Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Nida Khurshid. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Nida, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?

Yes and yes! Although, a regular job for me would still be in the creative field–I’ve fantasized about being a chef. I’m a good home cook and love creating new recipes in my kitchen for my loved ones. Who knows, maybe I’ll pursue it one day too, or release a cookbook ;)
To go deeper with the happiness question; a moment that really sticks out to me in my career as an artist/creative is when I was at a convention meeting fans of the show I was on and a young guy came up to me and said “you’re the reason I’m not embarrassed to tell people I’m Pakistani and Muslim.” That made me feel so proud and realize that I have to keep pursuing this field and be an actor because the fruits of working in this industry as a proud Pakistani woman are bigger than just for me. I represent more than the words I speak on screen, I represent a group of people who have been wildly misunderstood in society and overlooked and underrepresented in Hollywood.
To be honest, for a long time I found myself telling people “guess” when they’d ask me where I was from. I suppose it was in hopes or curiosity of what other part(s) of the world besides Pakistan they thought I could be from. I knew they’d say something that they like or are curious about and/or want to visit or know more of—something exotic enough to be appreciated by their whiteness but not too exotic to be “scary.” And “scary” was exactly the word I heard people use when they thought of Pakistan–the place where they hid Bin Laden. The more I hid from my identity and strategically slipped into conversations the 1/4 Irish that runs in my blood, the more I became a stranger in my own skin. Hoping that the quarter Irish represented the quarter of the pie that made me American enough to be a hot commodity at the proverbial supermarkets of Hollywood. Whether it was society who placed this burden on me to find the sliver of whiteness in me to be American enough, or it was my own fears against accepting my immigrant roots—the pursuit of this career had shone a light on my insecurities and demanded I give them attention, soothe them and correct them so I don’t become lost searching for my identity in places that don’t water my roots. I need to be rooted in my identity if I want to bring changes to an industry where change and representation are needed.
Lastly, being an actor has forced me to gain self worth and confidence regardless of what’s in my bank account–and that is the biggest blessing. So many years pursuing this field were spent without any savings and hearing the word no more than I heard yes. We live in a society where our self worth is measured by money and success. Yes money is very necessary to live but I cannot let it confuse how I define success. Through pursuing a creative career, I’ve had many defining moments for success that have nothing to do with a dollar amount. It has everything to do with human interaction, inclusivity and love. Being mirrors for strangers and leaving remnants of the trails of my soul along the paths that I take and screens that I appear on. So, when I do have those fleeting thoughts of what it would’ve been like to have a different job, I always come back to my purpose and my purpose is to create authentically and as much as I can because it’s in my soul and my soul chose this path.

Nida, 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?

Hi I’m Nida Khurshid and I am an actress in Hollywood. You may recognize me from my series regular role as Latika Dar in The Winchesters on the CW. I got into this industry through modeling, which I pursued for many years until I got the guts to put myself in various acting classes and pursue acting in Los Angeles. I am still pursuing acting while also shopping around my cookbook to be published. The book is my current pride and joy and I hope to have it published and launched soon. It gives the readers insight into my heart through one of my love languages–cooking for my loved ones! But it goes deeper than just cooking…without sharing too much, let’s just say the book feeds your mind and stomach while also nourishing your heart.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

The book The Alchemist was one of the most influential books that really guided me and strengthened my belief in myself and my purpose to pursue the entertainment industry. Also, there’s a quote I have up on my wall by Paracelsus that helps me remember that the pursuit of curiosity of all people and the world leads to more knowledge which leads to more love. The quote reads “He who knows nothing, loves nothing. He who can do nothing understands nothing. He who understands nothing is worthless. But he who understands also loves, notices, sees…the more knowledge is inherent in a thing, the greater the love…anyone who imagines that all fruits ripen at the same time as the strawberries knows nothing about grapes.”
The quote reminds me that through acting and writing, I am able to share myself and my stories as a grape to all whom only know about strawberries.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

To never let my career define who I am, but more to help me express who I am. I believe our lives are so much more than what we do for a living. I choose to live my life pursuing loving connections and exploration of the world, and through that I will find honesty in my storytelling and inspiration for my creativity.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nidakhurshid_

Image Credits

Photographer: Christopher Parsons