Zara Lone is Not like the other kids

Why am I not like the other kids?

I think my background kind of shaped me into the person that I am. I went to catholic school for 4 years, then went to public middle school, got shipped off to Pakistan, went to a private boarding school out there, came back and attended the rest of high school and college here. I graduated with a political science degree with a minor in sociology from Wagner College. While in school, I interned with the United Nations. I also became licensed as a business risk analyst and insurance consultant while in my junior year of college and landed a job a couple days after graduation as a professional sports business risk analyst on 42nd and Park. I went back to school a year later to get my MBA (also Wagner College) and currently work at Marsh and McLennan. I think my educational diversity really shaped my point of view and expanded my horizons very early on.

I think I'm relentless in my pursuit of success, I want to do everything - and I make sure that I do. I started my artistic endeavors with writing prose, it developed into poetry and short stories. I am a makeup artist and it sparked my interest into the realm of fashion. I then branched off into photography and started playing with graphic design. The more I did shoots and collaborated with other local artists, the more I started curating my own vision and decided that I wanted to start a project where I could have the artistic visions in my mind come to life. I have eclectic taste and enjoy quirky statement pieces, I like controversy and pushing the limit, and sometimes, my vision would clash with the photographer or creative director. I think the only way I figured out how to do that was to start directing shoots from start to finish. I wanted to find a way to complement my artistic vision with my purpose. I believe that my purpose in this lifetime is to bring to light the social and ethical issues that we see day to day but are unpopular to talk about; it's to change the world by pushing the limit to achieve positive results. It is sometimes to become the bad guy but to plant a seed in people's minds that forces them to think beyond the level of comfort that they are used to. One particular issue that is close to my heart and that I'm working on a piece for is mental health in the South Asian community. I hope to shed light on the stigmas associated with culture and religion in minority communities. Another issue that I would like to tackle is how to bridge the gap between adolescence and adulthood by teaching people the important things that are neglected by school curriculums like learning how to interview for jobs and maximizing your personal brand.

Lastly. I think what really sets me apart is that I have an immense amount of pride about where I come from. I'm a self proclaimed Staten Island fanboy and I am enlightened enough to acknowledge that there is immense talent and opportunity here. I believe that supporting where we come from and the people that we are surrounded with not only strenghthens your own personal mission by expanding your network and building bridges but strenghthens a community. I believe strongly in the power of unity and hope to make this a core value of my upcoming blog, called Chronicles of the Lone. It is going to be a culture blog hyperfocused on the concepts of social awareness, art, and community.