Hi, I'm Aparna.
I'm a printmaker and upcycle artist in Northfleet, Kent. I started Mayadori because of my daughter Maya. Watching her grow reshaped how I see creativity: not a skill, but a way of seeing the world.
One thread, seven stops
Architecture
A degree in architecture taught me that good things are built from the basics, line, shape, form and volume, laid down step by step, and that structure is what lets creativity feel free.
Design studio
I ran my own graphic design and illustration studio, designing for small and growing brands. Keeping the human touch alive in design became the motto of my work, and my speciality.
Design educator
I taught design one to one, to children and teenagers, covering the fundamentals and elements, and mentored students preparing for design college through real portfolio projects.
Block-printed linens
In 2021 I started a home linens brand in India with local block-printing craftsmen. It's where I fell for the stamp, the ink and the imperfect repeat.
UX in the UK
In 2022 I moved to the UK and designed websites and apps for other people's brands. Same instinct, different medium: understand people first.
Maya
In 2025 my daughter arrived, and I wanted my hands back on real materials rather than a screen. Mayadori is named after her.
Mayadori
I believe creativity is a perspective, not a skill. I just help people open the door and walk through it. Every block here is carved by hand.
"I bring the structure. You bring the instinct. What we find together is the most creative version of you, and it's a beautiful surprise, even to yourself."
Guided autonomy
Give a child the right materials, the right questions and enough creative freedom, and they will always surprise you. That's what I teach. I'm just in the room.
It works the same way with adults. Everyone is a child again when they're being creative.
How I teach
I don't think of creativity as a skill I can teach. It's a perspective. What I provide is the tools, the right space, guidance and creative freedom.
So I show you the tools, the one safety rule that matters, and two or three ways into a design, then I get out of the way. The best moment in any session isn't the finished print. It's when someone lifts the paper off the block for the first time and goes quiet.
Giving back
I believe play is a basic human right for every child. Not a privilege. Not a reward. A right.
That's why I volunteer with Rock Stone & Pebbles, a charity working to make play accessible to children everywhere, including those who need it most.
Earlier this year I designed a permanent play structure for one of their projects in India. Built from brick, concrete and reclaimed materials, it was designed around one idea I call "pockets of play": a space where every child finds their own way through, every time. No two visits the same.
It isn't that different from what I do in a workshop.