By Vanessa Mendis
[caption id="attachment_137742" align="alignright" width="298"]
"I’ve noticed that women also don’t completely believe in their potential. We can’t blame culture alone because there needs to be introspection; that allows us to appreciate ourselves as women and the immense energy and power we have within." Shifani Reffai[/caption]
“You’re not going to be able to make a living out of being an artist. Besides, you’re a girl.”
Culture has dictated a stereotypical role for women. The norm has been challenged and certainly weakened, but it still exists. Demotivation from society, enforced gender norms, and negative self-talk has discouraged many female creatives from achieving their complete artistic potential and transforming the same, into a rewarding career. We spoke to Shifani Reffai, artist, entrepreneur, and a trainer, on how she works towards helping young female creatives harness their complete potential.
You’ve come a long way in your career. How has the experience been?
I have about 10 years of experience – starting out with print media and moving into digital media – as a writer, and then expanding into visual storytelling. Now I work with social media as well, where I look at different ways of storytelling. Two of the biggest influences in my career were Yamu and Roar, which allowed me to gain insight into the lives of people in Sri Lanka. After completing my Masters in Literature, I went completely independent to be able to explore storytelling in my own way. The talk show “Shhh” was one I helped produce for two seasons to tell stories about women. This year, I am shooting a film with Agenda 14; a documentary about untold stories of Muslim women.
What inspired you to do the kind of work you do today?
When I was fresh out of school, I couldn’t be placed in a box because I didn’t want to be a doctor. I didn’t have anybody to guide me then and it was a period of struggle with a lot of questions about “what do you want to do now?”. Especially as a Muslim Sri Lankan girl, it was a weird place to be in. However, I was stubborn about the fact that I didn’t want to do a nine to five job. That was how I moved towards being an artist and being authentic, while trying to say something meaningful that would stay around for longer.
There were lots of ups and downs and I even studied architecture because that was the easiest “slot” available to being an artist. However, I kept reaching up and during the last lockdown, I conceptualised what I am doing now. There is a lot of representation for Muslim or brown women online now than before, and for me, being able to speak to female artists who are just 17, 18, or 19 and starting out, is fulfilling. Mostly, they are unsure that they can make anything out of their creativity, and being able to guide them is incredible. For women, there is a lot of negative talk that demotivates an artist from having faith in what they want to do. I also feel that female artists should stick together.
What social, cultural, or psychological factors play a role in the demotivation of a female creative?
One of the main points I want to drive home is that artists are extremely important. People don't see that everything from music to museums to architecture is all art around us. Life wouldn’t be bearable without art and that should be given reverence. In South East Asia, it’s always about making more money, or getting a government job, in the eyes of parents. Also, being an artist doesn’t limit you to doing just one thing. Especially now with Covid, there are a lot of things that artists can explore. The idea that your productivity is just about sitting in an office from nine to five all week, is a myth.
If you’re creative, you can learn a lot of things at once, usually. Women are amazing at multitasking. It just takes discipline, hard work, and focus. And not giving that a chance is a huge waste of potential. The underground art scene in Colombo right now is proof enough that artists can thrive. The internet and resources available right now really support this kind of career choice. Trust the online community of creatives and draw inspiration from them. Learn how you can turn your art into a living, breathing medium with a potentially global audience.
Are your programmes only catered towards female creatives and why?
I feel that a lot of young girls are disadvantaged when trying to enter the field as an artist. They don’t know they can turn their art into a career or monetise it. A lot of young girls either do not have access to this information or are discouraged from it. While I am sure that there are also many young boys who’d like to learn, my target audience is the creative young girl, who needs a pathway to access their potential and turn it into something. My partner and I have a company called White Noise Media where we prefer to work with and provide discounts to young female artists. I want to change the narrative that women don’t have access.
Do you feel that there are certain culture-bound values that women imbibe, which stops them from reaching their potential?
Definitely. Most girls, especially in my community, get married at a very young age and their parents may not be open to the idea of them attending university. In my programme, I try to bridge that gap, so that girls can still gain education for their career. I’ve noticed that women also don’t completely believe in their potential. We can’t blame culture alone because there needs to be introspection; that allows us to appreciate ourselves as women and the immense energy and power we have within.
Women should be encouraged to explore their ambitions and not get called “bossy” for doing so. I remember when my mom was sending out proposals for my marriage, one of the comments I received was “Oh your CV looks a little too qualified”. Essentially, they needed me to dumb myself down to become marriageable. This old-fashioned culture-bound idea has now become weaker as opposed to when I was younger, but it still exists. It’s important to challenge this concept and humanise women instead of expecting them to grow into a ridiculous template. The only way we can change attitudes of others towards us is by arming ourselves with self-love and confidence, identifying our strengths and potential, and knowing how to stick to our intuition.
Could you give us a general run-through of your programme?
