ABOUT

If you believe that the right words at the right time can change a life then this site is for you.

Hi, nice to e-meet you!

I’m Pratima Aravabhoomi (pronounced pruh-TEE-muh AH-ruh-VAH-BHOO-mee),

founder of Craft Street Design.

I’m so glad you’re here! 

We all love words.

We use them to express our true values to connect with people, to inspire ourselves and our loved ones, and to remind us of what’s important.

From my own experience, a simple quote can have a life changing effect.

It all started when..,

I had an arranged marriage. My parents set it up for me. It started out well but we had nothing in common.

I quickly realized that his idea of marriage was very different than mine.

My idea of marriage was companionship. His was living together for the sake of societal norms.

He expected me to be completely dedicated to him as my number one priority, even over my dreams. I was expected to cook and clean, do everything else a “good Indian wife” was supposed to do and take care of everybody but myself.

I wanted to be a great wife as well, I just wanted more out of my life. I dreamed of working. I wanted to do something meaningful with my life.

Despite that, I did everything that was expected of me, but..,

I felt like I was wasting my life.

As time went by, it got tougher and tougher to get through the day.

I became anxious and depressed.

I tried not to think because my thoughts were too overwhelming. I assumed that if I just tried harder to be a good wife everything would be alright.

But one day, I got tired of trying.

I walked into the kitchen, grabbed a bottle of bleach, and prepared to end my life.

I don’t remember thinking anything. I don’t remember feeling anything. I just didn’t think things could get better.

I didn’t see a way out.

Leaving the marriage was like fighting a hundred elephants to me. I felt like I was risking everything I ever knew, my family, my friends, my entire life. They all believed that marriages weren’t meant to be broken, and subconsciously I couldn’t help but believe the same.

I glanced around the kitchen as if to say good bye, and I happened to see the quote on a painting that I had done a while ago, “The darkest hour is before dawn.”

Nothing changed. There was no magic door bell, there was no crying, there was no lightning strike or any life-changing epiphany as far as I can remember.

But something changed inside me. I’m not sure what.

In that moment, I stopped and took a breath.

I realized something.

I’d gotten this far. I’d put up with so much pain until that moment. Even if I left the marriage, nothing could be worse than what I was about to do. I felt like I had built up the strength to tackle anything.

No matter what, I’d be okay.

Suddenly my thoughts went from “I don’t want to live,” to “You got this!”

Those five words, “The darkest hour is before dawn,” helped change the conversation in my head.

It helped me focus on what was possible in the future instead of what I thought I’d lost until then.

I decided to take control.

I quit my marriage.

I changed my life.

From that point on, I began to collect other quotes to use as inspiration to achieve my dreams.

That’s how my love for words was born.

Now I want to help you feel the love, encouragement, and happiness that you deserve through the designs at Craft Street Design.

That’s why we design meaningful art with words that you can keep for yourself or give to your loved ones.

I hope you find them inspiring and beautiful.

XOXO

Pratima

• They are deceptively simple. Each design actually takes about 10-80 hours to make.
• We use extensive research to find words that have a positive effect on people and then use these words, quotes, and phrases to design inspiring works of art. 
• Our designs are inspired by calligraphy, magazine typography, scandinavian design, vintage drawings, and subway art.
• We create each design by hand first before the final design is digitized.
• All our products are MADE IN USA.

New here? Awesome! Here's some stuff you might want to do:

• Check out our collection of inspirational prints and printables here.
• Join our community of quote lovers & get weekly inspiration by signing up here.
• Follow us on Pinterest & Instagram.
• Pick an interesting print and purchase it! ($5 of every print you buy is donated to empower women via womenforwomen.org.

If you have any questions or just want to say hi, feel free to message me at pratima at craftstreetdesign dot com.

Enjoy!

Pratima