Some of the most challenging years of my life I overcame by expressing myself creatively. As a teenager, I wrote dozens of poems.
Yet, it took me many years to give myself permission to share my creative works publicly. I never went to art academy, and I often felt I was not adequate enough to call myself an artist.
Until I learned that creating goes so much further and beyond any formal education institution. Until I learned it is our birthright to create. Until I learned that art is about allowing creative processes happening everywhere. Until I learned that individual and collective creating, the power of self-expression, and sharing stories have enormous effect on cultivating empathy and compassion, and building healthier world and sense of equality, protection and respect for everyone's dignity and worth.
My teenage years were filled with political conflict, nationalism, complexities of post war society impacted by individual and collective traumas.
Those experiences taught me about the importance of tolerance, respect, diversity, and openness, and made me gravitate towards diverse communities, people of all backgrounds, and to alchemize personal experiences into tools to serve others.
I wanted to remain dedicated to cultivating the idea of the world where children, women, and men have access to create, have access to healing and education, where plurality is a norm, where we are all treated equally and respectfully regardless of our gender, race, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion, or age.
There are number of people who inspired me to create, my son Tagor, who will remain one of the greatest teachers in my life, my deceased mother who guided me with her courage and pure heart, my friends...Azadeh Kangarani who inspires me with her own powerful autobiographical works and who keeps reminding me of my own strengths; Vanessa Gendron who has been supporting me through many phases; Sonia Mackwani talented writer, educator, healer, my students, and many other individuals who taught me precious lessons, and inspired me to do more.
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