Samia Khalaf shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Samia, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: What is a normal day like for you right now?
Hello again! It’s been three years since we last chatted.
A typical day for me now looks pretty different than it did back then. For starters, I got married, and we added another fur baby to the family (Indie). Meelo is very proud to be a big brother.
They both wake me up around 6:30 a.m. for food, usually Indie meowing first, then Meelo chiming in with his weird little grunts. I give them some pets and feed them. I own a house now with a yard, so I fill up my bird feeders in the morning, which gives my indoor cats great live entertainment. My back yard creatures include (mice, rabbits, all sorts of birds, and moles!)
I’ve been building a habit of reading or studying something in the mornings so I don’t jump straight into work. Lately has been anatomy, to prep for my EMT training. Some days I start with weightlifting training, my husband got me into it, (I can lift up to 195 pounds now). Other days I take it slow, drink coffee, and work on my textile projects. It really grounds me before I walk over to Duolingo and dive into all the apps, screens, and tech world.
Since I’m a manager now, my day isn’t about drawing anymore. Instead, I focus on supporting my artists, making sure they don’t have blockers and that they have what they need to feel creative and bring their full selves to work.
After the day is done, I walk home, say hi to my husband and kitties, have dinner, and lately I’ve been watching The Golden Girls. For some reason, that show has really started to pull me in.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m a Palestinian-Lebanese interdisciplinary creative, and my work centers on memory, identity, and belonging. Through animation, illustration, and immersive media, I tell emotionally resonant stories that reclaim space and celebrate diaspora.
My career has spanned creative roles at Meta, Duolingo, Jam City, Funomena, and Ghostbot, alongside standout independent projects. I directed the VR film Kteer Tayyeb, which celebrates food as cultural memory and premiered at the Arab Film Festival and the Ottawa International Animation Festival.
I also teach 2d animation at San José State University, where I help emerging animators grow their creative voices. I’ve given talks and led workshops at events like the Arab Film Festival, Tribeca Immersive, and at academic institutions across the U.S., sharing insights on immersive storytelling, representation in animation, and how to get into the industry.
My work is rooted in lived experience and in the belief that art can open doors to understanding, to justice, and to each other.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: What part of you has served its purpose and must now be released?
The part of me that believed I constantly had to prove my worth through overworking and overextending has served its purpose and must now be released. That instinct came from an early place of survival, growing up between cultures in different countries, I felt pressure to demonstrate value to belong. It was exasperated by moving to the US on an F-1 visa, where I had to work triple the amount to be seen as “worthy” of a work visa. The competition was already hard, but being an international student added another layer of weight.
On top of that, my parents believed in me enough to support my choice of a creative education over the safer, more expected route of becoming a doctor. As the first creative in my family to take this path, I carried both pride and enormous pressure, and didn’t want to waste the sacrifices they made or the faith they placed in me.
However, the truth is, I wouldn’t do it any other way. The hard work, the sacrifice, and the relentless drive paid off. It shaped who I am today and opened doors I once only dreamed of. But now, it’s time to release it. My voice, my story, and my work are enough.
One thing that helps me release it now is mentorship. Like holding sessions for students and professionals who are trying to shift careers or grow, or visiting universities and talking to students as well as doing portfolio reviews. It’s my way of being a support system, so they don’t feel completely on their own trying to figure things out. It’s what I would have loved to have early on, and offering it to others helps me let go of that old survival pattern and step into a more generous, joyful way of creating.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
This reminds me of an exercise my therapist once gave me. She asked me to try saying the phrase in my native language, because sometimes words spoken in the language of your roots can reach places other words cannot.
When I said it out loud “you are safe, انتِ آمنة” I suddenly realized that the word for “safe” in Arabic is also my mother’s name. She passed away when I was six years old. And yet, at 33, speaking that phrase brought her back to me in a way I hadn’t expected.
It felt as if she had been surrounding me all along. I just hadn’t known how to hear her until that moment.
You are safe. You are safe to express your feelings, and it’s ok to cry.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What truths are so foundational in your life that you rarely articulate them?
My art is strongest when it’s honest, not perfect.
I am held by amazing friends who steady me and love me as I am.
Design at Duolingo is culture work and when people feel seen, their futures expand.
It takes a long time to find the perfect perfume scent, The journey is fun!
Shrek 1 is the best movie ever made.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. When do you feel most at peace?
I feel most at peace when I am by the ocean, any ocean, any sea, as long as it’s salt water. I miss the smell, the way the damp saltness clings to your skin, and the reminder that you’re standing at the edge of something vast and alive, and I just a tiny human. Floating in the water and letting go of control and knowing you are carried by the ocean. Also watching sea creatures especially brings me calm. There’s a jellyfish at the Monterey Bay Aquarium (the bloody-belly comb jelly) that glows in deep red and shimmers with refracted light. Looking at it, whether in person or in videos. That reminder of life’s mystery and there’s so much I don’t know that I don’t know!!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.samiakhalaf.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samsoomfull/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samiakhalaf/
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