The definition of a creative is constantly expanding and changing. The notorious exclusivity of creative industries is being diminished and, with the advent of social media and inclusive online spaces, many young, Muslim women across the U.K. are using their platforms to share their creativity on an engaged, global stage. From illustrators to designers to artists – young, Muslim women are making their mark in the creative industries and drawing inspiration from their faith, identity and passions to help build communities that are redefining what it means to be a creative in 2021. But, they’re not interested in being put into a box either, as the idea of what a creative is continues to diversify, meaning that people from all walks of life can create without limits.
As consumers, Muslim women are also fuelling growth and becoming increasingly influential in creative industries, such as fashion, with global Islamic clothing and apparel industries currently worth £207 billion and set to rise. “Muslim women have pioneered an online culture of social media influence which increases the overall awareness and consumption of more brands,” said hijab-brand founder, Marya Ayloush for Forbes, who strongly believes “corporations can no longer undermine the Muslim market”, and that female, Muslim creatives need more recognition and support in such industries.
PLTFRM spoke with four female, Muslim creatives from across the U.K. to chat about identity, inspiration and creative processes, and what it’s like to navigate creative industries as a young, Muslim woman.
Sarra Hajji, 22, Northampton, Digital Illustrator – “The best thing you can do is to go after what you want and remember that whatever is meant for you, will always be yours.”
Sarra is a 22-year-old, Northampton-based freelance digital illustrator and part-time retail assistant, who has always had a love for creative arts which she reconnected to during Coronavirus lockdowns. “I left art to the side until lockdown, when I finally had more time to reconnect more with my creative side, pick up a paint brush and paint. I also find a lot of solace and peace in drawing and it helps me deal with my mental health which I’ve been struggling with for a while, so getting back into my art was also well needed.”
Sarra developed her illustration and drawing skills whilst studying Fashion at her local college and also utilised YouTube to expand her skills. “There is so much incredible information on there for free it’s crazy.” She is also hoping to develop her craft through attending online art school where she’ll learn about illustration and character design.
Sarra says “I literally get inspired by anything and everything. It could be anything that day – from nature to architecture, books, films and other creatives. I mainly take inspiration from what’s around me, and Pinterest is my go-to for when I’m stuck for ideas.”
On a typical day where she’s creating, Sarra says she tends to grab her iPad and start whenever she has a creative burst. “That’s usually in the evening or late at night, but if I’m working on commissions, I like to start early with some coffee.” Regarding structure, she says “I’m the sort of person that can’t put down their work until it’s done, and I still don’t know if that’s a blessing or a curse! I don’t have much of a structure or routine to my days when I’m creating, but that’s definitely something I want to work on.”
The power of social media has been invaluable for female, Muslim creatives who lack representation in creative industries otherwise. “Without it I wouldn’t have a platform to share my work on,” she says. “Working as a digital artist, you need to share your work to gain exposure, network with others and just get yourself out there. Instagram is my main platform and through it, I’ve been able to reach out to potential clients, network with amazing individuals and be a part of a huge, incredibly supporting community.”
Regarding the ways in which her faith and Czech-Tunisian culture influences her creative flow, Sarra says “I gain a lot of inspiration from my culture and especially my religion, as I always feel a sense of peace and creativity after I pray.” As to how it is shown in her work, she says “my illustrations don’t necessarily reflect my religious beliefs, but I do try to draw my illustrations without eyes and a nose is because of the difference of opinion on whether you can draw faces in Islam or not. I’ve never been too sure, so I try to stick to that style as much as possible and Alhamdulillah (all praises to God), that’s the style that has been most popular. My culture and religion is a big part of who I am and I would love to represent that through my work, but I’m unsure how to in a way that’s most authentic to me.”
Her advice to other young creatives? “I would say go for it! I put off everything and end up wishing I started earlier. Whatever it is you are passionate about, go for it and do your best without being too hard on yourself. You’ll never know if it will work out unless you try, and even if it doesn’t, you’ll always walk away with experience. The best thing you can do is to go after what you want and remember that whatever is meant for you, will always be yours. Also, please remember to wear your glasses and take screen breaks before you start to feel your retinas burn – I think this is a reminder to myself the most!”
You can see more of Sarra’s work on her Instagram, @sarrastudio.
