I worked on myself to be a better person to love myself and to love the way I am and take pride in my own work and never rely on validation or acceptance from anyone if I am good or not, I understand I am different from people but that's what makes me unique and that's all that matters. I started to look at life differently and accepted what was made for me and was okay with what was not made for me.
1. Please tell us something about your early days & career story.
Born and raised in the United States, but I am Saudi by blood. I moved to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia 2 days before the lockdown. Currently working as a freelancer and YouTuber in Saudi Arabia. I used to work as a photographer and a baker in the United States. I wanted to change my way of living because I was struggling alone so I chose to quit and I moved with my family to Saudi Arabia to start a new chapter in our lives.
2. What motivated you to share your adventures and experiences in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Instagram and TikTok?
Growing up I never imagined reaching this point in my life, I didn't even have a clue about video editing or content creation as a matter of fact. I was a clueless kid who kept changing her mind every 10 seconds in her life. Since I moved I had wanted to make friends and settle down with family while exploring my own city, and culture and experiencing the changes that have been made for Vision 2030 in Saudi Arabia since early 2017, I noticed only method in this generation to know what's happening around you or to meet people was through social media, and it's also a way to build yourself a career. I started youtube during my moving transition from the United States to Saudi Arabia, I made just a random vlog of visiting a farm and my experience with trying goat yoga for the first time in Pennsylvania, I was nervous to film and thoughts went through my head about what will my family say or think because in our culture things like this aren't as normal as they are now so I was very hesitated of posting and building my social media pages.
When I moved to Saudi Arabia I decided to speak up to my parents and let them know this was the path I wanted, which was becoming a content creator at first they refused but after many tries of convincing we came to an agreement that I can showcase my talent but I do not show face for the respect to myself and safety, I had no issue it was tough to begin wearing the niqab ( veil cover ) but once I got used to it I became a lot comfortable than I was without the niqab ( veil cover), I grew up with only knowing and accepting to wearing the hijab so having to suddenly add and adjust was difficult at first I gained so much confidence by seeing my favorite idol ( Amy Roko ) presenting herself and her amazing creativity while wearing the niqab ( veil cover). I tell myself and everyone around me to never let niqab ( veil cover) or any piece of traditional garment get in the way of your creativity, your garment is your identity and part of your culture, learn to embrace it rather than hide it away.
3. How did you decide to present your own health story to inspire your viewers? What made you want to share this particular aspect of your life?
Oh well, this was a very hard one, presenting something so personal out to the public like that. I was freaking out I spent months just overthinking the subject and taking advice from my closest family and friends, I was scared about being treated differently than what people would think because I spent most of my childhood with people just feeling sorry for me because I went through so many obstacles in my life, The reason I wanted to share my story in the first place was for people to gain inspiration and to realize that no matter what hardship you may face that it should never get in the way of your passion or career. I was diagnosed with an end-stage renal disease due to Autosomal Recessive Polycystic Kidney disease associated with hepatic fibrosis ( ARPKD), I received a kidney and liver transplant in April of 2002.
In 2014 I was in need of Open Heart Surgery due to an Aortic Valve insufficiency, at that time I was only 16 years old, and it was my first year of high school I was so nervous and just kept thinking I will never make it to graduation I will never get to live my dreams I thought this was the end for me The surgery was a 4-hour procedure and about a week stay in the hospital and then a 6 month of recovery and being homeschooled for the remaining of my 9th-grade year, after this difficulty I managed to graduate on time. That is just an overview of a few obstacles I went through, During the lockdown where I was here in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia I saw so many people on social media stating how they had to stop achieving their dreams due to an illness that came in the way or how they were not seeing results and kept failing, I didn't like to see that someone who truly has the capability to discard that creativity because of things like this.
Over time, I began to showcase Riyadh's beauty from the delicious coffee shops to the best international cuisines and so much more to my viewers. That's where I began to gain so many interested followers and kept asking for more and more content. After being on social media for 2 years and brought out the toughest subject that no one can dare to move forward with, I spoke out on Mental health and provided positive ways to overcome a day in which a person may be fighting silently and after it made big difference to the way people interacted with me and I received so much support. That was when I knew it was time to speak out on presenting my health story hoping it would become an inspiration for someone out there.
4. What message or impact do you hope to convey to your audience through your health journey?
From all the lessons I've learned in my life the only message I want to present to my supporters is to never rush anything to a conclusion, and there is nothing wrong with trying again, it's okay if you did not succeed in 3 years your 4th year may make a difference. Always be optimistic when setting a goal and truly work for it if you really want it. Never rush anything in life. It doesn't end well in most cases, so have patience and keep going until you meet your goals. As per my health journey, I hope it inspires you to overcome any obstacles you may be facing in life.
5. Were there any specific moments or experiences that had a significant impact on your health journey and helped shape your perspective?
I was horrible to myself growing up I never accepted who I was as a person and I was so hard on myself I didn't realize that I was given so many chances to keep living life, it didn't hit until after I had my Open Heart Surgery, that there is still a reason God is giving me so many chances to continue in life, I could've been taken away at any given time, but I am still here and I took those chances by always creating a positive environment online and offline.
I worked on myself to be a better person to love myself and to love the way I am and take pride in my own work and never rely on validation or acceptance from anyone if I am good or not, I understand I am different from people but that's what makes me unique and that's all that matters. I started to look at life differently and accepted what was made for me and was okay with what was not made for me.
6. What strategies or lifestyle changes did you implement to improve your health and well-being?
As a kid growing up I was addicted to junk food and everybody at some point at a young age was but because I took medications that sometimes creates unbalance I lost control sometimes, I would have like a week where I am overeating without realizing it then another week where I can live off water without noticing that I didn't put food in my body, and because my hormones would go up and down it affected my mental health also, there were some years where I was fighting depression but after reaching out to trusted family and friends I was guided into a better path to becoming better.
After lockdown, that's when I took charge and allowed myself to make myself a priority, I started going to the gym and working out at home at the pace and level that was made for me. I focused on my passion and created videos and content to keep myself busy and even more inspired. and I created a balanced eating portion for myself. I am still enjoying my favorite foods without cutting anything out or going on a crazy unnecessary diet, Just simply watched my portion and created a routine for myself.
7. How do you balance your role as a lifestyle content creator and taking care of your own health? Are there any particular challenges you face in maintaining this balance?
I'd be lying if I said social media has not affected my mental health at some point in my journey. After a while, I understood the method behind content creation and didn't allow anyone or anything to get inside my head with how things should be done. I only focused on what was good for me, like working at my own pace and creating my own schedule. Eventually, people will see my worth, some won't and that is 100% okay. Back to the question of how I balance being a lifestyle content creator while taking care of my health well, it's actually pretty simple if you think about it.
I create a schedule ahead. If I have a shoot for anything In order to be prepared with all the content I require, I schedule it a week in advance, travel to the site, complete the necessary tasks, and then schedule the post for the following week. If I need to, I can take a few days off to unwind. To keep in check with my health, I go to my monthly checkups whenever I need to, to make sure that my kidney and liver levels are where they should be. Since my transplant, I take my medications twice a day to maintain my kidney and liver functioning because it's necessary for my survival. I always remind myself to have fun doing what I love.
Brief Bio:
My name is Nouf AlDossari, I am a content creator and videographer based in Saudi Arabia. Born and raised in the United States, I showcase all the new cafes, Restaurants, events, and more on my social media pages.
Tiktok: @saudiexplorer_
Snapchat: ExploringSaudi
Interviewed By - Aarya Gode
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