I have based this on what I would like to learn as a creative fresh out of school, unsure about what to do. Each session is an hour long on Zoom. There is an introductory session which focuses on providing creatives with clarity. It includes an assessment of their strengths and weaknesses and identifying their goals. This helps them streamline their way forward. I also speak about social media and how it helps them achieve their goals. Most importantly, I ask them about non-work-oriented goals and challenges like parents, partners, mental health, pandemic fatigue, conflicts, and so on. I then talk a bit about how to overcome these challenges and provide them with independent resources if they would like to stop after the introductory session. I also provide guidance on how to plan for the year ahead with self-care and self-discipline. Sometimes people just need to be told that there is a path ahead for what they want to do.
The second session is customised based on what they want to learn such as writing, photography, filmmaking, and so on. I would then look at their work to figure out what their individual style is, how they can edit their work and make it better, practice tips and how they can earn from it, how to price their work, and so on. Identifying their goal as an artist, who they draw inspiration from, and what message they want to convey are also areas that are addressed. I also create an extended list of work and people they can follow and speak about where they can release their work; be it locally or internationally.
The third session touches on mental health. I try to normalise mental health without approaching it in a sanitised way. If the person requires therapeutic assistance, I guide them to such resources. I also talk about how to attract positive, productive energy into their life, how to draw boundaries against negative people or events, how to deal with these, and how to be the best version of themselves. Insight into local economy and work options abroad and balancing self-love and earning are also areas that can be included.
The last session would be a workshop on social media branding and gaining an audience online, an introduction to the online support community, defining and projecting an online brand that is authentically theirs, and how to balance infuencership and trends with quality and work that is true to them. Also included is an introduction to blogging/vlogging, forming captions, storytelling platforms, what stories/artworks they want their audience to engage with, and how they can communicate this. Most importantly, I discuss the visualistic future because as a filmmaker, I feel that video will become the number one medium of absorbing and disseminating information. So, I provide them with resources and apps through which they can convert their work into video format.
If students want more sessions, I arrange for that. The customisation is up to the student. I want to make this programme accessible even to an 18-year-old, which is why the lowest price point for a session begins at Rs. 1,000. The price varies depending upon how customised and in-depth one would like the sessions to be.
How can somebody reach out if they wish to join your programme?
They can call me on 0778336173 or contact me via my Instagram @shifanireffai.
@whitenoisemedialk is another contact point.
More often than not, what stops an artist is themselves. The uncertainty, lack of self-assurance, and negative family or social circumstances add up to many artists remaining shadows of what they could truly become.
The roles of women are changing all around the world. The conventional boxes that they were meant to fit into are no longer valid. All it takes is the power within to annihilate the template that a woman is being asked to restrict themselves to. It is challenging, but ask yourself; what is stopping you right now, if not you? Because as long as you don’t ask, the answer will always be “no”.
"I’ve noticed that women also don’t completely believe in their potential. We can’t blame culture alone because there needs to be introspection; that allows us to appreciate ourselves as women and the immense energy and power we have within." Shifani Reffai[/caption]
“You’re not going to be able to make a living out of being an artist. Besides, you’re a girl.”
Culture has dictated a stereotypical role for women. The norm has been challenged and certainly weakened, but it still exists. Demotivation from society, enforced gender norms, and negative self-talk has discouraged many female creatives from achieving their complete artistic potential and transforming the same, into a rewarding career. We spoke to Shifani Reffai, artist, entrepreneur, and a trainer, on how she works towards helping young female creatives harness their complete potential.
You’ve come a long way in your career. How has the experience been?
I have about 10 years of experience – starting out with print media and moving into digital media – as a writer, and then expanding into visual storytelling. Now I work with social media as well, where I look at different ways of storytelling. Two of the biggest influences in my career were Yamu and Roar, which allowed me to gain insight into the lives of people in Sri Lanka. After completing my Masters in Literature, I went completely independent to be able to explore storytelling in my own way. The talk show “Shhh” was one I helped produce for two seasons to tell stories about women. This year, I am shooting a film with Agenda 14; a documentary about untold stories of Muslim women.
What inspired you to do the kind of work you do today?
When I was fresh out of school, I couldn’t be placed in a box because I didn’t want to be a doctor. I didn’t have anybody to guide me then and it was a period of struggle with a lot of questions about “what do you want to do now?”. Especially as a Muslim Sri Lankan girl, it was a weird place to be in. However, I was stubborn about the fact that I didn’t want to do a nine to five job. That was how I moved towards being an artist and being authentic, while trying to say something meaningful that would stay around for longer.
There were lots of ups and downs and I even studied architecture because that was the easiest “slot” available to being an artist. However, I kept reaching up and during the last lockdown, I conceptualised what I am doing now. There is a lot of representation for Muslim or brown women online now than before, and for me, being able to speak to female artists who are just 17, 18, or 19 and starting out, is fulfilling. Mostly, they are unsure that they can make anything out of their creativity, and being able to guide them is incredible. For women, there is a lot of negative talk that demotivates an artist from having faith in what they want to do. I also feel that female artists should stick together.
What social, cultural, or psychological factors play a role in the demotivation of a female creative?
