I am deeply curious about it all: A Conversation with Fatima Al Jarman
Digital art by Deemag (dddeemag).
I first became friends with Fatima once we followed each other on Twitter after we created both our mags (at this point, I think you would know that all the cool people I interviewed on here were found on Twitter).
Fatima is the founder and editor-in-chief of Unootha Magazine, an online magazine and platform that displays the work of womxn in the Middle East and North Africa. Knowing she established Unootha when she was a high school student, I thought this issue would be perfect for us to sit down and talk about Unootha, and the dreams that made her who she is.
JOOD ALTHUKAIR: Fatima, I think we all know that Unootha has proven to be a monumental media platform for MENA women. But aside from it being a magazine, what is Unootha to you? What made you start it and what do you plan to do with it?
FATIMA AL JARMAN: Unootha is a representation of everything I wanted, and continue to want, as a young creative person. Or at least I’m always driven to cultivate it into that. I was 16 when I initially came up with the idea to create Unootha, but it wouldn’t before another year and a half before I would sit down and press publish to our first issue. Truthfully, at some point in that one year and a half period, I decided against the prospect of creating Unootha. Not only was I struck with a pretty severe case of imposter syndrome, but I also feared the responsibility that would inevitably come with creating Unootha.
I had the privilege of attending a Creative Writing program over the summer of 2018, and it was there, immersed in the art of the written word and surrounded by like-minded individuals, that I finally decided that I would go through with it. I also tried to begin to understand my fear as opposed to succumb to it; my fear and initial hesitance were indicators to me that this was something that I cared deeply about. With that same care and sense of responsibility, I published Unootha’s first issue—one that I continue to nurture to this day.
Our third issue is about dreams and the things that make us who we are. What made Fatima the woman she is today?
Who I am in this moment is the result of a series of beautiful experiences and a very extensive list of hardships, as all people are. From building a collection of encyclopedias as a child to school nights spent watching Cosmos with Neil DeGrasse, I think it all comes down to curiosity. I do the things I do, read the things I read, write and immerse myself in stories and literature, because I am deeply curious about it all. And curiosity is innate; I don’t think my desire to learn was ignited by anything in particular, but I’m glad it’s there and wildly burning in the pit of my stomach, because I wouldn’t be the woman I am today without it.
I know that creating a platform requires a lot of focus, and knowing you’re a student, it can sometimes be overwhelming. How did you manage to overcome the obstacles you faced—if there were any?
It’s all about understanding what your priorities are and pacing yourself. I think one of the perks of doing your own thing is that you get to create your own schedules and timelines. When I published Unootha’s first issue, I created a timeline that would require me to publish new issues every other month, and had even scheduled in a weekly meeting with my team and a long list of prospective events. While that would’ve been really cool to execute, it was far too stressful and did not give us enough time to sit back and evaluate the outcome and impact of our work.
One year in, and our schedule is very flexible. While we do have a general timeline that we try to follow, we’re conscious of our external priorities (members of our team are either in high school, college or have a full-time job) and we’re open to change, no matter how unexpected. I think that’s the key to it all; just balancing things out and being flexible. To take it easy when necessary. To breathe.
Unootha has helped a lot of women in the MENA region when it comes to providing a safe platform that enables them to express themselves freely. How does that make you feel? Were there any women that left a reciprocated impact on Unootha?
Every single submission we’ve received has impacted Unootha. It is an incredible privilege and a great responsibility to receive work from women across MENA, each piece of work a declaration of their souls; extensions of who they are. We always try to take the utmost care of each piece that is sent to us, to read and edit it carefully and slowly, and to share it with the rest of the world with that same level of care. Once again, it’s a tremendous responsibility, and it just drives us further to improve Unootha and make it a space that all women would feel safe and comfortable in expressing themselves. I’m so grateful.
Aside from being the founder and editor-in-chief of Unootha, you are both a writer and an artist as well. Describe your creative process, what are the things that inspire you, and how do you execute them?
I write on the daily (or at least I try to) and create art sporadically. Typically, I am seated somewhere alone, the lights dimmed, and a large cup of tea situated just an arm-length away. I also play music that specifically meets the ambience I am trying to create. I’m not sure what inspires me, but what I always try to do is expose myself to varying stimuli. I always seek out new music to listen to (my playlist ranges from BTS to Abdelhalim Hafez), new films to watch, new books to read. I try to keep my mind on its toes, if that makes sense.
I know that in being a creative person in general, you have to surround yourself in things that keep your eyes fresh. What are the magazines/platforms you always enjoy looking through?
I’m always on the hunt for new publications and content to consume. Recently, I’ve been particularly enjoying Khaleejesque, Harvard Business Review and The New Yorker. Each publication has a widely different focus, which I think is very reflective of who I am and my varied interests. Khaleejesque is beautiful, vibrant, and very, very, very representative of many notions that are often swept under the rug, which I find refreshing from a regional publication. Harvard Business Review makes me feel like I’m a CEO with my own empire, its articles not only teaching me more about leadership in a corporate sense, but also leading my own life. I read a single opinion piece from The New Yorker every morning; I wouldn’t feel ready to face my day otherwise. The list of publications I read is growing and evolving perpetually, just as I will continue to grow and evolve. ◆
Jood is the founder of this site. Find her on her Instagram here.