Creativity

Creative routes: unlock creativity through unlearning

Aya Behr interviews artist, Farheen Haq

Headshot of Aya Behr
Aya BehrJuly 30, 2024

In a conversation with artist Farheen Haq, Aya Behr challenges the notion that there is a fixed one-size-fits all creative process.

This video dives into Farheen’s perspective on unlearning, how it applies to art and what she believes entrepreneurs can learn to unlearn, regarding creativity and business.

About the Artist

Farheen Haq is a multidisciplinary artist who often explores their family history, relationships and spirituality through installation, video and performance work. Based on the unceded territory of the Lekwungen-speaking peoples for the past 22 years, Farheen’s work centers on personal history, spirituality and location-based connections.

View Farheen's work


Video Summary

3:14

Farheen’s path to performance art and installations

Farheen explains her evolution from traditional painting and drawing to performance art and installation work, focusing on powerful historical and cultural narratives. This shift allowed her to embody and pass on the ancestral messages and rituals of her culture, adapting them to current contexts in North America.

5:47

Integrating cultural heritage into art

The discussion turns to the way in which Farheen creates ceremonial and ritualistic performances, including the story behind a recent work blending ancestral wedding rituals with geographical elements from British Columbia.

9:36

The creative process and artistic innovation

Farheen shares that her creative process involves a deep inquiry into personal and cultural questions. She describes how grant proposals and other formal processes can sometimes hinder creativity, but overall help clarify her artistic vision and set the stage for the creation of meaningful and impactful art.

I work in the realm of conceptual art, and there's a lot that I try to unpack within that world. If entrepreneur means, somebody who is bringing forward ideas, services, goods, then in the broadest sense, I feel like artists are members of that society.
Farheen Haq
14:43

Unlearning and reimagining artistic identity

Aya and Farheen begin to talk about the concept of unlearning, and how it can be used to break away from self-imposed limitations and societal conditioning. Farheen discusses her journey of constantly experimenting with new mediums and ideas, which challenges traditional notions of success and perfection in art.

20:00

Advice for aspiring artists and entrepreneurs

Farheen closes with a few kind words for aspiring artists and entrepreneurs, emphasizing the importance of trust, faith and embracing creativity regardless of your field.

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Headshot of Aya Behr
Aya Behr

Aya Behr (they/them) is a Black and Jewish high school student passionate about fostering community building through art. Born and raised on the territory of the Lekwungen-speaking peoples, Aya is influenced by their parents, who both come from diasporic communities. Their heritage fuels Aya’s dedication to using art to bring people together and create inclusive spaces.