Creative routes: unlock creativity through unlearning

Video Summary

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.

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.

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

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.

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.