Today we’d like to introduce you to Nadeen Abuhasan.
Nadeen, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I have always enjoyed the arts and have been involved in the creative field for as long as I can remember – as young as 7 yrs old. At a young age, I was very much drawn to sketching/drawing and painting and really enjoyed any school project that required building or designing something (whether it was a science fair poster or reconstructing the Golden Gate bridge for a History class). When high-school came around, I found myself spending my free time delving into photography, graphic design and more sketching. Through the encouragement of one of my English teachers at the time, after seeing the quality of my work and how passionate I was about it, they recommended I start a side-hustle that would incorporate my love for photography and design. At the time, I called it Nadeen Designs and I was working with clients from within my hometown of Weston, MA to people from across the globe. At one point, I considered pursuing an art degree of some sort at college but as being the child of immigrants, fields like art weren’t as welcomed as possible paths to pursue. It was fields that provided financial security and high praise to the family that were more accepted such as law, medicine, or engineering.
While I had a passion for the arts I did appreciate the sciences and decided that I would study Neuroscience. It was a field that was so fascinating that it appealed to my artistic and scientific sides. I do not regret graduating with a degree in the sciences. My technical background gives me an ability to pay attention to detail and be precise in execution, in both design and photography. Moreover, my experience in research labs has enabled me to process technical information, analyze the scope of a project and translate requirements into achievable goals for effective problem-solving. These skills such as effective time management and flawless adherence to deadlines are vital to forming a great working relationship with clients and Nartsy’s (formerly Nadeen Designs) success is a testament to my ability.
With regards to my involvement on Instagram, it was really a platform where I could showcase the “pretty little things” that I witnessed on the daily. I never intended my involvement in Instagram would slowly grow into an opportunity to become an influencer of some sorts. I think many of us who joined the platform really did so out of the passion to showcase our artistic talent for photography or side-hustles. Currently, I am in the process of finishing my website (www.nartsy.com) where I hope to showcase a more in-depth version of my content on Instagram such as blog posts on products, modest fashion, my wanderings and travels, and last but not least, a portfolio of my freelancing for photography and design. I am also hoping to really bring a fresh perspective to the local Boston influencer community and the one at large as being a woman, a Muslim and a Palestinian American millennial.
Has it been a smooth road?
It definitely has not been a smooth road. I struggled at times with having faith in myself and in my capabilities as a growing creative/entrepreneur. But I am glad and thankful for the growing support that I am receiving from family, friends, and even the friends I made through Instagram.
My advice for other women/young women is to believe in yourself because of your voice and your work matters. If it makes you happy and you find joy in your creations (whatever your profession might be) then that is definitely a wonderful use of your time. Be your own support system, be consistent, and the fruits of your labor will definitely appear at the right time. It’s something that I tell myself when I am at my lowest points or when I am running out of creative steam.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into Nartsy story. Tell us more about the business.
Currently, I do quite a couple of things. I work full-time in scientific research, I freelance for photography/graphic design and I do content creation for Instagram in collaboration with various brands.
Nartsy, my personal brand, is a platform for me to showcase my artistic talents (illustration, design, photography, content creation, fashion, etc). I am also hoping to add to the growing Influencer community and creatives in general by being unapologetically myself – that there’s an equal representation of the diverse talent that is out there regardless of religion, race, gender or ethnicity. It’s not necessarily waiting on the media to provide that platform, but creating it on our own regardless. As I once mentioned in a caption on one of my IG posts, we are lucky to live in an age where we are fully capable of creating our own narrative – so we should get out and get to it.
Looking back on your childhood, what experiences do you feel played an important role in shaping the person you grew up to be?
I am still growing as a creative but there have definitely been small successes along the way. The positive support from family, friends and teachers definitely played a role in further acknowledging my artistic ability.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.nartsy.com
- Email: nartsyness@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nartsyness/
Getting in touch: BostonVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