Haseebah Ali, 24, Birmingham, Artist – “I was told on numerous occasions to “get a real job”, but it just motivated me to work harder.”
Mental health activities worker and freelance artist, Haseebah Ali, has been creating fine-line art, paintings and prints since she was in college. “Originally, I was going to go into science and had planned to study Biology and Chemistry alongside Art, which I had the intention to drop this after first year. I then realised that I wasn’t very interested in my science classes and always looked forward to Art and creating my work.”
Then, Haseebah went onto further education – “I undertook a degree in illustration and after that, I completed an artist residency at my university to utilise the resources. After university, I also took part in various courses and applied to open calls and art jobs. It was from my course, constantly networking and getting my work out there that’s helped me to become the artist I am today.”
Haseebah draws a lot from her Pakistani culture, Islamic faith and the world around her for inspiration. She says “I really enjoy creating a story through my work, which is massively to do with how I also studied illustration. I draw a lot of my creative inspiration from my South Asian Culture, Islamic Art and political occurrences that are important to me.”
Regarding her day-to-day life when creating, she says “I wake up at around 9 or 10, have breakfast and clean, then complete any admin work before starting on my commissions.” She recognises the important of good lighting and a bright space when creating – “I always try and create any art during the day if I can, because I like using natural light, but I do have the odd late night drawing session. I tend to have a break or two whilst I draw as I can’t concentrate for too long then finish off by checking any open calls or creative opportunities online.”
Haseebah also teachers art to others, and has spent time in primary schools and local community spaces. “I enjoy teaching because I love being around people and educating them on something I enjoy. Being an artist, it can get quite lonely sometimes so it’s always nice to pick up jobs where you’re teaching and facilitating.” She also recognises the value of representation – “I feel like it’s important because you’re passing knowledge on and, for me, being a south Asian hijabi woman, I’m representing all of these factors, so it’s especially important when I do this with primary school kids as they’re curious about identity.”
Despite her skills and talent, Haseebah has struggled to find work during the pandemic. “I still managed to pick up some commissions, but I went from being very busy to everything being at a standstill. However, this did allow me to explore my creativity and work without any pressure.”
Haseebah enjoys and utilised social media as a way to reach people, promote her artwork and gain inspiration, which is something she also gets from her faith and background. “I identify heavily with my faith and south Asian culture. I always try and represent it in my work as it’s really important to me. During my residency, I completed prints around Islamic Art and I hope to continue this work. Also, I try and avoid drawing faces just for religious reasons.”
“I feel like being a brown person from a working-class family, I wasn’t surrounded by anyone who pursued anything creatively, so it was so harder to figure out how to navigate things,” she says. “I didn’t know how to be a successful artist, and in general, south Asians don’t see art as a lasting and fulfilling career. I was told on numerous occasions to “get a real job”, but it just motivated me to work harder.” Haseebah also describes how cultural nuances and lack of consideration for her faith from others has impacted her. “It’s difficult going to creative events when alcohol is continually flowing, because you feel like you’re the only one not drinking and it makes you feel left out, awkward not want to go to these events.”
Haseebah stresses the importance on not comparing yourself to others as a young creative – “everyone’s on their own creative path, and it’s easy to think you’re not good enough but comparison is the thief of joy. Focus on yourself and don’t be afraid to network, I know it’s scary but if you’re around other creatives, they’re not going to judge because we’re all in the same boat at.”
To see more of Haseebah’s work, follow @haseebah_illustrations on Instagram.
Memunatu Barrie, 22, London, Textile Designer and Creative – “There’s some things I can’t change, so I try not to stress about the things I can’t control and if I’m meant to succeed, I will.”
Memunatu is a 22-year-old, London-based textile designer and final-year Design student. “I am from Sierra Leone in terms of my heritage, I was born in the Netherlands and I’ve lived in London since 2007.”
As a child, Memunatu’s says “I was always really interested in arts, crafts and drawing – that was what I did to entertain myself.” Upon moving to the U.K., she began studying textiles to pursue her love for fashion. “It was the closest thing to fashion that they offered at school, and I’ve loved it ever since. I did a foundation year in fashion and textiles after college, then progressed onto my BA course which I’m in my final year of.” Memunatu is currently studying at the famous arts school, University of the Arts London: Central Saint Martins.
