ILLUMINATION Writers
Interview with Ali Qutmiera
Featuring creative writers of ILLUMINATION
In this story, I share an interview that I conducted with Ali Qutmiera. I am impressed by the stories of this young writer. Ali is a new writer on ILLUMINATION, and I have started reading his engaging and informing stories.
Ali looks young but thinks mature. His knowledge of political science, philosophy, and command of English are noticeable in his insightful stories. Ali writes about diverse and complicated topics which inspire our readers.
What I liked the most in his stories was simplifying complex political and philosophical topics such as existentialism or stoicism and making them understandable for readers in simple terms.
Ali has gained excellent recognition by our readers and writers in such a short time as he is meaningfully engaging with our writers and readers. He supports, extends, and amplifies the messages of our writers. Let’s explore the background of this young writer.
Tell us a bit about your background, Ali.
I’m twenty-three years old and a recent political science graduate from the University of California, San Diego. Aside from my eight-month stint in Washington D.C., this past year, I’ve been a California kid my entire life. And no, that does not mean I’m a hippie surfer — I’m just a hippie.
I was born and raised in the Bay Area and am the son of two Palestinian immigrants. The majority of my family still reside in Jerusalem and I try to visit as frequently as possible. Given the never-ending conflict, traveling to the West Bank is incredibly difficult and results in me not seeing my family for years at a time.
My Palestinian identity has influenced me in more ways than I can imagine. From an early age, I became infatuated with Middle Eastern affairs and foreign policy. This fascination has continued into my adulthood because as a child of diaspora, I’ve struggled with forming an opinion on what my background is.
From members of my community to literature, to film — I’ve always found myself relying on the words of others to help me better understand myself.
Palestinian intellectuals, such as, Edward Said, Mahmoud Darwish, Ghassan Kanafani, and Rashid Khalidi (who I met at the Politics and Prose Bookstore in D.C., this past February), have helped me grapple with what it means to be Palestinian in a country that hasn’t served my people any favors.
Besides the heavy stuff, I’m an avid sports fan. I’ve played soccer my entire life and love watching football and basketball. I’m a die-hard Lakers fan and am excited to watch us win the 2020 title this year. R.I.P Kobe.
Why do you write on Medium?
I use the Medium as a creative outlet for me to articulate my thoughts and feelings and present them to a greater community. I began publishing on here a couple of months ago and I instantly noticed the collaborative and inviting environment the Medium offers.
As a writer, you have the power to create anything and everything. This sort of liberation pushes you to be more imaginative and break down barriers you didn’t know existed.
I interact with new writers every day on this site, who all embrace their uniqueness and create accordingly. I find that to be incredibly encouraging and motivational. We push each other, and you’ll find that you may sometimes need that in order to succeed.
What are your values as a writer?
My values as a writer, first and foremost, is authenticity. I’m not worried about other people’s opinions or critiques of me. I write for myself and value the words I put out into the world.
I view writing as a form of self-discovery. The more vulnerability and creativity you pour into your work, the more rewarding the outcome will be.
What are the top three books affected your life?
Tough question! Every book I’ve ever read has affected me in one way or another, but I’m going to list the books that have been vital for my development.
The Soul of a Butterfly
Reflections on Life’s Journey by Muhammad Ali. Representation matters. I first read this book as an awkward, short, skinny, 7th grader, who was embarrassed by his own name and uncomfortable in his own skin. I can’t begin to put into words the strength, courage, and confidence Muhammad Ali instilled in me at a young age. Although his fighting days were long before my time, reading the words of a legend who had the same name and followed the same religion as I did, meant everything to me. My favorite quote from his autobiography is, “…recognize how every moment of our journey is an important part of the growth of our soul.”
Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon
I read this book earlier in the year and found it to be quite motivational. It’s encouraging and helped me realize that there’s nothing new under the sun and that’s okay. It gave me permission to copy my heroes’ work and to use it as a springboard to find my own unique style! My favorite quote, from Steal Like an Artist is, “What to copy is a little bit trickier. Don’t just steal the style, steal the thinking behind the style. You don’t want to look like your heroes, you want to see like your heroes.”
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
I first read TKM in high school and fell in love with the character Atticus Finch. Atticus was one of my original inspirations to attend law school. I viewed him as a hero who embraced a higher good, such as freedom or equality, despite personal consequences. My favorite quote from TKM is, “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view…until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.”
What are your hobbies?
I have a ton of hobbies!
Playing sports (soccer, basketball, and golf), reading, writing, hiking, fishing, cooking, and traveling. My hobbies help me de-clutter my mind and also inspire me creatively.
How do you connect with your readers?
