When little Driti, who could only speak in single words, brought home a sketchbook with drawings, one of which depicted a crying figure, her mother, Shweta Runwal, realized that her daughter was trying to communicate through art. This moment was a turning point for the mother, who had spent years hearing questions about her daughter's capabilities, and it gave her a different perspective on the situation.
Instead of focusing on limitations, Shweta began asking what Driti could express, create, and become. This thought ultimately led to the creation of the social enterprise Tickle Your Art, which collaborates with artists with Down syndrome and intellectual disabilities, transforming their original works into various products such as books, corporate gifts, and household items.
Driti was diagnosed with Down syndrome shortly after birth, and at two months old, doctors discovered a heart defect, advising the family to consider surgery. For Shweta, early years were accompanied by difficulties related to prejudices about her daughter's diagnosis. As she notes, 'People saw her diagnosis before they saw her. They had already decided that she couldn't do anything.'
Questions arose about whether Driti would be able to walk or talk, and what her future would hold. At the time, the parents had few opportunities for information or communication. However, Shweta's parents approached it differently, advising her to 'just treat her like any other child.' This trust became Shweta's main support. As an architect working in London, she first learned about the power of art and design as a form of self-expression. As Driti grew older, Shweta began volunteering with the Down Syndrome Federation of India and meeting other families, noticing a gap in communication that often revolved around what children with intellectual disabilities might not be able to do.
Art became a language and an opportunity
After Driti's early experience with drawing, Shweta started looking for artistic activities for her. Soon, she began working with several children, helping them explore various forms of creative self-expression. In 2018, she organized an exhibition at the Kelkar Museum for World Down Syndrome Day, showcasing the works of people with Down syndrome and creating products based on them.
This positive response encouraged her to continue her work. What started as a personal experiment turned into Tickle Your Art, officially registered in October 2020 during the pandemic. Driti became the organization's first artist. Within six months, more artists joined her; today, Tickle Your Art works with over 25 neurodivergent artists and is onboarding six more for upcoming launches.
The organization also manages a community center where artists receive training, mentorship, and employment opportunities, as well as an experience center where visitors can view their works and learn the stories behind them. Importantly, the artists are not required to conform to a preconceived notion of what a 'good' painting should look like. Shweta emphasizes: 'We try not to change the artwork as much as possible. We want to see their story.'
Sometimes this means developing a design around the artist's original lines or colors, and sometimes it means finding a new way to transform their work into a product. Every product carries the story of its creator. Shweta simply explains this idea: every product must provide 'three smiles'—the smile of the artist, the person giving the gift, and the person receiving it.
Inclusion naturally came into the home
For Ira, Shweta's younger daughter, this whole world always seemed ordinary. Ira says she never felt it was different because, for her, inclusion is the norm, and it should be for everyone. This belief grew alongside the development of the enterprise. Today, Ira participates in Tickle Your Art's marketing and design decisions. Shweta jokes that nothing goes into production without Ira's approval.
Ira intuitively understands what can capture someone's attention, where things should be placed, or how the design can be improved. But her role extends beyond business: she also advocates for inclusion in schools and has been recognized for it. For Shweta, watching her daughters grow up together reinforced a long-held belief: inclusion should not be complicated.
'She belongs to no one,' she says. 'Just give a smile, and others will smile back at you.'
When talent finds a place to work
For Shweta, economic inclusion is not just about providing a job. It is about helping people realize that their time, talent, and contribution have value. She recalls Rohan, a 33-year-old artist with experience in animation and digital design, who started working with Tickle Your Art. When Shweta began paying him, his father questioned whether a small organization should really pay him a salary. For Shweta, there was no question: 'He gives his time. He comes here sincerely. And I feel it needs to be valued.'
This philosophy is reflected in the work of Tickle Your Art. Artists can work from home or at the center, and their works are developed into products based on their originality and story. The organization now collaborates with artists across India, many connections made through disability-focused organizations and communities. Suzanne, who has nearly thirty years of HR experience and works as an HR consultant at Tickle Your Art, noted that this changed her view of inclusion. She says: 'In the corporate environment, we talk about diversity, equality, and inclusion, but very rarely get the chance to live it as Shweta does.'
Her main task is creating systems and processes that allow the organization to function sustainably, while Shweta interacts closely with the artists and the creative side. Suzanne also observed that people sometimes hesitate because they don't know how to interact with people with intellectual disabilities. However, she added: 'But I found Driti extremely loving, warm, smart, and fun. They are just like us. There is no difference.'
When confidence returns
Before Tickle Your Art, 33-year-old Rohan was already working in animation and studying Photoshop, Illustrator, and other digital tools. But after his previous job ended during quarantine, he became more withdrawn. Then came Tickle Your Art; Rohan has been collaborating with the organization for about a year. His mother, Veena, says that art has always been one of his greatest passions. However, at Tickle Your Art, she saw this interest become a source of confidence and happiness again. For Veena, this happiness is perhaps the most significant change. She also observed how spaces like Tickle Your Art can change the conversation for families by providing children with opportunities to learn, work, and socialize outside the home. And that, ultimately, is what Shweta wants to build.
A space like home
Tickle Your Art has received recognition from several platforms, including Shark Tank India, where Anupam Mittal invested in the venture. It has also received grant support from Jit Adani, was named an 'Industry Innovator' by UNICEF, and showcased its work internationally in Berlin at the The DO and H&M exhibitions.
Meanwhile, Driti received the National Award for Empowering Persons with Disabilities in the Shreshth Divyang Balika category for her achievements in art and promoting inclusion. For Shweta, these milestones are important not just because they validate the organization's work. She remembers a parent of a child with Down syndrome at six months old who contacted her after seeing Driti's video. The mother shared that after the diagnosis, she felt broken, but Driti's vision gave her hope. 'That's what makes me feel like it was all worth it,' says Shweta.
Her current dream is to create similar community spaces across India—places where families can gather, where artists can learn and work, and where art can become a bridge to meaningful income. Ira envisions Tickle Your Art becoming famous across India and then worldwide. Shweta has an even simpler measure of success: working with more artists and providing them with a launchpad. For her, the center must feel like a second home—a place where a person's diagnosis does not define their abilities, where a painting is viewed not as something created 'despite' a disability, but simply as someone's art. And perhaps most importantly, a place where inclusion stops being a high ideal and becomes what Ira has always considered it—the norm.