Episode 23: Sara Abou Rashed on art as a courageous act

Putting your values into your art can be a courageous act, and in this episode we speak with poet and storyteller Sara Abou Rashed about the vulnerability and rewards that come from revealing our identity in our work. Rashed comes from Palestine but was born and raised in Syria before moving to Ohio in 2013. She is a senior at Denison University of Ohio and has performed her one-woman show, A Map of Myself, all over the country. Her show explores issues of identity, culture, immigration, belonging and finding home. She’s also given a TEDx talk and been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. We talk about distinguishing between the self who creates the material and the self that presents it and also how audiences respond. Sara also gives us two “assignments” for how we, too, might find ourselves as we move forward in this time of uncertainty and unrest. We ask her these questions, and invite you to answer them as well on our substack page or our Facebook page:* How do you align your art with your values? * What role does art have in creating “the new normal?”Sara Abou Rashed’s website Sara’s show, Map of Myself Trailer for Map of MyselfHidden Treasures of a Refugee’s Journey TEDxColumbusimage of Sara via Instagram This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit emergingform.substack.com/subscribe