Hello, it’s Hala.
I am a mother, journalist and artist deeply passionate about contemporary art, photography and travel.
I graduated at the American University of Kuwait in 2014 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Media & Communication, with a focus in Journalism.
I discovered my passion for journalism ever since I was a little girl watching travellers take a walk on the wild sides of life on the Travel Channel. I always knew that becoming a journalist was intrinsic. I am curious about exploring how the world works, communicating with interesting people, having a thirst for knowledge and learning and trying new things
For this reason, I gradually started my own blog some 10 years ago as an outlet to write some of my thoughts, stories, and experiences that mainly encompass Art & Photography (visual storytelling), Society & Events, Travel & Lifestyle, and as of late…motherhood!
Bazaar Magazine Interview, Kuwait
KTV Interview
My Art Journey
I started dabbling into sketching in 2020 when I was sitting at home alone during the pandemic. I opened a diary of mine to a blank page and just began drawing the living room lamp. Hereafter, I didn’t stop drawing. The lamp also came to symbolise this point in time where I embarked on a wonderful unforeseen journey of creating art.
Sketches after sketches of mundane objects in small notebooks were followed by bigger Strathmore sketchbooks depicting sceneries from imagination. Before I knew it, I began shopping for art supplies, tackling animation and then making my own paper to print drawings on.
Many projects got underway and I was experimenting with my artwork in a variety of ways which was exciting. I recall how elated my father was, who is also an artist, that I started trying out my hand at art. We began doing projects together and exploring techniques, and I loved sharing the artworks with my mother too and hearing her thoughts about them. It was a great feeling sharing a piece of creation that sprang from a mood, idea, dream, or memory. Drawing became another outlet for me to express myself visually.
Animating my drawings meant that I could bring them to life which is exciting of course albeit time-consuming. I loved accentuating the mood of the drawing with motion, music, audio, sound effects and the end-result is always satisfying to look at on loop.
After animation I drifted to another intriguing medium, which is paper-making. Paper-making sounds simple enough because of how little you need to make it, but once I started I realised how much practice and trial and error it requires to achieve the correct texture, thickness, strength and even desired colour that would look good when I print my work on them. Likewise, paper-making is also quite a lengthy process involving blending pulp, drying, and pressing which can take a few days. Even so, it’s a gratifying activity to partake in.
Both writing and drawing have turned into a form of storytelling for me. I have been really curious to see where my art will take me next and how it will continue to evolve!
