Meet Kenda Al Yakobi

We recently connected with Kenda Al Yakobi and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Kenda, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?

My resilience is rooted in my family’s history of survival and displacement. My father had to leave Iraq due to political unrest and the dangers that shaped his entire existence. On my Palestinian side, my grandparents were forced to leave during the Nakba of 1948. a generational trauma that reshaped my family’s path. Though I’ve never seen my homelands or met my extended family, that sense of loss and inherited strength fuels my storytelling.

Photography is my way of reconnecting with my roots and honouring the stories that have shaped me. It allows me to bring together different parts of my identity and highlight the quiet strength that comes from them. My kids inspire that too, as they naturally embrace their mixed cultures with pride and curiosity.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I’m a photographer, storyteller, and creator, with a focus on capturing moments that go beyond the surface. My work blends cultural exploration, family, and personal narrative. I’m deeply inspired by the ways our identities intersect. Whether through my own experience as someone with Palestinian and Iraqi heritage or by documenting the unique stories of others. Through my lens, I aim to preserve the richness of tradition and culture while showing how they evolve in everyday life.

What excites me most about my work is the ability to connect with people through their stories, whether it’s a family celebrating their heritage, an artist capturing their creative journey, or a couple embarking on a new chapter together. Photography is about creating a safe space where vulnerability meets celebration. It’s an honour to share those moments.

One of my current passions is blending photography with videography. I’m exploring ways to capture not just a still image but also the essence of a moment in motion. This new direction has opened up exciting possibilities, especially in terms of storytelling and offering clients a richer experience. My goal is to continue blending these mediums and to make storytelling more immersive for everyone I work with.

I’m also working on a deeply personal photo series project that celebrates cultural threads. In collaboration with a dear friend, we are exploring how different traditions and practices are woven into everyday life, bringing cultural expression beyond just special occasions. It’s about normalizing and celebrating these customs and showing their relevance in modern settings. I’m excited to bring these stories to life through our photography.

Looking ahead, I’m expanding my work to include more collaborations with fashion designers who specialize in traditional designs, creating a fusion of cultural preservation and modern expression. There’s a lot of growth happening in my practice, and I’m thrilled to see where it takes me next.

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?

Looking back, the three qualities that have been most impactful in my journey are mindset, adaptability, and resilience.

Mindset: For the longest time, I didn’t think this path was possible for me. I struggled with self-limiting beliefs, but once I started, I realized that each step led to growth. Believing in my ability to do hard things and stepping out of my comfort zone was key.

Adaptability: Being open to change and trying new things, like blending videography with photography, helped me grow. The ability to pivot and stay flexible is essential in this journey.

Resilience & Learning Through Doing: Overcoming challenges and learning by jumping in has been crucial. You can’t fully grow by just planning, you learn the most by doing. Resilience means continuing even when things don’t go as planned, and learning from each experience.

For those starting out, my advice is to start where you are, embrace discomfort, and keep learning through action. Each step matters, and the journey unfolds as you move forward.

As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?

One book that’s had a significant impact on my development is Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert. It was a game-changer in how I approach creativity and my work. The biggest takeaway for me is the idea that creativity isn’t something to be waited for, it’s something to be acted on. Gilbert talks about how ideas flow like energy, and if we don’t take action on them, they may move on to someone else. It reminded me that waiting for things to be perfect is a trap. Perfectionism only stalls progress, and taking imperfect action leads to growth and opportunity.

Gilbert also emphasizes that creativity doesn’t have to be a serious, heavy process. It’s about playing, experimenting, and trusting that the work will evolve as you go. This approach helped me push past my own self-limiting beliefs and realize that every step, no matter how small, is valuable.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kendalyakobi.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kenda.alyakobiphoto
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenda-al-yakobi-47748b39/