Today we’d like to introduce you to Saira Umar.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’ve always loved art, stories, and being creative. I read voraciously and drew for fun. I started performing musical theater and enjoyed seeing worlds come to life around me. All this brought me to want to write and to the animation industry.
It took a lot of trying and rejection to land a job in Hollywood and I’ve had to try many different avenues and doors to get to where I am, and it’s only just the beginning! You just have to do what feels right and try your best to keep moving forward towards your dreams.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It hasn’t been a smooth road — there was a lot of self-discovery and reflection on what I wanted to do and if I wanted to take the “risky” path in a creative field.
There’s been a lot of rejection, as I mentioned before, and things outside of my control, like the dwindling amount of available jobs, the networking & extroverted favoring part of the industry, and more. But ultimately, each rejection is just another thing on the path to the right thing, so you have to keep going and learn what you can from them.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m primarily focused on writing. I’d love to one day pitch and develop a TV show and tell stories that way, but beyond that, I’m interested in a variety of mediums, so books and also content for YouTube and social media are things I’ve tried before.
What sets me apart from others is my background across many mediums — having done theater, art, fashion design, and teaching, to name a few things, I’m able to use that knowledge in the stories I tell and view animation and TV through all those lenses.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
Luck is a huge part of the entertainment industry. You can increase your luck just be being prepared, being present and ready, and making space for yourself. I think a lot of succeeding is being in the right place and right time (once you’re ready).
For me, a lot of the opportunities I had were exactly that — knowing the right person, or sending an email, or being somewhere when there was a need for it, and there was no way of me knowing that, so, it was “luck,” but in truth, it’s just probability. Increase your odds, and eventually you’ll find success!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.sairaumar.weebly.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/_princessSaira_
- Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/sairaumar
- Twitter: twitter.com/_princessSaira_
- Youtube: youtube.com/sairaumar
