NEWSHA SYEH
Splitting her time between her home in Sydney and the rest of the world, we would like you to meet our first MM inspiration Newsha Syeh,otherwise known to the Instagram world as @MEWSHA. A writer, a lover, a traveller & self proclaimed “daughter of the sun”, a beautiful soul both inside and out and #GirlBoss all in her own right.
“Fuck the beauty industry, love your heritage!” You were born in Iran, found refuge in Turkey and grew up in Australia… How has this whirlwind of a life and your exotic heritage shaped the woman you are today?
My culture, my heritage, and my journey are the foundations of my entire philosophy. And my philosophy is where I’ve found my own beauty. While I love myself, love my face, my body, and my skin; I still believe that most people find me attractive because of my spirit above all else. I adore adventure, I’m raw, I’m reckless in the most romantic sense of the word. These elements of my being all stemmed from the insanely unpredictable journey that was my childhood. It’s very rare for the most dramatically important chapter to be placed at the very start of the story. But I wouldn’t be the woman I am if I had followed the path I was placed on at birth. Defying destiny has become somewhat of a pastime for me haha It’s the purest form of rebellion I’ve come across and it defines me better than anything else could.
You are a writer, your words are filled with such romance, passion and freedom. How did you find your voice? And who inspires that voice?
My dad. He’s a writer too, he gave me my first books on poetry and mythology when I was a child. He’s a constant source of support and inspiration for me. Through him I’ve found my favourite writers and philosophers, Rumi, Khalil Gibran… It’s been a key element of my writing voice and artistic outlook.
Whilst travelling you describe reading as a source of food for your heart and mind, giving your soul a chance to “stop being a tourist and start being a traveller.” Share with us a few of your favourite reads and how they shaped the journey you were on…
Kurt Vonnegut was my most recent travel companion. He followed me from America to Indonesia and I followed him through time, space, and war. I think that literature just adds an extra dimension to travelling. You remember the food, the weather, the music, the sites, the people, and you can also remember the wonderful words you read and the feelings they gave you. And those travels will be the bookmarks on the pages of those books and years later you can pick them up from the bookshelf and relive that journey.
Travel plays such a huge role in your life, which you are now sharing candidly on The Wanderlust Survival Guide. Where is your next nomadic journey taking you and why?
I’ve been getting this strange urge to live in London for a few months. I’ve never even visited England but I feel like something is waiting for me there and usually those feelings are never wrong. I’m excited to see where that takes me!
You say that you’ve “designed your life around the impulse of your soul”, is that how your newest endeavor She the Creature was manifested? Or has it been on the cards for a while?
Yes and no. I’ve been thinking about starting my own business for a while now, especially in regards to designing my own clothing and exploring my creative side. This particular project came to me as a bang! I had only been thinking about it for a day or two before I was inspired by all my friends and family to take a huge risk and just do it!
We are inspired by strong, free spirited, but dedicated & motivated women that have built or are busy building a career based on what makes them truly happy. Talk us through how you keep a balance between work and wanting to drop everything to lose yourself on another grand adventure…
That’s still a very new field for me haha I follow my heart over anything else. But now that I have this huge project that has afforded me so many incredible opportunities, I feel inclined to stay and help it reach its fullest potential. She The Creature and the amazing people who support it have given me so much, I owe it to them to make this my utmost priority. Adventure comes second to gratitude.
Newsha please share with us what ‘follow your bliss’ means to you?
I think Bliss and Happiness are vastly different. Happiness is erratic and unstable and can’t be trusted. Bliss is calm, it’s pure, and it doesn’t lie. I think bliss is a beautiful compass to follow. The things that bring you bliss- honouring your loved ones, being kind to people, being honest, staying true to yourself- these things will provide an unparalleled peace in your life. It’s the true path to a life well lived.