Sama Wareh Multi-talented with passion A
By Mona Shadia
day hardly goes by without Sama Wareh achieving something significant. Wareh is an artist, a writer, a student, a teacher, an environmentalist, and most important, she’s a hijabi Muslim woman, who lives her life to inspire and be inspired. Born in the United States to Syrian parents, Wareh’s religion, tradition has always been an important part of her life. And her parents’ influence have imprinted on her. “My mom has always been a passionate person and very driven and always busy,” Wareh said. “I’ve never seen her sit and watch TV and not do anything. Being in that environment for so long has made it not OK to just do nothing.” Wareh, 25, recently earned her master’s in Environmental studies with an emphasis in education from Cal State Fullerton. To complete her master’s Wareh choose to channel her degree in Radio/TV/Film, which she also earned from Cal State Fullerton, and create a documentary that brings awareness about the shortage of water in Syria due to overpopulation, pollution and global warming. “Dwindling Drops in the Sand,” was inspired by a visit to Syria and a statement her uncle made. As she and her uncle drove through the drying Syrian land, her uncle said “we’re running out of water.” These few words came as a surprise to Wareh and she couldn’t keep them out of her mind. The earthy advocate side of her went to work and didn’t rest until she finished her project. “I’m somebody that’s passionate about life, about nature, about human rights issues and I act upon those passions,” she said. The environment is one of those passions. If there’s one thing Wareh wants people to recognize is that this earth we live in is part of us. Saving it is saving humanity. “Don’t think that environmental
issues are not your problem,” she said. “It affects you in so many ways. The more you find out, the more you realize how connected you are to the environment. Every year try to come up with some small solutions to live environmentally friendly.” Wareh, who’s been married for five years, seems to find time to do so much and everything she wants. Ever since she was a little girl, she has been interested in art work. “Once I told my dad I wanted to get serious about art, even though at the time we were struggling financially, he said ‘go to the store and buy what you need because I think you’ll do something good with it.’ I was 12.” Wareh is now an accomplished artist with her own signature pieces influenced by her style and creative mind. Wareh draws Arabic calligraphy and also does abstract work. Her work is marked by a lot of earthy colors. “The fun thing about abstract is you put your pencil and you hit go,” she said. “I don’t plan it out and I draw what goes on in my mind. We live in a society where everything is planned. When you let your mind go you’ll have a strong art piece because it’s truthful.” And those who know Wareh cannot escape her sense of humor. If her passion and hard work came from her mother, her funny side sure comes from her father. “He always cracked jokes. We never had dinner time without laughing,” she said. “The best article of clothing you can wear is humor. Most people forget about their sense of humor. It comes naturally. I just like to have fun.” And politics doesn’t get a break from Wareh, either. She said while all human rights issues are important to her, she’s especially aware of the Palestinian/Israeli conflict in the Middle East because it’s something she grew up hearing about. She recently attended a protest in support of the voters in Iran. Her dream job is to work with National Geographic to bring awareness to environmental issues. Meanwhile she’s checking out potential schools where she’ll be working on her PhD. in environmental studies. She’s also works with an outdoor science teacher for the Orange County Department of Education and continues to draw and is working on a novel. If you’re interested in Wareh’s artwork or documentary, you can find it by visiting www.warehart.com
8 مجلة كاليفورنيا
SUMMER 2009
CALIFORNIA ARABIC MAGAZINE