Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Sally Shaar. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Sally, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.
Everything I have in this life is thanks to risks. To paint the picture: I was jumping off diving boards at four years old. For whatever reason, I’ve always been drawn to the paths other people hesitate to take. Sometimes I think it’s because my parents took the biggest risk of all, leaving our home country, our family, and everything familiar in Syria to give my brother and me an alternate life. I honour their courage by fully living the life they sacrificed so much to create for me.
I also believe we never really know what’s behind any door, so I’ve made a habit of opening the big, small and shiny ones. I’ve learned to try not to fear change, but to stay curious about it, to let it take me for a ride. It still takes practice, but the more I lean into that softness, the calmer and more grounded my days become.
In other words: let us remember… YOLO. Do the things that pull at you. Bring spark into your day and give joy freely. The more “risks” you take, the less risky they start to feel. They always pay off, even when you feel they “don’t”. Celebrate the person you become because you dared to try in the first place.
Sally, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I’ve been dancing and singing in front of a boombox since I was a kid, and honestly, that’s probably what got me into this industry. Music was always the loudest calling in my life. I went to college and earned a degree in music because that’s what we were taught we were supposed to do. In my Arab family, completing a formal education was expected (to be fair, pursuing music was the renegade choice). The truth is, nothing prepared me more than being thrown straight into the business.
Most of my real education came from trial and error, and from trusting my intuition even when things didn’t make sense on paper. Being part of MONOWHALES taught me more than any classroom ever could. The transferable skills you gain from being in a band are wild. You’re constantly multitasking across every circuit of your brain. I learned how to build websites, produce and direct music videos, run marketing campaigns, create social media strategies… and that’s just scratching the surface. That’s before you even touch the actual creative output required of an artist or the physical discipline of keeping your mind and body healthy, because I am, in fact, also my instrument.
What I’m most proud of is the connection we created with people through our music, our art, and our interactions. There’s nothing like standing on stage and hearing a crowd scream the words you wrote back with you. That kind of shared energy unlocked me and is why I do any of this.
I’m also incredibly proud of the worlds we built through our visuals: Music videos, photography, storytelling, creative direction, the whole ecosystem. For me, visuals are synonymous with music; I see them in tandem. Although controversial, I’m a genuine fan of social media. It gave me access. It gave me a voice. It let me build something from the ground up with my own hands, autonomy and ideas. That feels powerful.
Now, in this next chapter, I’m rebuilding my own project and discovering a new voice as an artist. Along the way, I’ve realized how much I love sharing what I’ve learned. I spend some of my best days mentoring creatives and business owners who are trying to carve out their own world and bring their ideas to life. Helping others build their hopes and dreams is one of the most meaningful parts of my life now. When I’m not doing that, I am in the studio, writing. Very grateful for the life MONOWHALES has gifted me thereafter.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
Funny enough, I’m living right in the middle of that story. When MONOWHALES disbanded in 2024, my entire world shifted. I found myself reflecting, re-evaluating, and dreaming about who I wanted to become outside of a band that had shaped so much of my identity. I felt a pull to step outside my comfort zone, travel, and collaborate with artists on an international level. I wanted to break my own creative patterns and see how people in different cultures imagine, create, and bring ideas to life.
So I took one of those risks we just chatted about… I backpacked across Europe for as long as a Canadian can legally stay (That’s 90 days if you were wondering). I floated through Spain, France, Belgium, Germany, Italy, the UK. I wandered, I wrote, I created. I met with songwriters, producers, artists, and industry folks, and suddenly the skills I had honed for years in my band were being used to bring other people’s visions to life. That unlocked a new sense of fulfillment I didn’t even know I was missing.
When I returned home, the urge to keep exploring didn’t leave me, so I touched the places I’d always dreamt of creating in: LA, Nashville, Miami, New York, Mexico. Each city taught me something, pushed me, stretched different artistic muscles, and kept me evolving. I ended up writing over 100 songs this past year. About 70% of them for other artists or external projects.
Then in September, I felt another shift: a pull back to Toronto. After everything I’d seen and experienced, I knew I wanted to pour all of that growth back into my community. Toronto is such an underrated magic hub for music, and even after all my travels, I can confidently say there’s something deeply special about this city. Coming home felt necessary and grounding.
And almost immediately, something cracked open creatively. I found myself writing obsessively, letting out songs of my own for the first time since the band ended. I’m now working on several new projects and ideas that I’m genuinely excited to roll out.
This whole year has felt like regenerating my soil. I’ve been reflecting, composting, sowing new seeds with intention. Now I’m in the stage of nurturing the seedlings, letting them grow steadily and healthily at their own pace.
What I’m enjoying most about this pivot is the process itself. I’m not rushing. I’m choosing calm, choosing clarity, choosing to enjoy every step of this new chapter. I can’t wait to share what all of this becomes, and when I do, I promise she’ll be fully watered.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
Big yes. My current mission is to make art accessible again. To one and to all.
What I am hoping to remind myself and anyone in my orbit is that expression is not only an essential part of our fabric as human beings, it also belongs to every single one of us. It’s our birthright.
When I hear someone waver in confidence or speak as if they are only a spectator in the world of art, I gently challenge them to try contributing in whatever way feels right. It does not matter if it is meant for the public or only for themselves. I feel as though it marks an imperative beginning for our collective healing, understanding and connection.
I have been very fortunate in this life to experience and engage in expression at its most expansive and extreme. I am not part of any special group of people who were granted this privilege. We all have access to this birthright. I know the power it has to transform everything and everyone in and around your life. The lost art of accessing your own right to expression has been claimed as something reserved for a select few or something only valid if it leads to gain. On top of that, there are entire demographics of people who are unfairly pushed even further away from their voice and their freedom to express. This breaks my heart, because they are often the ones who deserve amplification the most. They are our most valuable teachers.
If we peel back the rough skin that has formed around us, we can see that it is only a loose shell. Underneath it, every one of us has softness and originality. The joy I feel when I witness someone’s unique spark start to glimmer is why I am currently such a devoted advocate for accessible expression.
Sing. Scream. Let it out. Use that beautiful, precious voice of yours anywhere you want. There is no such thing as bad singing. If it feels good, that is enough. Dance with your full body at the party. Paint in any style on anything you want. Discover whatever spices make your system feel more alive. We have all spent too much time living in fear. If we can set that exo down even for a moment, you will start to see the world and every breathing being in vivid color.
Make art in any way that moves you. Get those hues out of your system as loud or as soft as you prefer. As long as it is being done, the world will continue to thrive.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.monowhales.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/sally_shaar
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SallyShaar
- Twitter: https://x.com/SallyShaar
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/monowhales
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/monowhales
- Other: Reach out to me, I always do my best to respond.
Image Credits
Main Photo with leaves by: Taija Grey IG@jesusssister
Photo with yellow background: Francesca Ludikar IG @francescaludikar
Photo dancing: Taken at @thereuniondanceparty
Photo in front of the Moulin Rouge: Taylor Jones IG @someone
Photo with my dad: My mom probably took this one.
Photo playing piano in the studio: Vic Shmick IG @Vic_Shmick
Photo at festival in the crowd: Laura Collins IG @thelauracollins
Photo in the crowd green top: Sophie Lavoie IG @sophielavoiephoto
Photo on stage black and red pants: Marie Demiere IG @mariegoestoshows
Photo in front of Massey Hall: Becca Hamel IG @beccahamel