Biography

Professional

Tiara Shafiq is a young cosmopolitan passionate about bring people of diverse interests, cultures, and visions together to create greater change within themselves and their world. Her extensive background in the creative industries, youth engagement, and intercultural integration combine with her interest in alternatives – from alternative education to alternative spirituality – to inspire others to look beyond “the usual” in their lives.

She writes and manages EducateDeviate, a leading Malaysian blog empowering youth to learn their own way. She’s just completed a Bachelor’s Degree in Creative Industries (Interdisciplinary) from Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia, and just completed a research project with QUT to develop the Disability Resources Wiki. She is also an avid volunteer, reader, creative, social media user, and traveller.

Right now Tiara is also an aspiring burlesque performer, currently trained by the Scoundrelles lead by Lena Marlene, Clare Challen, and Vivienne la Rouge. She has performed in the RaGTaG Revue and has volunteered for the Burlesque Ball . She is developing a character/side business called The Merch Girl , offering merchandise, front-of-house, and backstage services with a performative twist.

Tiara is looking out for opportunities to combine creativity, personal development and support, holistic help, and social change together in fun and unusual ways.

Personal

I am a young cosmopolitan passionate about bring people of diverse interests, cultures, and visions together to create greater change within themselves and their world. I was born and raised in Malaysia, have Bangladeshi heritage and citizenship, currently live in Australia for further study, and travel extensively. Through being a “global nomad”, I have a deep appreciation for diversity and especially enjoy integrating aspects of various approaches and methods (especially those deemed “alternative”) to create a more effective whole – be that in community building, education, creativity, or other fields.

My interests are varied and diverse, though they have generally followed themes of creativity, culture, and service. Ever since my school years, I have fought against societal expectations to follow my own truths. I was often challenged by not being understood or respected, or by not finding enough resources. I’ve now made it a mission to supply and source resources and support for other young people in my position going for the unorthodox despite (or in spite of) pressure from other forces.

Among the more out-there things I’ve tried and/or advocated for include:

• Taken a year off after secondary school to try different things at my own pace
• Taken another year off in between university to travel the world on a global education program (Up with People – best time of my life!)
• Obtained a good job with barely any university experience but at a higher rate of pay than most fresh grads
• Written a 50,000-word novel in 30 days, twice
• Shaved my head for cancer charities
• Written letters in the middle of the night to world leaders
• Blogged 24 hours straight (twice) for charity
• Created a fan website that grabbed the attention and respect of its fandom
• Travelled across the world to see a favourite singer live
• Went to the UN for a conference
• Flew across the world twice to interview for the KaosPilots social enterprise schools
• Performed in burlesque shows

and so on.

I personally favour creative approaches to empowerment and community development. I have just completed a Bachelor’s in Creative Industries (Interdisciplinary), submajoring in CI Management and Creative Writing, earning plenty of education and experience in festivals, events, creative societies, planning and so on. I also dabble in other creative modes such as performance and new/digital media. I find creativity a highly effective means of personal therapy and would like to learn more about arts and wellbeing (especially for mental and psychological health).

Right now I’m developing a passion for burlesque. It’s fun, creative, crazy, and I get to indulge a whole bunch of creative interests (music, acting, dancing, visioning) together. What I especially love about burlesque is the company – I’ve been blessed with some awesome friendly open people who are so supportive of my journey and always have something to teach me at every turn. It’s a mad world but I love it.

I have a strange relationship with being busy. I can’t stand doing nothing; being bored frazzles me and stresses me. However, in compensation I often work myself to the bone and end up getting burnt out. I recently read Paulo Coelho’s The Witch of Portobello, where it talks about being comfortable with your “blank spaces” – the pauses in between music, the moment between two beats, the space between two words. I haven’t yet gotten familiar with those blank spaces – sometimes I face them, and get a little fearful, but often I’m too rush to consider. I am learning how to slow down and take time…there is still time for everything, including the pauses.

I learn best by experience – while I do enjoy the occasional class or reading, I prefer to learn by actually doing the thing itself. I don’t function as well in large, faceless lectures where the main focus is on earning high grades. I want my work to matter – that all my energy and effort and education will go towards a greater good. For this reason, I’ve constantly sought out alternative forms of education, such as Up with People or the KaosPilots, and I’ve been advocating stridently for others to explore such diverse modes of learning. Hopefully, in my lifetime, people would stop looking to traditional schools as being the only providers of education, and think about how they can encourage themselves and others to flourish in their own learning.

I’m usually a big-picture, vision person. I’m constantly full of ideas, can visualise possible outcomes well, and can also work out what needs to be done to achieve the grand vision. However, I am still developing skills in execution and follow-through, including finding people that are good in this area and sharing the work. In a way, I would make a great Artistic Director, but will need the skills of an experienced Production Manager to be able to bring my ideas to fruition. Eventually I would like to create self-sustaining opportunities that are able to run ethically without needed extensive involvement of mine.

I believe that as long as the work is done well, ethically, within parameters, and on time, it shouldn’t matter whether it took them 2 hours or 2 days, and that employees shouldn’t be punished for slotting in the minor personal email check here and there. I think the sex industry is more complex than anyone gives it credit for and that sex workers aren’t always degraded or degrading in their jobs. I believe that everyone’s perspective of spirituality and the Universe is true for them, and that none of us can ever know the meta-Truth. I believe that visas are a hindrance and a pain, and should be eliminated, at least for young people. I believe relationships are about specific people, not general roles. I believe morality is highly subjective and that humans can make justification for any behaviour. I believe world peace is impossible but something else can and should happen. I believe that tests, grades, and exams are overrated. I believe the importance of university degrees are overblown.

I am a highly complex person who can’t, shouldn’t, and won’t be classified merely by what I do or what I like. My self changes and grows with the times, as I learn more, experience more, explore more.

Within all that evolution, though, I am still, and always will be, me.