Doing good.

Very different, depending on the day! Like many women, I wear many hats. Some days I'm on set shooting and the next, I'm in loungewear with dirty hair running my business or studying. But each day includes cuddles with my kitty, and I aim to make time to read every day.

Modelled Minds is a community and an education platform where mental health, self-care and body celebration thrive. I wanted to create a space where individuals could be uplifted and inspired to openly discuss their mental health, self-care, and celebrate their bodies.

We need to create safe spaces to talk about these topics, away from stigma. It gives us confidence to speak out, even when people may not understand or judge. By doing this, we can inspire others to feel that they can also share their voice. I want to have a positive impact on others' lives, and I hope this is one way I do this.

I'm inspired by the strong female characters in the books I read. The women who face adversity and challenges and keep going. I can see how they represent the strength of women everywhere. I hope to slay my dragons and face any army, just as they do.

I started blogging in 2010 when Blogspot was all the rage, while studying digital media and marketing at uni. I didn’t see anyone in Australia look or dress like me in the media growing up and needed a creative outlet to express myself. As social media grew, my blog grew on platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and now TikTok. I’ve been able to work with so many incredible local and POC-owned brands on my accounts, all while getting to be myself.

As a woman of colour, I feel like I don't have the luxury to ignore certain issues as for me and my POC community. Some of the issues we raise awareness on are things we deal with in our daily lives, both professionally and personally. We don’t just talk about it because it's ‘trending’. We speak up because no one else before us has, or has been able to. Mainstream media usually doesn't highlight our stories and issues. Having the platform I have, it’s important to talk about issues I'm well educated on, or have had lived experiences in, to bring a different perspective.

Honestly, it still feels surreal. When you grow up realising certain spaces were not made with people who look like you, you don’t really think you can be invited to the table. The love I got from my Bangaldeshi followers here and abroad in the diaspora was something I had never experienced. It was like we all won and were all in Vogue!

When I get to be myself. I think when you grow up in a world where women are told how to talk, dress, behave, it's powerful to just ignore the rules and do you. To me, female empowerment means to just be myself and succeed in spaces that weren't made for me. I think it's empowering to challenge certain norms that are outdated.

My mum, Vashtie, Winnie Harlow, and South Asian creatives in the diaspora. All these women have unapologetically been themselves while pushing boundaries and creating safe spaces for the community while doing badass things in their careers.

My favourite thing about my job is how it makes me feel. I feel so strong and empowered when I perform. It allows me to help create memories and experiences for others and I think that is really special.

I've been working with Listen Up Music as an ambassador for nearly four years now. They are passionate about mental health awareness and educating people. As someone who has dealt with anxiety my entire adult life, their message of healing through music rings so true to me. I knew it was a cause I could get behind and support.