The Homegirl Project interviewed 23-year-old Farah Eqbal, the founder of the popular blog 'The Make of You.'
story by Fatima Rizwan
FR: Who is Farah Eqbal in your own words?
FE: I'm someone who is between worlds. As much as I love to imagine, I can't ignore the reality. And the reality is scary. I learnt this the hard way. I am calm when it comes to chaos. I am a person who believes in energy. Everything you say or show makes the other person feel something. That's why I always try to make people good about themselves. Nobody is a bad person. We all have flaws and are insecure. It makes us act out in different ways. My friends say I have a positive circle around me. I always try to inspire people and make them believe in the good things. Nothing can change the way I see the world. It's beautiful and kind. I always try to find good things out of every bad situation.
FR: What do you love to hear and what brings you peace?
FE: I love listening to Hans Zimmer. I love how beautiful his mind is. I love everything that makes your soul feel something--sadness, happiness, anger. They all are emotions. I love nature because it drives my energy. I sitting on the grass alone, writing, reading or listening to music. Did I say I love tea? I'm crazy about it.
FR: What made you realize that kindness is the way to go, and how did you implement that in your life?
FE: Kindness brings the beauty out of a living being. Whether you give or receive, it paints a different picture about a person. Kindness can be as small as helping someone with their groceries, buying someone coffee or writing a positive note for somebody in distress. There are a million ways to make someone smile. Because it changes something in them. They believe in goodness a little more. The world feels better at that moment. Sometime in life, we meet people who are not so good to us. They try to crush our souls by making you us small. And it does hurt you sometimes. It takes a piece of you away. For some people, it takes a long time to recover. Some moments in my life made me realize that people need love. And how important it is that we share love.
FR: When did you start writing and why?
FE: I had a habit of writing since school. I always kept a journal in which I would write about my school days, the stress, the people. I was active on Tumblr most of my college days. That time, I had poor self esteem. I wasn't good at writing. But I gave strong opinions. Soon I developed a personality. I was confident and spontaneous, which people love about me. Sometimes, grief made me a better writer. I traveled a lot. Traveling made me see the world a different way. I heard the stories of people living on mountains and stories of people in the slums. I wrote for all those people who did not have a way to express themselves. I didn't believe in fancy words. I never wrote to impress the audience. I write what is true and what I feel.