One of the main points I want to drive home is that artists are extremely important. People don't see that everything from music to museums to architecture is all art around us. Life wouldn’t be bearable without art and that should be given reverence. In South East Asia, it’s always about making more money, or getting a government job, in the eyes of parents. Also, being an artist doesn’t limit you to doing just one thing. Especially now with Covid, there are a lot of things that artists can explore. The idea that your productivity is just about sitting in an office from nine to five all week, is a myth.
If you’re creative, you can learn a lot of things at once, usually. Women are amazing at multitasking. It just takes discipline, hard work, and focus. And not giving that a chance is a huge waste of potential. The underground art scene in Colombo right now is proof enough that artists can thrive. The internet and resources available right now really support this kind of career choice. Trust the online community of creatives and draw inspiration from them. Learn how you can turn your art into a living, breathing medium with a potentially global audience.
Are your programmes only catered towards female creatives and why?
I feel that a lot of young girls are disadvantaged when trying to enter the field as an artist. They don’t know they can turn their art into a career or monetise it. A lot of young girls either do not have access to this information or are discouraged from it. While I am sure that there are also many young boys who’d like to learn, my target audience is the creative young girl, who needs a pathway to access their potential and turn it into something. My partner and I have a company called White Noise Media where we prefer to work with and provide discounts to young female artists. I want to change the narrative that women don’t have access.
Do you feel that there are certain culture-bound values that women imbibe, which stops them from reaching their potential?
Definitely. Most girls, especially in my community, get married at a very young age and their parents may not be open to the idea of them attending university. In my programme, I try to bridge that gap, so that girls can still gain education for their career. I’ve noticed that women also don’t completely believe in their potential. We can’t blame culture alone because there needs to be introspection; that allows us to appreciate ourselves as women and the immense energy and power we have within.
Women should be encouraged to explore their ambitions and not get called “bossy” for doing so. I remember when my mom was sending out proposals for my marriage, one of the comments I received was “Oh your CV looks a little too qualified”. Essentially, they needed me to dumb myself down to become marriageable. This old-fashioned culture-bound idea has now become weaker as opposed to when I was younger, but it still exists. It’s important to challenge this concept and humanise women instead of expecting them to grow into a ridiculous template. The only way we can change attitudes of others towards us is by arming ourselves with self-love and confidence, identifying our strengths and potential, and knowing how to stick to our intuition.
Could you give us a general run-through of your programme?
I have based this on what I would like to learn as a creative fresh out of school, unsure about what to do. Each session is an hour long on Zoom. There is an introductory session which focuses on providing creatives with clarity. It includes an assessment of their strengths and weaknesses and identifying their goals. This helps them streamline their way forward. I also speak about social media and how it helps them achieve their goals. Most importantly, I ask them about non-work-oriented goals and challenges like parents, partners, mental health, pandemic fatigue, conflicts, and so on. I then talk a bit about how to overcome these challenges and provide them with independent resources if they would like to stop after the introductory session. I also provide guidance on how to plan for the year ahead with self-care and self-discipline. Sometimes people just need to be told that there is a path ahead for what they want to do.
The second session is customised based on what they want to learn such as writing, photography, filmmaking, and so on. I would then look at their work to figure out what their individual style is, how they can edit their work and make it better, practice tips and how they can earn from it, how to price their work, and so on. Identifying their goal as an artist, who they draw inspiration from, and what message they want to convey are also areas that are addressed. I also create an extended list of work and people they can follow and speak about where they can release their work; be it locally or internationally.
The third session touches on mental health. I try to normalise mental health without approaching it in a sanitised way. If the person requires therapeutic assistance, I guide them to such resources. I also talk about how to attract positive, productive energy into their life, how to draw boundaries against negative people or events, how to deal with these, and how to be the best version of themselves. Insight into local economy and work options abroad and balancing self-love and earning are also areas that can be included.
The last session would be a workshop on social media branding and gaining an audience online, an introduction to the online support community, defining and projecting an online brand that is authentically theirs, and how to balance infuencership and trends with quality and work that is true to them. Also included is an introduction to blogging/vlogging, forming captions, storytelling platforms, what stories/artworks they want their audience to engage with, and how they can communicate this. Most importantly, I discuss the visualistic future because as a filmmaker, I feel that video will become the number one medium of absorbing and disseminating information. So, I provide them with resources and apps through which they can convert their work into video format.
If students want more sessions, I arrange for that. The customisation is up to the student. I want to make this programme accessible even to an 18-year-old, which is why the lowest price point for a session begins at Rs. 1,000. The price varies depending upon how customised and in-depth one would like the sessions to be.
How can somebody reach out if they wish to join your programme?
They can call me on 0778336173 or contact me via my Instagram @shifanireffai.
@whitenoisemedialk is another contact point.
More often than not, what stops an artist is themselves. The uncertainty, lack of self-assurance, and negative family or social circumstances add up to many artists remaining shadows of what they could truly become.
The roles of women are changing all around the world. The conventional boxes that they were meant to fit into are no longer valid. All it takes is the power within to annihilate the template that a woman is being asked to restrict themselves to. It is challenging, but ask yourself; what is stopping you right now, if not you? Because as long as you don’t ask, the answer will always be “no”.