ILLUMINATION Writers

Interview with Aisha

Featuring creative writers of ILLUMINATION

Purpose of the Story

In this story, I share an interview that I conducted with Aisha.

I am pleased that Aisha joined ILLUMINATION recently and adapted to the culture of our publication quickly.

I feel like I have known Aisha for years.

Let’s explore Aisha’s exciting and energetic life!

Tell us a bit about your background, Aisha.

Originally from wonderful Copenhagen, I’ve lived in dynamic London for the past 15 years. I’ve always been interested in self-development and have tried many different approaches to learn more about myself. I recently did a 10-day vipassana meditation as a self-retreat, actually, I did it four times with short gaps in between — its a great way to observe yourself.

Last winter, I hiked in Nepal on my own for four days while it was snowing heavily — yes, that was dangerous, and please don’t try it! I returned to London early this year and committed myself to Hatha Yoga, which I’ve been practicing twice a day for the past six months now.

I feel that connection has to start with yourself and only then can you truly connect with the life around you. Living on the surface is just not good enough — its time to take responsibility for ourselves and focus on the process to be an upgraded version of ourselves from one moment to the next.

Why do you write on Medium?

Initially, I started writing on medium because the lock-down in London left me feeling isolated as I was living alone. I craved contact, I craved meaningful contact. I wanted to move away from an exchange of small talk. I wanted to explore topics on personal development. I wanted to dig deeper into how my mind works or how I perceive people around me. I wanted to collaborate on a new level. I wanted to create.

What are your values as a writer?

Authenticity, curiosity, growth — these are my key values as a writer. I have thoughts on various subjects, but I’m no expert and prefer to keep an open mind. I specifically enjoy collaborating and my upcoming articles are interview-based articles.

What are your favorite books?

Somehow, books have never really interested me as I find books are often conclusions that has made and I don’t feel enough of the process that they’ve gone through to get to those conclusions. I am far more interested in the process and I find “doing” affects my life far more than anything. So I would generally read half a page of a book and then spend a lot of time reflecting and actually never finish the book. At the moment, I’m reflecting on “Inner Engineering: A Yogi’s Guide to Joy” it’s a spiritual book by Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev.

What are your hobbies?

Travel is my favourite hobby, I don’t need fancy hotels or extravagant shopping trips — travel for me is the act of exploring life beyond my own limitations. I’ve done many solo travels, exploring South America, Central America, South East Asia and Europe — lots more to cover.

I mostly enjoy connecting with the locals and have particularly loved home-stay experiences. I once stayed with a family on Amantani Island in Peru. They had very little in terms of materialistic things, they lived a simple lifestyle. What drew me to them was their generosity, kindness and inclusiveness.

Doing sports is another hobby that I appreciate.

Coming from Copenhagen, I love cycling — I’m yet to be convinced that London is a safe enough place for bikes. I’ve been playing squash for a few years and whenever I get the chance I take boxing lessons. I joined a boxing club in Berlin for a few months and before that, I had a 20 private sessions with a boxing coach in Bangkok.

How do you connect with your readers?

My readers are intrigued by new perspectives and a little challenge of their own perspectives — so I try to offer articles that explore a topic that I also find interesting and I think my curiosity is transmitted to my readers as well.

Why did you join ILLUMINATION and how do you find it so far?

I joined ILLUMINATION, as there was an appealing range of topics being covered and I, wanted to explore being part of a “community”. I have so far found ILLUMINATION to be very welcoming and inclusive. The team has been very supportive and I’ve started to participate in some of the Slack communications as well.

Who are the top ten writers you follow on ILLUMINATION?

I’m currently following Ricky Derisz, Timothy Key, Karen Madej 💛, R Tsambounieri Talarantas, Tree Langdon ♾️, Rasheed Hooda, Desiree Driesenaar, René Junge, Dew Langrial I’m sure, this list will expand soon as there are so many impressive writers on ILLUMINATION.

Would you like to share one of your articles?

I’m currently in the process of re-visiting previously published articles, so at the moment I’d love to share my most recent article about photography and meditation.

This is an interview-based article where I interviewed three professional photographers, and their contributions are really fascinating.

What are the success factors for you as a writer on Medium?

Firstly, I really appreciate the process. The mere act of coming up with a thought, developing it into an article and even getting people to contribute to the article — its a truly enjoyable process. Furthermore, I’m now engaging with my social network in a much more rewarding manner. And then, of course, its about forming new connections and learning as much as possible.

What do you recommend to the new writers on ILLUMINATION?

I think the best thing is to experiment — try out different ways to write and to engage with readers.

What are your plans as a writer?

At the moment, I’m really enjoying writing interview-based articles, so this might continue for a while and at the same time I’m exploring some self-development themes that I will write about too.

Thank you for your valuable time Aisha. I look forward to reading more stories from you on ILLUMINATION. Your writing style appeals to me. I appreciate your time and support to our publication, writers, and readers on our Slack channel.

If you are a writer on ILLUMINATION and would like to be interviewed, please send a request via this link with the title of “Interview Request”.

Other Interviews

You may also check other interviews I conducted with inspiring writers of ILLUMINATION recently. These stories can provide a great opportunity to know more about our creative writers and connect with them.

Timothy Key

Desiree Driesenaar

Holly Jahangiri

Dr John Rose

Ming Qian

P.G. Barnett

Jill Ebstein

Bill Abbate

Terry Mansfield

Ann K Frailey

Woei T

Charles Roast

Julia E Hubbel

Aric D Mayer

Chris Hedges

Paroma Sen

Jeff Hanlon

Besom & Bletherskite

Sherry McGuinn

Sylvia Love Johnson

Maïa Belart

Henery X (long)

Chowa Sekai

conny manero

Sumera Rizwan

Karen Madej 💛

Anita Lesko

Marianna Saver

Suntonu Bhadra

John Cousins

Annelise Lords

Kevin Buddaeus

Invitation to writers to join ILLUMINATION

If you want to join our growing, enjoyable, and supportive publication as a writer, please leave a message via this link. We help you become a successful writer on Medium.

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You might check more interviews in the attached collection.

You can find inspiring profiles of ILLUMINATION writers from this story.

Thank you for reading my perspectives. I wish you a healthy and happy life.

About the Author

Thank you for subscribing to my content. I share my health and well-being stories in my publication, Euphoria. If you are new to Medium, you may join by following this link. A small part of your membership fee will not only support my writing, but your reading times can support many great writers on this platform.

I see opportunities endless for readers and writers on Medium. You can join my publications as a writer requesting access via this weblink.

In addition to self-improvement, leadership, technology, and health, I also enjoy writing about essential molecules such as lithium orotate, alpha-lipoic acid, n-acetyl-cysteine, acetyl-l-carnitine, digestive enzymes, magnesium, creatine, choline, hydrolyzed collagen, nootropics, CoQ10, NADH, TMG, pure nicotine, activated charcoal, Vitamin B12, Vitamin B1, Vitamin D, Vitamin K2, and other nutrients for health and fitness.