Meet Fatin Afiqah Md Asrul Saniy

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Fatin Afiqah Md Asrul Saniy. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Fatin Afiqah , so happy to have you with us today. You are such a creative person, but have you ever head any sort of creativity block along the way? If so, can you talk to us about how you overcame or beat it?

As a writer, I’ve faced my fair share of creativity blocks. To combat these roadblocks, I’ve found that immersing myself in the world I’m creating is incredibly effective. For instance, when writing a scene underwater, I’ve tried to visualize myself in that environment. I imagine the cool, wet sensation on my skin, the salty taste of the water, and the rhythmic sound of waves crashing against the shore. This sensory experience helps me to create a more immersive and detailed description.

To make my characters more complex and three-dimensional, I often draw inspiration from real people. I consider their hobbies, favorite foods, and how they might approach different situations. This helps me to develop characters with unique personalities and quirks. As an exercise, I’ll sometimes ask myself, “What would [character’s name] do in this situation?” and imagine the scene playing out.

Another technique I’ve found helpful is to explore my characters’ astrological signs and MBTI types. While these are not definitive personality indicators, they can provide a starting point for understanding their motivations and behaviors. By keeping these elements consistent, I can create a more cohesive and believable world.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

Tina Afiqah is an award-winning social entrepreneur and published author with indigenous Murut heritage. Within her 4 years of service, she achieved recognitions such as her debut novel being longlisted for the Epigram Fiction Prize in 2022, the 2023 Women of the Future Awards for the Arts & Culture category and Borneo Best Awards 2024. With a BaHons degree obtained in Creative Expressive Therapies and a Masters in Counselling, Tina has worked with various individuals; from children with Special Educational Needs and behavioural issues, as well as war veterans and elder patients suffering from PTSD and dementia with the intention of making a difference to everyone she meets.

Driven by her goals of promoting representation and inclusivity, she hopes to to offer potential readers the representation which they may have yet to achieve, as well as solace and comfort. While all her works have always aimed to address a particular theme, issue, or moral, she also weaves a lot of cultural and traditional elements in her stories to inspire readers of young and old.

Parabelle Studios: A Comprehensive Creative Hub

Parabelle Studios offers a wide range of creative services, including:

Design:

Character Design: We create unique and memorable characters that bring stories to life.Logo Design: We design eye-catching and impactful logos that represent your brand.Poster Design: We create visually appealing posters to promote your events or products.Merchandise Design: We design custom merchandise, such as t-shirts, tote bags, and mugs.

Ghostwriting:

Scriptwriting: We write engaging scripts for various media, including film, television, and video games.Slogan Creation: We develop catchy and memorable slogans for your brand.Novel Writing: We write original novels that explore diverse themes and perspectives.Songwriting: We create original songs with compelling lyrics and melodies.

Publications:

Book Publishing: We publish books in various genres, including children’s literature, fiction, and non-fiction.Zine Publishing: We publish zines that showcase emerging artists and writers.Novel Publishing: We publish novels that tell unique and thought-provoking stories.

In addition to these core services, we also offer editing, proofreading, and consulting services to help clients bring their creative projects to fruition.

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?

There will always be competitors ready to steal or mimic your works so stay true to your vision because it’s going to be what makes your craft uniquely yours. And while competitors may mimic general aspects of what you have, no one can truly copy your voice, style, story, and the deep meanings behind your works.

At the same time, still be open minded towards receiving feedback. Your followers/ customers are your main supporters at the end of the day. This also helps us develop tough skin towards recieving feedback, practice flexibility and open-mindedness towards exploring new styles/options, and practice identifying when feedback is helpful and when it is not.

I also learned that being open-minded as an artist really helps you grow as an artist. When artists are too rigid towards sticking to one specific art field/theme/genre, it limits them from expanding their creativity and thinking outside the box.

Finally, every mistake you make is crucial towards your growth. You cannot learn from the mistakes of others, but you can listen to the stories, experiences and advice of others. The best way to really learn is by trying what suits you and building from there because you are the only one who truly understands your own vision and objectives

Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?

I am diagnosed with severe social anxiety and ptsd. So oftentimes, I get overstimulated by large crowds or when networking with different people, Sometimes after events, it also takes me a while to recover from burnt out, but because it is part of our expectations as social species to form meaningful connections, socializing is inevitable. I identified that the main thing that affected my energy was superficial conversations or connections that feel too corporate or transactional. Thus now I try to be as authentic as possible and it has been very authentic and it takes less energy when you don’t have to try to be yourself. Regular self reflection and emotional checkins also help me recharge.
Sometimes even recharging by taking s walk or immersing yourself in nature or water, helps revive your energy

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