“Creating in the Middle: Straddling South Asian Traditions and Modern Narratives”
To be a South Asian woman creating content today means constantly walking a tightrope between honoring the traditions we were raised with and shaping narratives that reflect the modern lives we’re living. It’s not always comfortable, and it’s definitely not always accepted — but somewhere in the middle, there’s space to grow, to tell stories that matter, and to spark conversations that shift perspectives.
My journey as a creator didn’t start with the intention of “changing the narrative.” It began with a desire to feel seen — to explore the pieces of my identity that didn’t quite fit into the conventional mold. And as I stepped into this space, I realized how many other South Asian women were also navigating this in-between — torn between what is expected of them and who they truly are.
Living in the In-Between: Navigating Dual Identities
Being South Asian in a Western world often comes with a sense of duality. At home, we are expected to uphold tradition, family values, and cultural customs. Outside, we are encouraged to be independent, outspoken, and self-defining. This split can be both empowering and exhausting.
There have been countless moments where I’ve felt like I was living two lives — one that made my family proud and one that made me feel whole. But content creation gave me the permission to merge them. Creating in the middle isn’t about choosing one over the other — it’s about finding balance and embracing both sides with intention and honesty.
My content has become a reflection of that duality — where South Asian rituals meet modern values, where conservative expectations are held up to the light, and where storytelling becomes a bridge between generations.
Honoring Tradition Without Being Confined by It
One of the biggest challenges I’ve faced is learning how to honor my culture without letting it limit my growth. There’s beauty in our traditions — in the languages, the festivals, the family ties — but there’s also a need to question and evolve.
Not everything passed down to us is meant to be kept. Some norms were created to survive a different time, a different world. As South Asian women in the digital era, we’re not just preserving heritage — we’re reshaping it to reflect our truths.
I’ve learned that I can love my roots deeply and still challenge the parts that don’t serve me. I can wear a lehenga to a wedding and still talk openly about mental health, body autonomy, and breaking generational cycles on my blog. That tension — that refusal to choose between tradition and progress — is where real growth happens.
Creating Content That Bridges Worlds
When I first started sharing my thoughts online, I worried that I would alienate both sides — the ones who wanted me to “stick to my roots,” and the ones who thought I was “too traditional.” But I quickly realized that I wasn’t alone. There are so many South Asian women just like me, searching for stories that reflect their layered realities.
Creating content that sits in the middle — that doesn’t fall neatly into a category — has allowed me to build a community grounded in authenticity, nuance, and shared experience. Whether it’s writing about intergenerational trauma, navigating cultural taboos, or exploring personal identity, each piece of content becomes a thread that connects the past to the present.
This middle ground isn’t a compromise. It’s a new narrative entirely — one that acknowledges where we come from while boldly carving out where we’re headed.
The Tension Is the Power
It’s easy to think of cultural tension as a burden, but what if it’s actually a superpower? That’s something I’ve come to believe as a creator. The pressure we feel — to be a “good” daughter while also being an independent thinker, to respect tradition while advocating for change — is exactly what fuels impactful storytelling.
When we allow ourselves to exist in that in-between space, we give others permission to do the same. We normalize complexity. We challenge the idea that identity has to be one-dimensional.
And in doing so, we slowly expand the definition of what it means to be a South Asian woman today — not just for ourselves, but for future generations who will look back and see that we didn’t shy away from the middle. We created from it.
Final Thoughts: Claiming the Space Between
Being a South Asian female creator means making space where there was none. It means navigating criticism, questioning norms, and choosing to be both — both traditional and progressive, both soft and bold, both rooted and evolving.
The middle is uncomfortable at times, but it’s also full of magic. It’s where transformation happens. It’s where we get to tell our stories — not through someone else’s lens, but through our own.
Creating in the middle is an act of quiet courage, of radical self-acceptance, and of redefining what it means to be South Asian, female, and free. And I wouldn’t trade that journey for anything.