Aagam Kaur

Creative/Model/Stylist AGE: 19 NATIONALITY: Indian INSTAGRAM: @aagammm

Did you always know you wanted to get into creative field? Of course. The creative field was always one I knew I would be a part of regardless. Mainly because the word creative doesn’t always mean arts or fine arts. It involves the ability to think outside the box, or be imaginative. Whether it's business, entrepreneurship or fashion, creativity is a part of all, so even if I wasn’t involved in the fashion genre, I'd still make sure I was executing my tasks in the same creative way. Where do you find creative inspiration in this region? This might be a weird answer to some, but to be honest I am absolutely inspired by Dubai’s construction scene. The speed of building infrastructure as though time doesn’t exist – one day you see construction and the next day the building is ready. The efficiency and productivity towards creating insane architectural concepts always makes me want to aspire to have that amount of discipline in my personal life, to carry out tasks with same level of productivity. Other than that, there’s plenty of inspiration within the creative community here as people are always coming up with great content and working hard. Everyone’s trying and that, to me, is inspiring. Do you feel this region is stereotyped by what the media presents? How are you playing a part in helping to change this? It certainly is, but stereotypes are a part of every region, culture and nationality. Even the areas within and around Dubai have stereotypes, – where you live, what car you use or even your choice of malls. There will always be stereotypes regardless, however I do believe that over the years, there has been a major change in other people’s perspective of this region, its citizens and values which is great. What challenges have you faced since entering the creative industry? Well, to begin with, I’d say saturation. The market is becoming extremely saturated, especially due to the growing use of social media. Everyone’s doing almost the same thing and everyone wants to be a part of it, so to stand out amongst that is a challenge in itself. Secondly, not being taken seriously because of age. A lot of people, especially superiors or seniors, have a tendency to measure a person's calibre based on their age rather than what they can bring to the table. I’m not saying they’re wrong, I understand where they’re coming from, however I think a chance to prove yourself should always be provided. Lastly, something a whole bunch of people can relate to is unpaid work for “exposure”. Lots of people lose so many opportunities just because they aren’t paid well enough. How do you stay original but relevant? Staying original is a very subjective topic; your originality may not be original to some, so the best you can do is just focus on yourself without following guidelines or trends. Personally, my originality comes from spending as much time with just myself. Those who know me know that I am reclusive and prefer mainly my own company to hang out with. I’ve learned so much about myself and who I am this way. Authenticity is something we’re lacking as the years are passing, so the least you can do is be someone else.