise.
Louise loves art more than anything.
It's her imagination on the outside.
She is determined to create a masterpiece, her piece de resistance.
Louise also loves art, her little brother.
This is their story.
Louise Loves Art is a celebration of the brilliant artist who resides in all of us.
Our second picture book spotlight is If I Never Forever Endeavor.
Author and illustrator is Holly Mead.
A fledgling teeters at the edge of his nest in a gorgeously illustrated tale sure to resonate with anyone facing a rite of passage, change or challenge.
Safe inside his cozy nest, a young bird considers whether or not to give his new wings a try.
What if he tries and the wings don't work? and he flails, plummets, and looks foolish.
Then again, what if his wings take him swooping and gliding, sailing and flying through a great big, wonderful world?
He'll never know if he never endeavors.
With the help of her bold, beautiful collage artwork, Caldecott Honor-winning artist Holly Mead offers a gentle nudge for hesitant fledglings of all ages and species to step out, to dare to try and to fly.
The Little Leaders Podcast is written, edited, and produced by me, Tina Shepardson.
Our podcast artwork was created by Tara Hannon.
Music is from Pond5.
And podcast hosting is by Libsyn.
Take care, everyone.
Keep reading and keep leading.
