I AM WHAT I ART MANIFESTO
Hello dear creative souls,
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Fadwa Al Qasem bios
Short version: Mixed media artist and bilingual author of four collections of short stories, contributions to three anthologies, and contribution to an artbook. Creator of I Am What I Art Manifesto. Palestinian-Canadian woman with a gypsy's spirit.
Basic info:
Canadian-Palestinian living in Spain
Born in Tripoli, Libya 1963
My name is pronounced phonetically
B.A in English Literature (UK)
Two Art Therapy Certificates (USA)
Longer version: One of my greatest achievement as an author was being able to write and get published in Arabic because all my bringing and education was in English. I could read and write Arabic, but only like a 10-year old. I spent a great deal of my adult life reclaiming my Arabic language and my stolen identity as a result of the Israeli occupation of Palestine. When I finally did manage to write and get my short story published in Akhbar Al Adab of Cairo, I was stunned!
In 2005, I published my first collection of short stories in Arabic entitled The Scent of Cardamom. Paradise No More was published in Arabic in 2011, and in English in 2015. I contributed to two short story anthologies in English (In Our Own Words and Madinah) and one poetry anthology (And We Choose Everything). A World of Artist Journal Pages was published in the USA and it includes my work as a featured artist.
My short stories in Arabic were published in Akhbar Al Adab, weekly literary newspaper, Cairo, Egypt; Al Adab Magazine, Literary Magazine, Beirut, Lebanon; Literary Supplement of Al Bayan Newspaper, UAE; Al Quds newspaper, Jerusalem, Palestine; Al Quds Al Arabi newspaper, London, UK; An-Nahar newspaper, Lebanon. As an author, I also participated in the Emirates Airlines Festival of Literature in 2014 and 2015 in Dubai, UAE. I am currently working on my first novel plus a collection of poems.
As an artist, I am currently focusing on mixed media and fiberarts, and I'm an avid visual journaler. I hold regular day retreats in my home studio overlooking mountain and sea views in the Spanish Costa Blanca. I developed I Am What I Art as a lifestyle concept that invites intention and mindfulness to the aspects of your life.
Courageous self-expression is our ultimate source of power and freedom.
My values
To me, PLAY means creating opportunities for joyful and playful explorations and experiences, and liberated expressions of creativity, spontaneity, and delight that nourishes the spirit and celebrates the joyous essence of being. |
FREEDOM to choose. To be as we want to be. To be safe and secure. To be able to express our thoughts, ideas and feelings without fear or limitation. To have access to education, health, and independent financial security. To not face gender discrimination and sexism in all aspects of life.
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CONNECTION is important. It’s about solidarity, empathy, and encouragement. Creating a network that empowers women to thrive, individually and collectively advancing towards shared goals, and making a positive impact on the world around us.
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I believe that STRENGTH is the continuous practice of building resilience to help us overcome challenges, societal expectations and cultural limitations, to fearlessly embrace own values and pave a life that is true to our own spirit. |