I try to limit how much time I spend online each day, so I’m never consistent with my social media presence. But I do spend an hour or so a day, “clapping” at articles on the Medium, highlighting as many articles as I can, and responding to any messages! To all my readers, I love you, and thank you for supporting me on this journey.
Why did you join ILLUMINATION and how do you find it so far?
One of my followers recommended I start publishing my work on ILLUMINATION, as she is one of the top writers for the publication! I immediately hopped on the opportunity and haven’t looked back since.
I love a lot of things about ILLUMINATION, and the first would have to be the community it has offered me. Besides getting more views on my pieces, I love interacting with new writers and reading as much of their content as I can.
Who are the top ten writers you follow on ILLUMINATION?
Man, choosing only ten is tough!
In no particular order, here’s my top ten:
R Tsambounieri Talarantas, Charlotte Zobeir Ali, John Ross, Terry Mansfield, Dr John Rose, Chris Hedges, Sylvia Love Johnson, Rabia Mustafa, Taylor Carr, Anita Sud
What are your top five stories that you want to share with your audience and why?
Here are my selected top five stories:
Know Thyself
Easily my favorite piece so far. I wrote this piece a week after receiving word that my Department of State Internship was terminated due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For the first time in my life, I was truly lost. I was no longer a student or an intern and was uncomfortable existing without a title. After realizing I lost my sense of self and identity, I embarked on my journey of pure introspective thought. Induced by philosophy, psychedelics, and the unknown, I wrote this blog as a template for what I want to do with my mind.
Camus’ Manuscript on Surviving a Plague
First and foremost, I aspire to be Albert Camus. I read, “The Plague”, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, and sought to apply the wisdom Camus displayed in that novel, to our current situation. This piece was incredibly fun to write and I highly recommend, “The Plague”, to anyone who hasn’t read it!
The Absurdity of Life: COVID-19
This piece was written at peak COVID hysteria. Media sensationalism, partisan politics, mass consumerism, all of it disgusted me to the point of breaking. I created a Medium account and wrote this piece, with the hope that people will calm the fuck down. It didn’t work. But it inspired me to continue to write and continue sharing my work with the world!
Black Sky
This is an existential poem of sorts that is meant to be a dialogue between a father and son. The inquisitive nature of the child reminds me of when I was younger — constantly bombarding everyone with questions. Clearly, the questions know no end and answers will never satisfy a hungry soul. I chose the imagery of refugees traveling in the dark, to provide context to the questions being asked. The child’s statement, “It’s very beautiful but meaningless”, takes on an absurdist/existentialist view of the world we live in.
Inquisition
I definitely used the collective “we” to help me feel less alone in this piece. I constantly find myself looking towards the future for solace, while subsequently neglecting the beauty of the present. This piece was written to help ground me in the now and to enjoy the individuality of each and every day.
What are the success factors for you as a writer on Medium?
Success, to me, is less about the outcome of my writing and more about the act of doing. Anytime I publish a piece I would consider it successful, regardless of the statistical outcome of it!
For these reasons, I would already consider myself a successful writer on the Medium. It’s allowed me to step out of my comfort zone and interact with fascinating people from all over the world. I’ve forged relationships with several writers and there is nothing more rewarding than having your work resonate with someone who has no reason to lie to you about enjoying what you’ve written.
Lastly, money is not a success factor of mine. But I have made $2.91 off of my writing so far and I can full-heartedly say that this may be the most meaningful sum of money I have ever earned in my entire life.
What do you recommend to the new writers on ILLUMINATION?
Be yourself. Find your niche. Read and write every single day even if it’s the last thing you feel like doing.
What are your future plans as a writer?
Stay hungry!
Stay foolish!
Thank you for your valuable time Ali Qutmiera.
I enjoy reading your remarkable stories on ILLUMINATION. Your writing style, your meaningful messages and your choice of content are appealing, informative, uplifting, and inspirational to our readers.
I appreciate your excellent support to our publication, writers, and readers. Our readers will discover your insightful stories. You are a source of inspiration to our readers.
You can follow Ali and discover more interesting stories from his Medium profile. You may be surprised.
If you are a writer on ILLUMINATION and would like to be interviewed, please send a request via this link with title of “Interview Request”.
Connect with other engaging writers
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.
These reputable writers are gems of ILLUMINATION!
You can find inspiring profiles of ILLUMINATION writers from this story.
Meet our top writers!
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You can find inspiring profiles of ILLUMINATION writers from this story.
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Thank you for reading my perspectives. I wish you a healthy and happy life.
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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. You may also join my publications as a writer requesting access via this weblink. I write about health as it matters. I believe health is all about homeostasis. I share important life lessons from people in my professional and social circles.
