Music brought her back
After three attempts to take her own life.
She is multi-talented. Sports were big with her. She loves the outdoors and being in the scouting movement. Music plays a big part in her life. She uses the written word to express herself. The visual arts, however, are something else. It’s the closest to her self-expression.
Her mom the teacher and her other teacher
She loves teachers, especially the two who left an impact on her. Her mom is a retired one. She was the first nursery class teacher at St. Joseph’s and kept at it for 30 years.
“She is the best teacher any child can have. I wanted to become a teacher, taking after my mom.”
After finishing her first drawing in third grade, Miss Micheline, her art teacher, put her hand on her cheek and said: “You will grow up to become an artist.” And that was it. Yara didn’t want to become anything else, thanks to her art teacher.
A little gesture, some attention, a lot of care, and a few words can significantly impact anyone’s life, let alone a child.
The shutter sound help her connect
At Notre Dame University after one eye-opening elective, she graduated with a degree in photography and a minor in graphic design. Her relation with the still image goes way back. She grew up around cameras. Her mom took pictures of all the kids all the time. Her dad was a photographer and owned his own photo business.
“I have an issue with memory. I forget a lot. I constantly try to improve. It’s like my brain selectively filters stuff,” she tells me.
“Taking pictures helps me remember.”
Yara is a very visual person. She does landscape, food, and street photography. Over time, she realized that something was still missing in her work — the presence of people. She realized that connecting with people fuels her drive. So, she started taking more pictures of people. Portraits. She enjoys the one-on-one connection with her subjects, getting to know the person, listening to them, and telling their story visually.
The revolt campaign
I am Mouin. I dream that one day Lebanon's security forces will secure its citizens. #projectrevolt…
It’s been lingering with her since 2016. She wanted to take portraits to tell stories but could not say when, why, or how. She intentionally did not plan it and decided to go with the flow. And then it started to take shape.
Project Revolt is a platform for dreamers — a collection of black and white portraits with a story behind every face. She’s on her 30+ published stills and more than 50 unpublished ones. People are still coming to voice their dreams.
With every portrait, they’re telling their dreams and making Yara’s dream come true. Her vision brings people together around one theme and overarching spirit: happiness despite challenges.
“I believe when you have a dream and want it to happen, you will do whatever it takes. Gradually, it will. No matter how big or small.”
When you ask someone about their one dream, and they think about it, then it’s not there yet. They might come up with a project, but not a dream. A dream is always on your mind. You are either preparing for it or tirelessly working on it. This is how you know it’s your dream.
Her dream is coming through on this project. She’s getting to know beautiful people with tremendous stories. She’s growing through them and getting to know herself better. Their stories are different than hers, yet with common grounds.
For example, she met a guy through this project. The first one who lost his eye in the revolution. Yara suffers from anxiety, hindering her from moving forward, and she blames everything on it. When she met Jad, she was inspired by him. He wakes up every morning and is passionate about his job. He knows it will be difficult, yet he stays positive and continues. He continues to work and keeps the revolution.
“So, you start thinking. The only thing that is stopping me from doing whatever it is it’s me and not my anxiety. Put your shit aside, Yara. If you’re going through an attack, let it be and move on.”
Some of Project Revolt’s dreams:
My dream is to be able to Dream — Anthony
My dream is to throw ‘perlimpinpin’ magical powder on our nights to make them sweeter— Charbel
I dream of building a safe place for everyone to hang around, full of love and hope, where they can be who they truly are, free of judgment and society's labels — Farah.
Overcoming personal challenges
She was misdiagnosed with chronic depression at 18. She says that it was depression but not chronic. Her doctors put her on medication for six months. Two months into her treatment, she became suicidal and attempted it three times. Luckily, unsuccessfully. “I’m here. Now,” she says.
She blames the pills for giving her weird ideas. Flashing back, she continues saying that she took her pills and flushed them down the toilet. Her mom had no idea. To this day, she still doesn’t.
“She need not know.
She’s going to know when this story’s out!
Mom. Read this article.”
I told Yara that we don’t need to publish this. She said that she doesn’t mind it anymore. She wants people to learn from her experience and maybe help someone.
She made life-death decisions on her own and in such conditions. Yara was lucky. Please don’t attempt to be your own psychologist or psychiatrist.
She threw out the pills and went cold turkey. She went through withdrawal for a whole month, just like you see in the movies — sweating, shaking, heartbeat, nausea, and more. It was horrible for her. Nobody knew except her sister and her NLP trainer, as she had to tell him. The experience was life-changing, and it made her who she is today.
Her sister saved her.
She got back into music as it had been a crucial part of her life. She started playing piano at three and for 12 years until she “met” depression, and the keyboard was blocked.
A few years later, it was music that brought her back.
She started singing and songs changed her life.
Her stress did not come out of thin air
Mom was teaching all the time. She would come home tired and have to attend to the household. That kept going from the age of eleven to nineteen.
Over one month, at the age of eighteen, she lost her childhood best friend, Mark, and her other friend, Melissa, a teacher, and she failed her high school official exams. That was enough to take her into depression.
Mark was like a brother to her. It was tough talking about him. Now it’s easier because she knows that he’s there. He’s proven it. He still sends her signs, and she still talks with her angel.
She’s grateful
Yara is grateful and keeps herself busy. She is positive despite everything. She is thankful for becoming a strong woman. Going through what she went through could have made her a bitter person. It took a very long time, but now she wakes up in the morning happy and positive.
“It was a struggle. I did it. I’m grateful that I’m alive after three attempts of taking my own life. This is huge for me. I appreciate life.”
Faith is her North Star
She tells me apologetically: “I don’t know if you’re a religious person, but
I don’t go to church. I don’t pray in church. I don’t believe in men of the cloth, except for one. They’ve failed me on every level.”
However, she has an extraordinary connection with St. Charbel. A powerful one. Whatever she asks from him, she gets an answer. No matter when, how, or where. “There are no rules with him,” she said. She holds on to this Saint and gives him everything. He’s done a lot for her. He’s her go-to in everything that is happening in her life. She doesn’t even know how to explain it.
This once queen of atheists has delivered her life to this Lebanese Saint. Her encounter with him at his tomb while praying was indescribable. She felt pushed to her knees; her body was aching throughout, tears down her cheeks until she was finally lifted up. And she was changed since.
And life goes on
Yara is a fighter, a rebel, a dreamer, a believer, and an optimist with the soul of an elephant — genuine, friendly, and believing in love.
Life is still difficult for her, yet she conquers her daily pains. She knows she’s not alone. She has music, her mother, her kid sister, and angels Mark and Saint Charbel.
Closing credits (you know; when the movie’s over)
Scene 1: At 13, “Mom. I got my calling. I’m going to the convent. I want to become a nun,” she tells her mom. Mother, as she’s slapping her silly: “Go to your room and study!”
Scene 2: Her mom promises her anything if she makes it to the honor list. She worked hard and did it. She asked to “die her hair red like her grandmother.”
Scene 3: She drives an hour to the mountains with two friends and unpacks the blankets, tent, inflatable mattress, utensils, and other stuff from her trunk; a half-hour later, a hot cup of tea in hand, she’s watching the most beautiful Lebanese sunset from 1500 meters.
Yara’s favorite Starbucks drink: Tall White Caffé Mocha with an extra shot of coffee.
Yara’s Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Medium
During the COVID-19 lockdown,
Expanding Project Revolt internationally and publishing articles
Launched #exploringhomewithyara on @thepurplebohemian
Planning future photography & film projects to launch after lockdown
Developing her video editing skills
<<She’s available for freelancing. Any takers?>>