We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Aida Murad. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Aida below.

Hi Aida, thanks for joining us today. Are you able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen?

One of my life philosophies is that we are either a Husky in snow or a Husky in the desert. I came across that realization when I witnessed my Husky who grew up in Jordan, a desert climate, in snow for the first time. I realized that he was not in his natural climate that fostered him to be his full self. But when he was in snow, his skin and being reacted differently. He came to life in ways I cannot yet describe.

We as humans are the same. We are either doing work as a Husky in the desert or snow. I share this with the following thought: “Money is a by-product of your genius which comes out of your passion.” It may sound like fluff but upon embarking on my own zone of genius (learnt from the book The Big Leap), I realized I started creating things that no one else could create. They had my own imprint (to recognize and accept I had something unique to offer was key in making my creative work sustainable). As I realized I could do that, my enthusiasm, passion, love and all things positive increased which led to more people being attracted to my work.

These realizations are all related to mind-set and our conscious/subconscious relationship with our purpose, work and worth. That’s the real work and these are the milestones that have really affected my business and finances because as I gained more confidence and faith in my work, I gained the courage to ask for the price that I knew I deserved and was ready for. I then followed the inspired actions (rather than forced action) to match with my right art collectors.

In short, be a Husky in snow my creative friends. That’s where your own magic and wealth will be.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m a self-taught Arab NYC based Spiritual Artist whose mission is to help people feel seen, heard and loved through art. I create paintings and art experiences that foster healing and true inner expansion. My technique is unique partially because I paint with my fingers due to a past trauma. I became an Artist because I had Rheumatoid Arthritis. They say the darker the shadow the brighter the light. My Rheumatoid Arthritis was my shadow. My art is my light and serves as a light for others. When I was 20 years old, I was diagnosed with my shadow and, subsequently, semi paralyzed for 4.5 years. When I was in a place of suffering, I turned to art to help me heal. However, I didn’t paint with paint brushes, I painted only with my hands to demonstrate to myself and to the world that I am not damaged, and this dysmorphia will not define me.

Today, I create fine art by painting with my fingers to both beautify people’s physical spaces and bring healing (each art piece is infused with reiki). I combine my expertise as an Intuitive, Healer, Coach and Artist. As of April 2022, I’ve sold out 10 collections and has been featured in 21 exhibitions. My work has been featured globally including in Voice of America, Reuters, TRT World, Al Jazeera, and the United Nations. I am named as the 2022 Georgetown University Artist in Residence to create healing art for the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. I’ve also collaborated with Grammy Award winning artists including the drummer from The Doors, John Densmore, to use art for social good. My paintings have been acquired globally including by the previous Deputy Minister of Culture of the U.A.E, Qatar America Institute for Culture, Board Member of the National Museum of Mexican Art and the previous Chairman of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights under Obama’s administration at a historical landmark in Chicago. I am a BMW Foundation Leader and have received numerous awards for women in impact. As an Arab and previously disabled individual, I hope to open increased pathways for more minorities and differently abled individuals to enter the arts as well as use art for nature conservation and climate change awareness.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

If society was structured differently I likely would have been an Artist from age 5. As a kid I used to look at art and knew it spoke to my heart. But, being an Artist I learnt was not part of the definition of a successful business person so I stuffed that love and put it away.

Fast forward to age 32, I am proud to say I have been painting part-time for 7 years, and painting full-time for 2 years. I only turned to my passion due to a past trauma and for having experienced deep pain. But I wonder, does everyone need to go through deep pain in order to wake up to their life’s passion? The short answer I believe is no.

To get to the answer no, I have made it one of my missions to open the pathways for more creatives to enter the space and that is by unlearning and re-writing the following societal narratives:

(1) Most Artists are starving Artists.

(2) The best artwork is created from deep emotions of sadness and suffering.

(3) To continue creating interesting artwork, one must use substances such as drugs.

(4) There is not enough to share so we need intense competition between Artists.

Here are my new truths that I embody as an Artist and hope to share them with other creatives:

(1) I am an incredibly successful Artist.

(2) I am an open channel that creates from a place of love as I embrace my spectrum of emotions.

(3) I am constantly inspired by the world and have an abundance of inflowing ideas.

(4) I am overflowing with enough to share.

Though these replaced affirmations may seem simple they are in fact life changing because we now will operate from a place of fullness and that for a creative is a game changer.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

In my art practice I combine my expertise as an Artist | Coach | Intuitive | & Healer. I create art to help people feel seen, heard and loved. I believe art can be much more than a beautiful object, art can be a tool to help people heal and feel empowered. The most rewarding aspect is when people have looked at a painting and felt that they saw a version of themselves that gave them hope to keep going after their dream life.

I’ve worked with people who bought my art for many different reasons including helping heal their autoimmune and the painting symbolized how they would feel if they were fully healed. Another person acquired a painting that symbolized a painting on how they would feel if she had a loving romantic partner and family. We worked together to place it in her kitchen and every time she looked at it was prompted to connect to the feeling she would have if her partner was in the room right now cooking for her (a method called habit-stacking). Soon enough, her man came into her life and it was such an honor to have my painting serve as a manifestation tool for her.

Art can do so much for us in our inner and outer lives. Art is a transformational tool, if only we are open to it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.aidamurad.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/muradaida/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aida-murad/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/aidamurad
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/aidamurad88

Image Credits
Ksenia Starc