We were lucky to catch up with John Hakiem Michaiel recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi John Hakiem , thanks for joining us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

Well. I’ll try to make it like a nice game cause all topics could fit within the story. Respect to the points creator I assume you did.

– taking a risk. Is the title of leaving my home country and leaving Germany which was kind of second home. To come to U.S in a quite late age.37 years old. N leave behind a big resume and the culture and film scene that I built quite a good n known reputation. To come not knowing what will I do or can do .

– if am happy as a creative or an artist person. In fact I learned from my 8 years journey here about that part of me more thany any other time. I found out that art./Filming are not a profession I just got used to be doing it. No making images and creative ideas are the biggest part of my identity that doesn’t leave me under any circumstances. Specially when I had to do a kind of regular jobs. Has nothinggg to do with my knowlage and experience. From the surface .
But deeply art and images were my savier and reference of all good . I lead a team of security officers for example in the position of post commander. Exactly as I was leading the lighting and camera crews I worked with. .
– imagination is a gift that is needed in every feild.. it can apply with the change of the topic .
– when I didn’t earn a penny from my all life career anymore. I discovered how addicted if I may say.to making images and filming all days long. Any job I did. I was making photos and videos whenever I got the chance. That’s a reason I choose jobs outdoors and in a changbale locations.
– there is a relief knowing that I have to keep doing what fulfills me .without the chains of big budget and crew and production. . Just wondering and making images like the christ was wondering and making good . That’s the good I can do for life I think.
– now another risk of leaving what brings the paying the bills job. And start building my own studio and investing to start again .from small and see where it leads .

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Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

Ofcourse. All the comunity of art and film in the states that I didn’t even meet untill now. The hardest thing ever is to be cut of the circle of creative and like minds I used to have either in cairo Egypt or in Europe. . While we were not working or have a project .the close friends that gather every night in some of the cafés filling downtown streets. Without meaning it one topic or another and a big debate or a brain storm runs around the table. And always new faces join and that’s how the soul and mond were feed. But now and here I feel some how like a dry leaf left a tree.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

Being an artist is a reward itself. I cantdepression periods that hit some of the artist are harder than

Contact Info:

• Website: https://g.co/kgs/XiSF3L
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnhakiem?igsh=MWlnZ3lramFwbXo4Mw==

Image Credits

Credits. Photo by John hakiem