Frederika Menezes
Her laughter defines her persona. And it’s infectious too. An artist, a poet, an author and a photographer, Frederika Menezes stands out amongst all, for her strong belief in ‘never giving up’, in any given situation. A person afflicted with cerebral palsy since birth, Frederika takes every single day as a challenge, counting every minute and the way to face and overcome these with optimism, positivity and determination.
“My parents have been my strength and support unfailingly and my goals, my motivation,” says the financially independent artist who earns through her paintings, her books and her photography. “I believe we can all earn as much as we want and need. Just got to believe we can,” she exclaims.
“Yes, I have written several books; some of them have been published. The Portrait (a collection of poems in 1998), The Peppers and Wars of the Mind (2003), Unforgotten (a novel for young adults 2014) Stories in Rhyme (2014), Miguel (2021). One of my poems is included in the 11th class English syllabus by the Goa Board. And my book, ‘The Hour’ won second prize globally on Inkitt.com but it isn't published locally yet,” shares the proud author and adds in the same breath, “J R R Tolkien (John Ronald Reuel Tolkien) is my favourite fantasy author. I'm into reading a lot but I absolutely love Rebecca Raisin's work. In fact, we are socially in touch, online. I love reading classics, biographies, fiction, fantasy, romance and the list goes on.”
With English, History and Art as her favourite subjects, Frederika calls herself an artist. “Painting is one of my hobbies; the others are writing, (as an author) and photography. I take photos on my cell phone. And I absolutely love reading too. My hobbies are my work, so, I guess, I am self-employed,” adds Frederika who has been writing since she was 13 and has kept discovering her God given talents since then.
Her writing talent was also discovered when she was in class VIII. “We were given class work and told to write a poem on Goa. That's when I discovered I could write poetry,” she recalls. Frederika’s art is digital and mostly abstract, but every painting has a name and meaning. For her art is both challenging and rewarding. When I was in class VI, we were given Diwali holiday homework. To paint scenery – I did what I could on my own with colour pencils and submitted my work. I got a C- and my painting got jeered at by the teacher and class. Later when I got my first PC, I thought why not try painting! The rest is history.”
Frederika did her middle schooling in People's High School in Panaji and it really was super being part of regular schooling, she feels. “Every day was a new adventure. I remember how I used to break the monotony by sticking my foot under my table and toppling the table and school bag down so my best friends would help me get it back up,” recalls Frederika with a hearty laughter, adding, “I'm 44 years young!”
She loves watching football. “I love catching up with my friends from school and outside school in person or on social media. I have so many great memories with my friends...hard to choose one or two. I have an older brother and amazing nieces. I love vegetarian food, not so spicy,” she opens her heart. Frederika is best at ignoring problems. “They just go away,” she says.
Admitting that she has been a different normal since birth and that her parents nurtured the best in her with the help of loving family members, friends and extremely fabulous teachers, Frederika exclaims, “I'm very grateful.” NGOs and governments should nurture talent regardless of where it comes from, she feels. “It's almost voting time so as an Election Icon, I say, go vote! Exercise your right! It takes just one finger to push that button. Do it!” she quips.
She is aspiring to win national and international awards in her field of work and touch people's lives. “I hope the world looks at me as a force to reckon with in the creative field! The world is something I want to win over – one heart at a time! I believe in God and the positive energy of the universe that propels me forward. Science and technology have become crucial in many ways but one must be careful about how we use them,” feels Frederika whose message to the world is loud and clear – “Never back away by saying you can't. Everything is possible if you say, yes, I can.”
