1. Who are you and what do you do?

I am an actor, writer, filmmaker and person that loves all things film.

2. What does feeling beautiful mean to you?

Confidence. I hmmmed and hawed over how to elucidate a more nuanced, multifaceted answer, but when I thought hard; every Definition I stumbled upon lead me back to the idea of confidence. For me, beauty is confidence.

3. What do you wear to feel most like yourself?

Other than cute FORTNIGHT pieces… My hair. As I just finished a film about textured hair and the hatred I internalized toward myself due to my personal relationship with my hair, I feel the most like myself when I get to style my hair how I want. For a very long time in my life, doing my hair the way I wanted to wasn’t an option due my perceived need to conform to beauty standards as an act of self preservation. Now I am finding, I feel the most like me when I get to look in the mirror, play with my hair, and get giddy about the coily curly cues staring back at me.

Aisha wears the Ara Triangle Black in Large and Seamless Bikini in Large.

4. When do you feel most confident?

I feel the most confident when I am around people where I can be open with them and express that I don’t have all the answers. I just finished directing my first short in Winnipeg, and I felt the most confident when I was able to share that I was confused about a camera angle, or lighting choice because the dialogue created helped me get to heart of the issue at hand and kept my ego out of it. I had the space to be vulnerable with my team. Being able to express myself freely with receptive and supportive individuals helped me side step the fear and emboldened me to take up more space.

Aisha wears the Vega Longline Rust in 32D and Thong in Large.

5. What makes a place feel like home?

My personal definition of home has been a tough question to answer for myself. Life happens, and the last 2-3 years have been kind of transient for me. So, the conceptual definition of home has been difficult for me to pin down. What I think I am finding now is that home is peace of mind. It’s a warm embrace, or a bite of my favourite food. Clean sheets, or socks. Dipping myself in coconut oil after a shower. Bits and pieces where I can find some semblance of familiarity, in an otherwise foreign environment. Through this reflection, I think I am learning that my understanding of home is really not one place, and I think I am okay with that. It’s funny how life tries to prepare you for what you’re searching for, if you assist the universe by getting out of your own way. I do think the last few months have been preparing me for a new chapter with a more unconventional understanding of home specifically with regards to how my career is unfolding. At one point I resisted as I do believe we all have a natural aversion to change, but now I am starting to find travelling around with the art I made is really just a precursor to what I really want out of my career. Things come in phases. Right now it’s career focus, where home is more up in the air, and maybe in a year or so the concept of home will be more concrete. For now, home is with myself and where I can find little bits of comfort. A phone call from my mom, an “are you alive?” Text from my brother. The little things, I guess.

6. Are there any self-care rituals that are important to you?

SO MANY. Right now, nothing helps me more than being able to wash the day off and re-set with a shower. A time for 10 minutes for me to be alone. Sometimes, I even shower in the dark to power down. I suggest everyone tries it. Locate the soap first though.

Recently, I am also learning that taking a step back when posed with an obstacle is proving to be helpful. I’m the kind of person that will continue to hack away at a problem until I can deem it solved, but sometimes the best plan of action, is to do all you can, know when to stop, take a breath, and try, try again. To summarize, as song I like once told me; peep shit, take notes, fall back, move different.