Kalpana Pot is an actress, writer, host, science communicator, and content creator. With a passion for making science accessible and engaging, Kalpana has carved a unique niche in the digital content space.

Growing up, she was fascinated by the vastness of the cosmos and the profound philosophical questions it raises. “Astronomy, to me, is a bit more of a philosophy than a science, because it can’t help but humble you as a person,” she reflects, highlighting the transformative power of exploring the universe. Kalpana’s self-taught journey serves as an inspiration to her audience. “If I can learn all of this stuff just based on self-interest, then you can learn anything that you’re interested in,” she asserts, encouraging others to pursue their passions with patience and persistence.

With a background in business and a lifelong love for performing arts, Kalpana moved to Los Angeles to chase her Hollywood dreams. She’s appeared in numerous national commercials and TV shows like Grey’s Anatomy, Hot in Cleveland, and Days of Our Lives to name a few.

However, her ultimate goal is to merge her two passions—storytelling and science—to create content that leaves a lasting impact on her audience. “My goal is to try to make science and space as accessible as possible,” she states, emphasizing her mission to break down the barriers that often make science feel intimidating or disconnected from people’s lives.

Her unconventional approach to science communication includes using casual language and even cursing in her videos, a stark contrast to the traditional stuffiness associated with the subject. By presenting complex topics in a relatable and down-to-earth manner, she aims to foster a deeper connection between her audience and the wonders of the universe.

Finding Her Niche: Authenticity and Acting Skills Drive Kalpana’s Content Creation

Despite her initial resistance to social media, Kalpana eventually discovered a way to combine her passions and make an impact in the digital world. “I was always very resistant to social media, maybe like many other people, and of course, eventually I gave in,” she admits.

It wasn’t until the pandemic hit that she found her niche. “I hopped on TikTok, just started purely speaking about space, and then the followers came in.” Kalpana’s informal, engaging approach to discussing complex scientific concepts has resonated with audiences. “My Instagram took off last November. All of a sudden the videos started going viral and it meant a lot to me that people were connecting to what I have to say, which is space,” she adds. 

Kalpana’s background in acting has significantly influenced her approach to content creation. “What I love about the craft of acting is that you have to find the truth in any character that you play. It has to be honest,” she explains. “Searching for the truth has been ingrained in my head through acting, and that’s what fed into the way I create my content, just speaking in my own voice.”

As she continues to grow her presence on social media, she’s exploring new platforms like YouTube. “I finally very minimally started on YouTube”, she says. “I don’t know why I was resistant in the past, I think it was the idea of doing long-form content, but ever since they came up with YouTube shorts, I’m starting to take more advantage of that.”

Facing Challenges: Simplifying Complex Topics and Avoiding Burnout

Kalpana believes that making complex scientific concepts accessible to a general audience is crucial for fostering interest and understanding in science, but it comes with its own set of challenges. “It is difficult because we are talking about very complex space topics. And I’m like, ‘How do I – and not in a mean way-, dumb it down for an audience?”, including myself, because I’m technically not an expert in this field either, since I’m self-taught,” she explains. Interestingly, her self-taught background has become an advantage in her content creation process.

“I’m translating it in the way that I understand it, which is a general overview,” she says. “Sometimes I realize with people who have PhDs in astrophysics, they’re so concentrated in their field of knowledge that they have a hard time simplifying these subjects to everyday people.”

Kalpana shares that another challenge she faces is the unpredictable nature of viral success. “I feel like there’s no rhyme or reason to it, and then all of a sudden it takes off and I’m like, ‘But I’ve been doing the same thing’,” she says. Kalpana believes that this lack of control over the viral success of her content can lead to increased pressure and stress for content creators, “I think people might get bogged down and they might burn out thinking, ‘Okay, maybe this next one will be the one’. And they keep doing it and putting a lot of pressure on themselves that way.”

Instead, she emphasizes the importance of enjoying the creative process and staying true to one’s passion. “As long as you’re enjoying what you’re doing, that’s what’s going to keep you going,” she advises. “We all want to grow followers and hit the millions and things like that, but you have to not burn yourself out at the same time.”

From Viral Videos to Published Author: Kalpana’s Multifaceted Content Creation Journey

In her journey, Kalpana has observed that her controversial videos, such as those debunking flat Earth theories or moon landing denials, tend to generate the most engagement and viral potential. “When I do the conspiracy videos, they tend to go the most viral and generate a lot of engagement because they are emotionally driven,” she explains. However, Kalpana is cautious about giving too much attention to these controversial topics. “I don’t tend to do them too often because I’m also at the same time not wanting to give these, in my opinion, really stupid ideas, so much attention,” she says. “But when you’re getting these people attacking your page, you do have to address it at some point.” 

As a content creator, Kalpana also navigates the balance between commercial aspects and her educational objectives. Due to the niche nature of her content, collaborations are less frequent but highly valued when they align with her brand. “When they do come in I really enjoy it, and they approach me because they like the voice I speak in, which means a lot,” she says. Kalpana remains selective about the collaborations she accepts, prioritizing her authentic voice and audience engagement over financial gain. “There are times I’d have to turn things down just because it didn’t fit the brand, and I’m not going to just kill my engagement for the sake of money.” 

Expanding her educational efforts beyond social media, Kalpana recently published a book: “Spaced Out: A Casual Approach to the Cosmos”, born out of her desire to make complex space topics accessible to a wider audience, much like her approach to social media. “Every single page is devoted to one specific topic. There’s one page about the Big Bang, one page about the planets, one page about black holes,” she explains. The book also features a debunking section and a section titled “The Unknown,” which explores hypothetical concepts like the idea of the universe as a simulation, white holes, wormholes, and time travel. “That’s the kind of sci-fi stuff that people, I think, get most into when it comes to the universe, so I think that’s the section people are going to enjoy the most,” Kalpana adds.

Expanding Horizons: Kalpana’s Pilot, Hosting Roles, and Growing Multimedia Presence

With different passion projects and opportunities on the horizon, KP is excited about the future as she continues pushing boundaries and expanding her multimedia presence. Her ultimate goal is to get her pilot developed, which she describes as “the most challenging thing I’ve ever done.” The pilot aims to humanize people in science and combat the growing mistrust in experts. Its development has become a driving force for Kalpana, as she believes in the story and the potential impact it can have. “Whenever it does get developed, it’ll be the most rewarding thing, because I’ve worked so hard to do it and I believe so much in the story,” she says.

Kalpana has also different hosting opportunities coming up, including co-hosting the first-ever tour of the long-running game show “Wheel of Fortune.” The live show will tour the northern part of the United States and Canada, with KP filling the shoes of Vanna White as the letter-turner and calling out categories. “It’s a good time. It’s a very easy gig,” she shares. She’s also worked with Franklin Institute, USSOCOM, and Amazon. Many of these exciting opportunities have arisen as a result of Kalpana’s dedication to building her platforms, “There are opportunities if you just put yourself out there,” she emphasizes.

Looking ahead, Kalpana aims to continue her journey as a content creator, improving her content quality, and focusing on learning how to enhance her content through better graphics, lighting, and other specific elements. “It’s just building this brand and seeing it grow. And the overall picture has just been awesome,” she adds.