We had the good fortune of connecting with Sahar Elhallak and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sahar, what role has risk played in your life or career?

Nothing grows in a comfort zone.
Harsh circumstances and lack of choices can often make one choose to take risks. In 2011 I took a leap of faith and moved across the ocean to live in a foreign country. I left a toxic arranged marriage that lasted twenty-plus years and found myself hopeless and homeless in California. My family disowned me and would not take me in, and those who accepted to care for me did so on their terms. For the first time in my life, I was on my own. I grew up in a conservative, patriarchal, and misogynist family system. I had to work to support myself for the first time in my life. I did so many odd jobs, managed small boutique hotels, translated articles and flyers, and fed all the ex-pat friends Hummus to pay the rent.

Ten years later, and with a teaching certificate under my belt, I moved to Colorado with my husband, whom I met while living abroad, and our rescued cat, Sultan MeowMeow. I took a risk and did not want to hear “we told you so” from my family. I persevered, and I pushed on harder and harder until I could support myself and finally learned to live life. The risk I took was the cure to all that was ailing me. I was hanging with the wrong people and surrounding myself with a toxic environment and a community. Often, the best remedy we can do for ourselves is to remove ourselves from such background and community – even if at first it may seem hard.
I had many health issues that were a result of being in the wrong place with the wrong people. My mental health was not recognized within the invisible prison they had me live in.

Starting my life over from scratch opened my eyes to all the great talents I had within me. I started playing with acrylic, and then I started writing in secret because even though I knew my writing was excellent, I feared my family might read it and disapprove. While living in Fez Morocco, I fell in love with Zellige/tile pattern. I learned the powerful message behind these sacred patterns. Unity is one of the strong messages that represent this kind of art.

In 2019 I published a sacred geometry adult coloring book as a gift for myself. That same year I challenged my fear of being alone by staying in a boat, all by myself, for my forty-seventh birthday at the marina in Matosinhos, Portugal. Later that same year, I signed up to volunteer at a refugee camp in Greece, leaving the comfort of my elaborate house in Fez and away from my husband to fulfill the need to feel how my parents had felt when they were refugees in a camp many years ago.

It was in October of 2019 while on one of those solo budget trips to find myself. I got to spend time alone on a beach in Italy, and that is when I had an epiphany! I realized I had built an empire and was still begging for validation from others who had never valued my talents.
My little hummus business turned into cooking classes and the opportunity to be featured on local news advocating a healthier lifestyle. My coloring book may not be number one on Amazon, but it is a little project I am proud of and love sharing with others. My teaching skills in Greece got me a fulfilling job in Denver. I get to share my knowledge and help people write their own stories, just like a San Mateo, California adult school teacher helped me earn my GED. I am in the editing stages of my novel, which is based on my real story and the struggles and adversity I faced as a brown female. My poetry which was featured in an anthology, speaks of my wounded feelings and encourages others never to give up.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
For a while, I refrained from calling myself an artist. I mean, don’t you have to go to art school to become an artist? That was the message I was receiving from the wrong people I allowed to enter and dictate my life. They didn’t see my talent for decorating homes as a form of art. Using paintbrushes and acrylics from the local craft store and messing around on a canvas is not art. either, according to them. Writing poetry in Arabic and English is not art. writing fiction is not art. According to those who saw me and let me believe I was a failure, creating my jewelry and handbags was also not a form of art. Everything we do is a form of art. We are all artists. When we wake up in the mooring and choose what to wear, we use our creative side of the brain. The way we choose to present ourselves to the world is a form of art as well. The way you decide to sign your name is a form of art, even when your signature is like scribble scrabble like mine. I couldn’t see myself as an artist because I didn’t have the tools to believe in myself until I met my husband, lived in Morocco, and surrounded myself with creative people and historical art. I had a hard time convincing myself that my cooking is also a form of art. It took a lot of convincing from friends who would make any excuse to come to my house for some hummus and tabbouleh. I started offering cooking classes and slowly started developing plant-based recipes from heirloom recipes or the many countries I call home.

I am a jack of all trade, master of all, how boring it is to master only one!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
We would drive from Denver to Fort Collins and hike the Horsetooth peak. We would then go for a stroll and lunch in the old town.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’d come to love and adore sacred geometry. We are all part of this design of life. I am a great believer that our success in life is linked to everyone we encounter, whether directly or indirectly. Whether it is a teacher who believed in us or the Uber driver who drove us to that job interview led us to our dream job. We are all part of the pattern, and we complete each other. I want to thank American Express, who sent me that email in 2010 telling me that my points were about to expire and offering Morocco as a choice to redeem my points. I got to go and meet the human who allowed me to heal and grow. The best relationships are the ones where we feel safe, creative, and supported. My human, my husband, rescued me when I felt like a kitten who’d been dumped because they took a risk and chewed on electrical wires. I can’t imagine making it without him by my side, listening to my pain, and celebrating my growth. He helped me reunite with my children after being forcefully removed from their lives. I also like to dedicate a shoutout to the Sur La Table in Burlingame, California, for waking up my oppressed curiosity in 2010 when I took on a part-time job and started meeting customers who’d share with me all their adventures around the world.

Website: www.athomeinmorocco.com

Instagram: @at_home_with_sahar

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sahar-elhallak-415ba422/

Twitter: @LallaVioleta

Facebook: Sahar Elhallak

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