Spirituality is the foundation of my creative pursuit. As a Nichiren Buddhist, my practice of daily chants introduced me to the powerful vibrational relationship between intent and vocalization and taught me that physics and spirituality work together in harmony. Science and mysticism first melded together for me when I began work on my debut short film, When Planets Mate, which I co-wrote and produced as well as composed its soundtrack. As a teenager, I didn’t feel close to my Indian ancestry. I tried to join the homogenous American crowd instead of seeking out my own roots. However, in creating the music and story for my first short film, I discovered that I was closer to my roots than I assumed. One day, I was sharing my work with a percussionist who pointed out an influence of Carnatic rhythmic syncopations in a few of my tracks. I was not aware of this, nor had I ever studied classical Indian music. This discovery helped me realize that ancestry lives beyond geography, and that we just have to learn how to patiently listen to our environment and to our wildest dreams for clues and guidance. Connecting with my ancestry through creativity allows me to find my place and voice amidst a displaced and obscured cultural heritage.