The visual artist, Layla El Farouk, who holds a bachelor’s degree from the faculty of Fine Arts, stands out as one of the most prominent influential figures on social media in Egypt; El Farouk is keen on constantly communicating with her fans, sharing excerpts and insights about her creative world.
Because she realizes that the journey towards professional success and personal fulfillment is often marked by challenges and obstacles; she shares insights into her multifaceted artistic journey, extending from visual arts to advertising to her passion for contemporary dance. Reflecting on her artistic background, El Farouk tells ELLE, “The world of fine arts was always present in my family, which led me to pursue it academically and eventually led me to open Place Des Arts gallery to showcase contemporary art.”
“A PERSON MUST CONTINUE WORKING TO ACHIEVE THEIR GOALS AND NEVER GIVE UP ON THEIR DREAMS.”
El Farouk disagrees with the common notion that art is merely a hobby, in her opinion, art is like any other field; all it takes is effort and continued work to make it a profitable profession, and there is no problem if people practice what they love and have a passion for it at the same time as they seek to make money.
As an artist who ventures into multiple different fields, El Farouk is often met with social commentary about her work. “I believe that a person’s passion and hard work are more important than anything else, and although these fields are slightly different from each other, they are all art forms at their core, and I love engaging in each of them and always try to find time to practice them.”
In her talk, she talked about the beginning of the emergence of her exhibition and explained that her first endeavor was to create a place to teach arts to rising generations. But her love of dealing with art and artists all the time is what inspired her to create the gallery. “At first I established an arts education center, but later I opened an art gallery to immerse myself in art, and in order to give opportunities to display the works of talented young artists,” she tells us.
FINE ART AND EGYPTIAN SOCIETY
She added that she believes that appreciation for fine art in Egyptian society truly exists; however, it is not widespread enough, and it must grow more and more. It was one of the most important things that encouraged her to open the gallery. She says, “Many people see that this type of art is expensive, but the problem is not the price, but rather the lack of awareness about it. The problem is not visiting art galleries and appreciating art from a young age.” She stressed that one of the goals of the gallery is to enhance the appreciation of art among the public.
In a candid conversation about her personal experiences and strategies for overcoming challenges, El Farouk shared some of her beliefs that she consistently strives to implement to achieve success in both her professional and personal life.
DEFINE SUCCESS ON YOUR OWN TERMS
El Farouk stresses the importance of defining success on our own terms; instead of adhering to society’s predetermined notions of success, we should understand what success means to each one of us personally. She told us, “Success is relative, so I believe that there is no specific moment when a person succeeds, and even the term ‘successful person’ I do not believe in, because if I am successful from my point of view, it is not necessary for me to be successful from another person’s point of view. Success for some people means feeling happy, for others, it means the ability to love themselves, and for others, success means the ability to make money, for this reason, a person must understand and know what success is for himself, know what he wants, and do what he must do in order to achieve it.”
OVERCOME FEAR AND ACCEPT NEW CHALLENGES
El Farouk encourages others to face their fears and have the courage to take on new challenges; choosing activities that take us out of our comfort zone can help us grow personally and professionally, in her view; by challenging ourselves, we can overcome our limitations and unleash our hidden potential.“I hate fear because I think it makes a person incapable of living. A person will only live for a short time, so if there is something that prevents him from living and stops his life, then this is wrong, so I always try to overcome my fears.”
EXPERTISE COMES FROM EXPERIENCE
El Farouk believes in the power of gaining expertise through experience alone. “Engaging in diverse activities, especially those in nature, can enrich our lives and contribute to our personal development,” she tells us. “Every experience, whether successful or not, is a valuable learning opportunity.”
Here, she shares with us some of the recreational activities that she loves to practice because they provide her with inner peace and balance in her life. She says, “Going out in nature and practicing yoga helps me understand my thoughts and feelings, and enhances inner peace and balance in my life.”
In essence, Layla El Farouk’s journey serves as a testament to the power of dedication, resilience, and self-discovery in achieving both professional success and personal fulfillment. Through her experiences and insights, she inspires others to pursue their passions relentlessly, reminding us that the path to achievement is paved with perseverance and an unwavering commitment.
