We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Fatima Telli. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Fatima below.
Fatima, appreciate you joining us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?
On a train ride to Washington DC at the age of nine, I finished reading my very first chapter book, the classic “Charlotte’s Web.” I vividly remember the impact that book had on me; it made me experience something larger than myself and I think for someone who was very sheltered as a child, it was kind of a peak experience for me. In that moment, I knew I wanted to experience more.
However, it wasn’t until the 12th grade when I discovered my passion for writing; I knew that writing was something I wanted to pursue. My Writers Craft teacher, Mrs. Gallant, encouraged our class to participate in a Flash Fiction contest.
I thought about submitting one of my stories, but the idea of someone reading the very thoughts and ideas that lingered in my mind horrified me. I fought it for a while before finally summoning the courage to write a short story for the contest.
To my surprise, I secured second place in Ontario and was awarded a cash prize. A few months later, I received an incredibly encouraging email from the editor of the contest, which marked the beginning of my writing journey.
Fatima, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Well, first and foremost, the main thing anyone should know about me is that I am extremely restless, which is how I found myself wearing so many hats in life.
I’m an author, a home educator, a photographer, but above all, I’m a mother.
I won’t bore you with the intricate details of my life, but I will say that getting to where I am today has been quite a whirlwind. I like to think that I’ve lived a lot of life for a thirty-year-old and those experiences have certainly shaped the person I am today.
However, the story of how I embarked on my writing journey is lengthy and complex; in short:
Most of my early twenties were spent pursuing a formal education while raising two young girls. I eventually graduated from the University of Laurier with a degree in Criminology, which has proven to be completely and utterly useless. I worked as a law clerk for a couple of years but ultimately decided to take a brief hiatus from law to focus on my growing family.
During that time, I rediscovered my passion for writing and published a thriller called “Lola’s Whispers.” I dipped my toes into the writing world, fully committed and prepared, but life had different plans for me. I ended up putting everything on hold to homeschool my daughters. Transitioning from writing to teaching was undoubtedly challenging—it felt like a significant loss of some sort. But I am a firm believer that everything in life happens for a reason.
I ended up finding great joy in teaching and shaping young minds. So, in early 2021, my sister-in-law (a certified teacher) and I decided to combine our resources and share our journey through motherhood on a little corner of the internet called Curious Parents. From that space, another passion arose, and we decided to start our own photography business called cp.photography—-all while working on my second and third books, taking screenwriting classes, and working on several screenplays.
Like I said, many hats.
I am really proud of every role I’ve taken on, and everything I’ve explored. I firmly believe that were meant to wear more than just one tag in life. We all possess a wealth of experiences, skills, and knowledge, and it would be a shame to keep that from the world.
I love to write, to wander, to capture moments through a lens; I love reading and teaching my kids and history and cinema— there’s a whole lot of me I want to share and discover, and I want, or at least hope, that my writing reflects that in the future.
When it comes to discipline, I wouldn’t say I possess much, if any. Writing is a creative process, and I heavily rely on inspiration. However, I do set a goal to sit and write every day, even if it’s just an entry in my journal.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
I think every writer writes because they have words clawing at their every limb, waiting to be released.
Writing, for me, has always felt very personal—-a journey of self-discovery. So I’ve never really needed anything to drive me other than life itself.
I think that there is nothing quite as powerful and compelling as a story. With that being said, I would say that the one thing driving my creative journey is the idea of bringing my words, my characters, and my world into the comfort of people’s homes—ultimately that is the goal, whether it’s through television or books.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
There is a creative voice in all artists and I think it’s on the artist to discover that voice.
Unfortunately for me, I was raised in a culture that taught little girls to be afraid of their own voice. So I would say being heard, and witnessing my growth have been the most rewarding aspects of being a writer.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @fatima.telli
Image Credits
@cp.photography.jpg @jawaher.jpg