I guess it's welcome back? Who I am and what I aim to do
It’s been a hot minute since I wrote for my own blog — almost two years to be exact. I have had over 100 bylines over the last 20 months that haven’t been on here and honestly it took my time and energy away from creating content that was authentically me.
Don’t get me wrong, I love being a journalist. I currently work full-time as a general assignment reporter and I honestly feel it’s been a joy. But now that I have finally graduated from university, I think it’s time that I reconnect with why I love to write and amplify my own stories and passions.
In the last 20 months, a lot has changed for me. As you saw in my last post, I became a mom in October 2020 and my son Ziyad has ignited a spark and a light in me that I never knew existed. I mean, I knew I was resilient to a degree but not in the way motherhood has proven. I also became a mom again in September 2022, welcoming baby Hamza.
I also have had several great opportunities working for small to mid-sized to large media companies doing either social media work or working as an intern reporter. I am truly blessed. On the side, I (inconsistently, lol) grew my content creation business and have grown my following on Instagram. That being said, with all this life experience, who am I now?
Who am I and what is my mission?
Well, I am still the same Mariam when I left this space but a more mature and refined version. I am passionate about creating community and making those around me feel comfortable. I love my son, where my career is going and honestly working on my own self-improvement. There are so many lived experiences I have gone through that I feel have taught me about how I want to make my mark.
As a plus-sized, Muslim woman who wears the hijab, I find the modest fashion space online is saturated with creators who don’t really look like me. I am 5’9” and wear a size US 18 and every time I see a cute outfit online from one of my favourite creators, more times than not I can’t replicate it because my size isn’t available.
While there have been strides to make modest fashion more inclusive, there is still a long way to go and I hope to be a part of that change. Speaking of strides, I want my space to be one where people don’t shy away from talking about their struggles with mental health, motherhood, you name it. I have always been candid about my own struggles because not only do I know someone out there will resonate with my experiences but it is therapeutic in a way for me too. Mental health, while it is becoming more talked about, is still very much a taboo subject especially in my community.
What will my content be about?
In my humble opinion, niching is not the way to go. I feel it makes creators like myself shrink themselves into a cookie cutter and not express who they are. With the rise of TikTok and more “carefree” and “realistic” content being shared, I know that being true to myself is the way I need to go.
I will talk about modest fashion finds that are suitable for extended sizes. I will talk about my own personal development. As I navigate the early stages of my career, I will share what I have learned and what I hope to do. Last, but certainly not least, motherhood is something I love talking about because well, I am a mom and Ziyad is my number one priority.
600 words later and I know this is long-winded but I hope I grasped the gist of what I hope to share across all platforms going forward.
Until my next post,
Mariam :)