Memunatu doesn’t have a specific idol or influence, but says she draws inspiration from the world around her. “From stories, philosophy, my heritage, the people around me, my lived experiences -anything and everything, really. if I find an interest in it, I’ll find a way to use it for my work.”
On days when she is creating, Memunatu describes them as unorganised productivity. “I wake up and eat breakfast if I’m hungry. If not, I propel myself into work and I like a very hands-on approach. I enjoy painting so it will involve paint, lots of collage work, paper everywhere. Just mess, a creative mess – I really need studio space! I might make a couple of goals for myself, but it’s very much ‘go with the flow and make a mess’.”
Memunatu has struggled without access to studio space and resources throughout the Coronavirus pandemic, using her shared bedroom to create in the mean time. She says “it’s been difficult to adjust” but is trying to “make the best of the situation.” She also misses being at university – “Central Saint Martins is really chaotic in its creativity, which is the energy I need to do my best work. I really love university. There’s so many great things about it in terms of the values and encouragement to be yourself. I feel like I’ve really blossomed as a creative there, but also as a person.”
“I think my identity, faith and culture will always, kind of, influence my work,” Memunatu says. But, I’ve previously shied away from exploring heritage and Islam because I didn’t want to be labeled as “a Black African designer” or “Muslim designer”, as in this Western art scene, labels stick and I don’t want to be seen as not having other values or perspectives. Artists who aren’t from, let’s say, ethnic backgrounds can be just artists without labels like Caucasian or white British. So, I think my previous work doesn’t necessarily explore heritage and culture, as much as I wanted to or could have. But, with my current final-year project titled ‘Warm Citrus Skins’, it’s at the forefront as it’s about spirituality, faith and philosophy.”
As a Muslim creative, Memunatu’s main challenge has been gaining access to higher education. “This was a religious and personal debate about how I was going to pay for university without a student loan, because I was so concerned about the Islamic perspectives on ‘riba’ (interest).” For many practising Muslims, paying interest on loans is considered impermissible in their faith, making it difficult for many British Muslims to pursue higher education without without comprising their religious beliefs. “I come from a working-class family and we haven’t been saving, because the U.K. offers a student loan program, so why would we? For my parents, they’ve come from Sierra Leone to give us a better future and education, so the whole debate didn’t make sense to them. But, with their slight coercion and advice from a sheik (Islamic scholar), I decided to attend university.” Another common challenge Memunatu has experienced include the prevalence of drinking culture in networking spaces, a struggle for many young Muslims, but, she has navigated this by networking through other means, like social media, at university and through mentorships.
“Obviously, being a Black Muslim woman from an African and working-class background, there are a lot of boundaries. From money to institutional racism to Islamophobia,” she continues. “I think there’s many issues with aligning values between Islam and creative industries. But, there’s ways of navigating them and balancing things out. There’s some things I can’t change, like, institutional racism. So, I try not to stress about the things I can’t control and if I’m meant to succeed in this industry, I will.”
Regarding social media, Memunatu says that started sharing her work upon advise from her college teacher. “Then, I started sharing modelling shots and editing weird, collage images of my body.” However, Memunatu use of social media has since changed. “I felt like it had little meaning in terms of what my creativity or career. So, I stopped doing posey, aesthetic posts and began sharing more of my work again, like collages or poetry. There was a point where I was gaining followers and worried about engagement, which led me to posting unsatisfactory work. Now, I just post when I feel like posting. It’s a space where I like to share and network with others – I have such valuable contacts, which I wouldn’t have made if I didn’t use social media.”
The advice Memunatu would give to other young creatives is “to pursue what you find interesting and enjoyable. Don’t let people discouraged you, because it’s strange to draw, or write poetry or be really be into film. Don’t let anyone make you feel like you’re a weirdo, being a weirdo is good. Pursuing creative work is great, whether as a career or just as something which gives you joy, so just keep going. Try lots of new things, have fun and be your main motivation behind what you’re doing. Because you’re not necessarily going to get validation from the people around you, but creative expression isn’t about validation anyway.”
To keep up to date with Memunatu’s art and textile work, follow @memuna2barrie on Instagram and her upcoming fashion and textile brand, Barrieatu.
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