I am an artist, architect and art educator living in Dubai with my husband and daughter Nuha. From a young age, I have been interested in art and crafts. My mother painted with us and we did a lot of crafts together.

During my school years I was an average student, my grades were not the best. The only subjects I was good at were art subjects. I cut myself off from art because I thought it could never be a career choice. After I broke away from art, I devoted all my attention to my studies and eventually became an architect.

I got married, we moved to Dubai, I had a full-time job, and to distract myself from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, I decided to get back into my hobby after 11 years. And maybe that was exactly why my return to painting was so wonderful. It was like reuniting with a long lost friend. It was one of the most beautiful reunions.

For almost a year, I painted for myself, exploring different mediums, watching YouTube tutorials, and improving my skills. But my life changed when I started posting my artwork on Instagram and when I finally decided to show my work to the world. I did not realize that all these wonderful opportunities would come my way and that every year I would get closer to a career I never thought existed.

I had a full-time job that I enjoyed, but more than anything I enjoyed creating art. I painted on the weekends and late at night and slowly became recognized as an artist. My Instagram account started to grow and I got the chance to work with big brands in the art world. I also led offline and online art workshops and gradually decided to give up my architecture career to try a career in art. It was more like turning my escape project into a career.

Looking back, I feel that this was one of the best decisions I ever made in my life. You may have heard the quote, “Do what you love and you will never work another day in your life.” I used to think that was terrible advice. But when I decided to do something that was close to my heart, I felt there was some truth to that quote.