Hi there! 

If you’re reading this it’s most likely because you’ve subscribed to Farouk’s Substack newsletter. I want to start off by saying thank you for your support, and welcome to what is technically round 2 of this endeavor. 

As some of you may know, many years back I started an email newsletter through a website called TinyLetter. I had a series of writings and ramblings titled “Streams of Thought” where I wrote about quite literally anything that was on my mind. I also ended each essay I wrote with a roundup of everything I was watching, reading, listening to, etc. I received a lot of positive feedback to those writings back then, which is honestly wild to think about now considering how much earlier in my writing journey I was at the time and how much more I’ve improved since then. This is to say that with how much I’ve grown as a writer and general creator, I thought it was time to try doing this again. 

One of my goals for 2023 was to hone in on becoming a better writer. I certainly developed quite a bit in my opinion, but this is a lifelong journey. I hope by holding myself accountable to writing for an audience again that I will continue to progress as a writer while also approaching my subject matter with a newfound depth that I think readers new and old will appreciate. 

What to Expect

So what exactly will this Substack consist of? The main body of my work on this newsletter will consist of long-form cultural criticism and essays about art and media. One of the tensions in my life as I’ve continued to grow has been whether I should be a critic of art, or a maker of it. I’ve found immense joy and satisfaction in both the critical analysis of media and culture, as well as those lightning bolt moments where something clicks and you create something beautiful yourself. I don’t plan on giving up either side of things any time soon, and I hope that this crossroad I inhabit will be precisely why my writing on these subjects will have depth. So the essays you will read in this newsletter will explore these topics from someone who is both a creative and a critic. I hope that my background and interest in criticism will provide the context, history, and nuance necessary to fully illuminate an issue, while my personal perspective as an actual working creative will provide some of the behind the scenes of the creative process for anyone interested. 

I also jump at any opportunity to rave about all the art I love so much, so I hope to also use this space to round up all the media I’ve been engaging with recently similar to my last newsletter. For example, I recently watched and absolutely loved the film After Yang (2021), a quiet and meditative sci-fi film about grief, memory, and the things that make us human. Expect an occasional post from me sharing the music I’ve been listening to, books or articles I’ve been reading, movies/shows I’m watching, etc. If I like something enough and think it’s relevant, I might even dedicate an entire piece to a review and share it here as well.

I can also use this space to let all of you know about anything I’ve personally been working on. Beyond just being a writer/critic, I’m also a filmmaker, music producer, and game developer. I like to wear a lot of hats and have my eggs spread across multiple baskets. Once something I’ve created or been a part of is out in the world, I will also share it here to keep you updated. For example, I just recently had a piece published at Film Daze about the movie Past Lives (2023) and its depiction of masculinity (the piece is currently behind a paywall, but I will share it again once it’s available for free). I’ve been working on my album for quite some time now, so all of you will also get an update when that drops in 2024. There are a lot of other projects I’m involved in at the moment that are not at the stage where I can announce them just yet, but rest assured you will be hearing about them soon. 

My final hope for this newsletter is that if it starts to take off and I accumulate more subscribers, I would love the opportunity to profile and interview other artists across all mediums and art forms. Painters, singers, actors, directors, writers, musicians, jugglers, you name it. With your support I hope to make this a reality. This is to say that if you like me or my work at all, consider sharing this newsletter with your friends and telling them to subscribe too! 

That’s everything I have to tell you as of right now. You can expect my first essay in your inbox in late January/early February. I hope to have at least one post per month. If there’s anything specific you want me to write about that would interest you, feel free to share that with me as well by contacting me directly or using the comments/community features on Substack. 

Thank you for reading this, and for supporting me by subscribing. It really means a lot to know that people out there enjoy my work, and the positive feedback I’ve gotten since announcing that I’m doing this has been incredibly uplifting and motivating. I hope you enjoy what I have in store. Thank you for being here, and enjoy your stay.