Interview With Fariha Rashed

Published in The Saturday Post Issue 201

Meet Fariha Rashed, the owner and CEO of a quarterly, in print magazine called Ink. She is a freelance writer and has written for many publications like Libas, FAQ, The Khaleej Times, Times of India, Anokhi Vibe, Lucire, and Images (Dawn). She has quite a diversified profile and various interests. She is a senior partner at Pitch Media Inc., a project she runs with her design partner. Read more to learn more about Fariha’s projects and where she derives her inspiration from.

By Sadaf Fayyaz

How would you introduce yourself and your work to our readers?

I would introduce myself as a person who is passionate about any work she takes up, especially when she initiates something herself, such as Ink [a quarterly, print & online, entertainment based magazine]. Ink is a labor of love. :)

Tell us something about your education and childhood.

I was moving around a lot from country to country as my father was in Foreign Service. Hence, I have studied in many different systems across the world. As a child, I was also very quiet and reserved.

When did you start writing? What was the inspiration behind it?

I began writing after I graduated from Pakistan Institute of Fashion Design (PIFD) in 2003. I was inspired by fashion, and wrote most articles related to the topic when I started out as a freelancer.

Tell us something about INK.

It was launched in the market in November 2008. It’s a quarterly, print and online [http://www.ink-on-the-web.com] magazine which covers all aspects of entertainment, locally and internationally. We have writers from and correspondents based all around the world. Our tagline is 'Whatever Entertains You' and every Ink issue has a new theme, based on entertainment.

What is the motivation and inspiration behind INK?

The motivation comes from the will to bring something new into the market. The inspiration is all the great talent inherent in Pakistan.

Tell us something about your freelance work.

Before I began Ink, I had been writing as a freelancer for various local and international publications for five years.

What is your biggest passion?

Doing something worthwhile in life!

Discuss your work on "Mind The Gap" and "A Mighty Heart". How was the experience?

“Mind The Gap” was a talk show of sorts, dealing with the communication gap inherent between children and their parents, due to the age gap. It was a show I worked on as a part of the Production team, while working at GEO TV some years ago. The show was aired and I believe was quite a success. The experience was exciting!

I worked as Assistant Costumes, for the movie “A Mighty Heart”, while Director Michael Winterbottom was shooting in Pakistan for three days. The experience was eye-opening as for the first time I realized and learnt what a professional, united team works like.

Tell us something about your art work. How do you define art in your own words?

Art is something I always did as a hobby, as it relaxes me. For me, art is best explained in Eckhart Tolle's words, "All true artists, whether they know it or not, create from a place of no-mind, from inner stillness."

Out of painting, writing, photographing, editing, fashion designing, which acumen defines you the most? Why?

All of them put together define me best and most accurately, I can never be happy pursuing one path only.

What acts as your source of inspiration?

Hard work and dedication!

Tell a little about your work at Pitch Media Inc.

Pitch Media Inc. is a project by Ink, it is primarily a design and PR company run by myself and my partner Haroon Khan who is a graduate [with honors] of NCA. He takes care of the design side and I take care of the PR / Marketing side. We create brand identities, layouts and designs for print & electronic media, written content and much more.

Having a diverse profile, how would you explain your family's support towards your career?

My family has always been supportive. They like to see me work hard and do what I love doing. They have never tried to discourage me from anything. My mother and sister in particular have been amazing support systems throughout.

Any obstacles so far, that you faced being a female?

Not really - you have to stand your ground and be confident as a human being and everyone will respect you, whether you are a man or a woman.

How much do you believe in woman empowerment?

I believe every woman is empowered - she just has to recognize and act on it.

How do you take critiques on your work?

I welcome them, as long as they are constructive.

What is your biggest desire and expectation from life?

Well, my biggest desire is to succeed at every step of life.

What is your message for the readers of The Saturday Post?

Thank you for reading through this interview and God Bless!