On the Canvas of My Time : Our Search for Sustainability

by Vivek Cariappa

On the Canvas of My Time is a narration of a life lived with passion, commitment and honesty that often went against the prevalent beliefs and values of the time.
The author, at the age of 56, takes the reader on a solo bike ride – from the present on his family farm in rural Karnataka to parts of North India where he spent his childhood. Along the road the reader gets to see glimpses of the author’s life – the transition from the fast-paced lifestyle in New Delhi to building a sustainable, self-reliant life ethic with his partner, Juli, and their children.
The book shares his worldview and provides a first-hand account of the ground realities of the yawning urban-rural divide, its impact on human dynamics and the looming environmental disaster that we are fast approaching in our blind pursuit of short-term developmental goals at the cost of real sustainability.
The journal is also a narrative of the couple’s love story and their fascinating journey stretching over three and a half decades.

257 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 4, 2022

Reviews

[Vinod · Rating 5 out of 5]

Years ago, I came across a YouTube video on How a Young Couple Pioneered Natural Farming in Mysuru. It stopped me in my tracks and made me question my own mundane city life. Vivek’s appearance instantly reminded me of my favourite Kannada writer, Poornachandra Tejaswi (son of Kuvempu), who lived a similar nature-immersed, self-reliant life on his Mudigere estate. Months later, the video resurfaced in my feed, reigniting that long-standing pull I’ve felt towards nature and living in the midst of it.

Curiosity took over. I began searching for more about this “crazy” couple—Juli and Vivek—and eventually found this book on Kindle. Vivek’s narrative style is conversational, weaving in exchanges with a fictional companion, Anon, as he undertakes a cross-country motorcycle tour. Initially, I thought this story might be a bit pretentious—after all, acquiring large tracts of land isn’t something everyone can do. I assumed they could afford it, and they did. But that’s not the heart of his story. From the age of 21, Vivek & Juli has been living the life they envisioned as a couple—breathing organic farming, failing, learning, experimenting, and persisting. They built a beautiful family while staying deeply connected to the earth. His prose is reflective, capturing both the rewards and the challenges of such a life. Conversations with Anon—often from the seat of his Triumph Tiger—lay bare uncomfortable truths about how we deceive ourselves.

At 56, riding a Tiger across the country, Vivek comes across as raw, real, and unapologetically himself. The narrative meanders—stories within stories, tangents, nostalgic reunions—which some readers might find distracting. To me, it mirrors the reality of a long road trip: reflective, winding, and full of moments in unexpected ways. Yet, through it all, the central focus on the environment never wavers.

The book’s strength lies in its authenticity. Vivek’s voice is unpretentious yet evocative, taking readers through landscapes, rhythms of farm life, and the deeper philosophy of living simply and sustainably.

Sadly, the book remains under the radar—likely due to the lack of a big publisher or formal launch. It may not be the most polished travelogue or memoir, but for millennials with a penchant for the outdoors and solitude, this conversational ride across India—on a Tiger, talking about life and nature—is well worth the journey. Definitely getting a Hard Copy for my library !!