Art and Inspiration
Growing up I never intended to be a full-time artist. Art was simply there; it was always a part of my life. I started out with poetry and found my way to my real passion in the field of fine arts. Being an artist comes with ups and downs. As you grow and change your art and process do as well. Sometimes, we as artists face roadblocks, and sometimes, we overflow with inspiration.
Starting out was difficult. There was not much of a place for artists in Qatar, let alone artists who were women. I found myself trapped within society's walls. Traditions and customs hindered my creativity and freedom. It was only when I began to break beyond those walls did my creations come to life.
Although the environment I grew up in placed restrictions on me, personally, I still found my inspiration within Qatar’s environment.
Our cultural heritage is incredibly rich, there is always something interesting hidden within the complex layers of our history.
I find myself drawn to the place that raised me, but I am still growing and so is Qatar. I aspired to forge a connection between the past and present, old and new. Through my art I try to present Qatari culture in a modern form so that the younger and older generation can relate to it together. I want everyone who looks at my art to find something they can connect with.
Inspiration does not always come easy. Every artist has had the misfortune of losing their creative spark, even just for a moment. Sometimes when I struggle, I lock myself in my room and play loud music. Then I wait for the idea to come to me. I allow my mind to wander, more times than not I am able to grasp a concept that blooms into a piece I am proud of. Still, as artists, there are times when inspiration seems to escape us and we begin to feel like our passion dwindles. This is not a foreign feeling to me. I never lost my passion for art completely, but sometimes due to circumstances and the environment that surrounds me, I would lose my motivation to create. I would cry for days, but thankfully I was always able to pick myself back up and work hard to achieve what I wanted.
Creativity ebbs and flows. Not knowing where your next piece will come from is part of being an artist. We will always face moments when we feel as though we can not create anymore. Sometimes one can push through it, other times we need to wait for the idea to come to us. Losing inspiration should not discourage anyone, it simply means that a great idea is coming, it’s just taking a while to arrive.