Meet Darine Alashy || A Marvel Amongst Us!
We always feel proud presenting one of our local talents; this time it is a smart, creative and bubbly young lady with a talent so huge we couldn’t but take notice. Darine Alashy tried her hands at a number of things such as animation, computer graphics and fine arts, before deciding to bring it all together in her ‘A Minute Marvel’ concept. Darine’s avant-garde series of videos showcases local and regional talents for ‘a minute’ thus highlighting passionate and inspirational success stories of the unsung heroes in an effort to inspire others. We had a chat with Darine to understand more about Darine the person as well as to learn more about her amazing entrepreneurial idea…
1 || Can you tell us a little bit about your start?
I first majored in Computer Graphics from Princess Sumaya University and worked in animation for three years, two of which in my own animation studio where I had the freedom to explore my creative and entrepreneurial skills. My next stop in 2014 was at the New York Film Academy to study filmmaking where I truly fell in love with film production. And in 2015 I went to Barcelona to study Fine Arts at the Metafora School to satisfy my passion for art and design and to be able to expand my creations and do my exhibition. My experiences and interactions during my studies made me explore ways of creating an impact and at the end of 2015 ‘A Minute Marvel’ came to life.
2 || How did the idea behind ‘A Minute Marvel’ originate?
I felt we needed genuine content, something short and relatable, and there are a lot of inspiring people around us. ‘A Minute Marvel’ is simply a one minute video portrait featuring inspiring people who speak about their experience and stories in a minute. It started as a very personal project where I filmed my talented friends for a minute, and through social media it gained popularity. And now ‘A Minute Marvel’ is an ongoing series, so far we have featured 65 stories from wonderful people in Jordan and the Arab world.
3 || What elements do you look for in the people you portray in your videos?
‘A Minute Marvel’ celebrates those contagious people by giving them the right exposure through our one minute videos. We feature individuals who found their passion and made it happen. People who were able to turn their passion into a business thus overcoming challenges and obstacles.
4 || How did you get to where you are today?
It all started with a journey of self-discovery! I always thought lucky happy people are born that way but was I wrong!! At one point in my life I was feeling lost and useless and decided to work on finding myself first through my studies, my travels and my explorations and it worked… I became confident, positive and lucky! I wanted to have a positive impact in society and so I combined my passion for film with my wish to create a better life and thus ‘A Minute Marvel’ materialised!
“It ALL Starts Within! When You Control Your Mind, Feed Your Soul, and Take Care of Your Body…You Will Be Able To Control Your Life.Trust Your Journey!”
5 || How does the Jordanian market welcome such innovative ideas?
The best place to start a new idea is where your community is, so for me starting ‘A Minute Marvel’ in Jordan was a success. I needed the support of my family, friends and community for it to grow and become popular and then once the project was well rooted we easily expanded. Our market is thirsty for new ideas yet it’s weak, and we should support that despite the delayed appreciation and reward. However, I’m extremely proud to say that we achieved the Women Economic Participation award, won BADIR Social Fund, and media sponsored a number of international events such as (Dubai Design Week, Amman Design Week, Mobile World Congress Barcelona, and Mobile World Congress Shanghai) and signed an agreement with the Shoman Foundation to produce 40 more inspiring videos for 2018 .
6 || Do you face any limitations in your line of work and how do you overcome them?
Finding the right people to be featured can be challenging. We are giving the community the chance to recommend themselves or people they know who deserve to be highlighted through the website. This way we keep on meeting new people, showcasing inspiring stories and reaching out more.
7 || Tell us about Darine the person.
I work a lot on myself to maintain a positive attitude, I wake up early “sometimes I catch the sunrise”, I meditate and count my blessings, read, plan my day and then I’ll be ready to kick the day off. I love my alone time, I always have things to do I never get bored; that’s my introverted side but when I am out with people I become super extroverted and never stop talking. I love food and cooking, and Yoga. I love soulful experiences such as traveling, and outdoor activities. I really enjoy helping people reach their potential and want to positively impact every person I meet.
8 || A typical question, but what is next for Darine?
I never had a fixed answer for that, but I will keep on doing what I am doing, recognizing opportunities by keeping an open mind and following my intuition. Any of my next ventures will be for the sake of creating a better living for different communities, forever spreading positivity and hope.