Meet Farah Feddaraini | Visual Artists

Hi Farah, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your career in the arts.

In terms of a career in general, I feel like I’m still finding my way, as the trajectory I’m in now actually directs me to work more in non-profit settings. My current jobs involve grant writing at a local ethnic media organization, the Indonesian Lantern, and as a Case Manager at the Joseph J Peters Institute. These jobs actually fulfill me just as much as art does, so I may work on my visual art as a side hustle, and maintain steady jobs for a while. However, in terms of when I started doing art, for myself, without the idea of turning it into a career, it started way back in elementary school when I would doodle on the side of my notebook, and make small comics there. It actually helped me to focus in class, and to doodle whilst listening to what the teacher was saying. I also had a wild imagination as a kid and a big personality. I think I channeled that through my characters and comics, vicariously living out scenarios I wish would happen to me onto my characters. My reality was pretty bleak as a child, so I had to manifest some magic in other ways. It was a way to express the romanticized drama I see on TV shows without actually carrying that same drama in my personal life (as I actually hate drama irl, go figure). I also had a very practical dad (he’s a Political Analyst in Indonesia) and he wasn’t artistic at all. So, he kind of instilled in me a sense of practicality as well - and since art wasn’t very practical - I think I absorbed some of this process into my thinking. But recently I’ve found a balance.  Thinking about a career in the arts, I realized how many opportunities there were for artists to get funded, through grants, whilst working at the Indonesian Lantern. There are so many opportunities for residencies, and artists to get funded whilst partnering with non-profit organizations to help give back to the community. Through these opportunities, there is a sense of practicality, as you are partnering with nonprofits, making a difference in people’s lives. In addition, I would be able to use either my art to touch other people’s souls or use grant writing as a way to promote art activities to the youth, inspiring other young artists to follow their passions - depending on what the grant entails. I feel like I have a wide skill set that I can use to help pursue funding for creative projects within the Philadelphia area.

What's your definition for success?

My definition of success involves financial freedom and being able to take care of my loved ones. I know this is a pretty cheesy answer, but I don’t think advancing in a specific career will fulfill me as much as knowing my family and friends are well taken care of. This involves being able to make enough to live comfortably, without undue stress. I think whichever career path takes me there is subjective and is bound to change, but as long as the people in my personal life are well taken care of, I think that’s when I feel the happiest/most successful. I've also noticed that universal fame, and spreading yourself out so thin, to so many different projects, can make you feel burnt out. And you can feel like you're selling or commodifying yourself to the world. Which may work for some, but not for me. So, I feel like when I’ve reached a place where I feel like my work makes a difference (big or small) and my loved ones are happy, is when I feel like I’ve made it (which sounds like a totally simplistic answer, but it’s true).

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way about art? What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?

Lol, this is kind of a hard question because I do a lot of work. In terms of visual arts and comics, my characters are designed in a way that is pretty unique to my style. I don’t think I’ve ever seen an artist with the exact same character style as mine (but do I take inspiration from many Instagram artists). In addition, I feel like I tend to write about existential crises, or maybe just random storylines, that are just…very random lol. I don’t know where they come from, it usually just pops up in my head at the time I draw the character. But some of them are manifestations of my internal thoughts about characters in the comics. It’s my way of saying the things I want to say or conveying certain hardships or speculations, without having it come necessarily, directly from me and my words. (I can say, I didn’t say that that’s the character’s thoughts!) My comics (both public and private) usually discuss issues I feel like other people might relate to. They are also usually pretty emo or edgy, which is definitely a certain side to me. But the other side is also pretty analytical/scholarly, which I get from my Dad and upbringing. This site can be seen on my LinkedIn page lmao. The work I’m most proud of actually has nothing to do with my art, but it’s a short video clip I made for my Public Speaking class, as to why some companies should implement a 4-day work week. I did a lot of research on that and presented my findings in the clip. But, I thought it was such an important topic, because, if you grind at work for 4 days, you can have 3 days off to do whatever you want!!! I thought, why are we not talking about this?? This would reduce burnout, optimize productivity per hour, and maintain employee retention. And in the future, that is my goal, to work 4 days a week. But that’s just me. Some lesson I’ve learned along the way about art is that the best art is the one that represents the most authentic version of yourself and your thoughts. My art (as well as most lol) is sort of an unfiltered dump of my collection of thoughts, and sometimes, they don’t make sense, and sometimes they do! I’ve also sort of learned from certain people that, if you let your art consume you, it is very easy to end up as a narcissist/develop a high ego. This might be why I like separating my identity from my art because although drawing is a good way to channel the negative/crazy energy I have into it, I also like to remain level-headed/emotionally stable in my personal life. And I see some of the inspiration, for heartbreaks and heartaches in certain types of art, and although it may create beautiful melodies/pieces of work, the trauma from those moments sticks with you. And they are hard to let go of for some. So now I’m very cautious as to which artists I let into my personal life LOL. In terms of my art brand, if you like random, emo, edgy, existential cartoons/mini-comics, go check out my art! It’s hard to describe it in words because the only way to represent it is to show my work (follow @farahsketches on Instagram!) But in terms of my personal brand, such as what my name would represent when people hear it, I hope they think of something positive. Even if I draw a lot of edgy shit, I hope that doesn’t define my entire identity. I’m also a lover of school, community-based work, and non-profits. And I feel like you might not get that vibe from my art, but it’s true!

4). Shout out to some people, who helped you along the way?

I’m gonna give a quick shout-out to my mama, my brother Adam (he’s also an artist, shoutout @atomkaye), all of my family members in Indonesia for always reminding me of where I come from, Kinny for sticking with me through my depression periods (and they were some rough ass periods), Ashley for showing me the light and guiding me to a better way, Tante Indah for honestly being a second mom and giving me hope/an opportunity to a better life, and everyone else who has supported me in some way, shape, or form. Although I may not speak to some due to falling outs, they once supported me by my side, and for that, I am also grateful (even if they were some dickheads).

What are some of your favorite local spots?

Currently, I’m lowkey obsessed with Wawa LMAO, because the Iced Matcha Latte, with the Toasted Chicken Cheese Steak/Corn Chowder Lunch Combo, is so good for no reason. But I guess that’s not considered local. I love La Cocina Del Cafe on South Broad Street. Their steak tacos are so big and juicy, and considering the price, you get a lot of meat, sauces, and sides with each meal. Neighborhood Ramen & Terakawa Ramen are also the go-to spots for some bomb ass ramen and Nan Zhou Noodle House for affordable bomb ass duck noodle soup. Sang Kee Peking Duck House is another good place to get deliciously crafted, Peking duck with rice and sides. Thanks for interviewing me Art Album!! Excited to see what more you guys have in store for the future 🙂