We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Famo Musa a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Famo , so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
In High School, I still didn’t speak English well enough to introduce myself or advocate for myself. That’s when I turned to photography as a substitute, especially since they had an after-school class that taught students to tell their stories through photography. in that class, I learned to take how to take symbolic and representative images to recreate my journey to coming to America. That’s how I found my purpose in what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Photography gave me an outlet when I felt powerless because of language barriers.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
For the past ten years, I did a lot of work with both my photography and my writing. I do documentary photography and portrait photography, emphasis on the preservation of memories within my community. I do most of my work as a freelance photographer, working for myself but I also do collaborations with different origination and artists. I worked at the Aja Project as a Teaching Artist for over five years. Also worked as a Community Organizer for the Somali Bantu and a Youth Organizer for the Global Arc for over five years. I take bookings for all types of photography, headshots, graduations, family weddings, and other special occasions but my love of photography resides within storytelling where I take photos that tell stories and speaks on a deeper level with the concept of an image speaking a thousand words. My recent project tackled the topic of trauma and mental health, the installation was showcased at the You-Belong-Here gallery in El Cajon Blvd. A project that I collaborated on with my mother where I helped her tell her story. The project stemmed from looking through the archives of the Japanese Internment Camp, I focused on the tasks they did. throughout their day and how they brought their talent and put it to use, such as sewing, and art. I wanted to focus on the themes of family, memories, preservation, and storytelling. I related their experiences to my mother’s how she was relocated multiple times and had to make a new place “home” every time. The installation consisted of recreating her idea of home, using her handmade bedding and a slideshow of old family photos taken in different homes.
I am now focusing more on my writing, I am in the process of writing a book about my life and my whole focus is on that for the moment.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Three qualities that I am told I have are a creative mind, goal-oriented and determined. I believe these qualities help me stay in my profession because when I set my mind to do something, I see it through. My family and friends were a little comprehensive at first but they gave me their support once they found out I was serious about being an artist. A piece of advice I would give to people who are just starting is, to tell them failure is not an option even when they do fail, to just keep going, nothing that is worthwhile comes easy so to never give up on your dreams. Anything is possible when you set your mind to it.
Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?
I found my dream and passion when I was in high school but then I got married at 18 and had my first child by the time I was 19 years old. I became a single mom by the time my child was 2 years old, even though it was already just me since the time he was born so I didn’t a chance to pursue my dream until I was 25 years old and that was because of my parents. I would not be the person I am today if it weren’t for my parents. They gave me the opportunity to become somebody and to follow my heart. I took care of my children while I went back to school to take photography classes, go out in their field and practice my craft. My parents gave me the freedom and the support to become somebody my kids will be proud of and I can’t thank them enough, I am proud to be their daughter and to have them in my life.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://speakcityheights.org/?s=famo+musa
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/famosphotos/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/famomusa90
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/famo-musa-4a91411b2/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCII2UBj5O2Fj3moxGjc5gLQ
Image Credits
Famo Musa
