The Creative Hustle

In this episode of The Creative Hustle, I am joined by Nadim Karam, a renowned architect and artist who invites the world to dream and realize those dreams. In this poetic and powerful conversation, he reflects on his lifelong mission to infuse cities with imagination through monumental public art.

With iconic projects spanning Melbourne, Prague, Tokyo, Dubai, AlUla, and beyond, Nadim shares how his sculptures and installations reshape public spaces, spark collective memory, and offer moments of reflection, both in times of peace and destruction. We explore the role of the artist in the urban landscape, the transformative power of public art, the importance of collaboration and interdisciplinarity in creative practice, and what it truly means to build hope into the fabric of a city.

Chapters 0:00 Coming up… 1:40 From Urban Toys to Collaboration 3:30 Growing up in Lebanon 7:41 Influences of Japanese Architecture 11:30 Expression through different media 12:41 Starting with a sketch 15:00 Creating dreams for cities 16:10 Characters as an alphabet 17:28 ‘On parade’ in Al Ula 19:20 Creative work is a negotiation 23:19 The Rise of Public Art in MENA 28:38 The power of sculptures 29:49 1001 characters 31:24 The Vision of the ‘Cloud of Arabia’ 37:06 Nadim’s advice for aspiring artists

In this episode of The Creative Hustle, I am joined by Rana Askoul, Co-founder and Co-CEO of Khateera (خطيرة), a bold, women-centric Arab creative house and digital media platform, and Founder of Nara Healing Space in Dubai.

Rana unpacks how Khateera is reshaping the narrative around Arab women through satire, honesty and unapologetic storytelling. We talk about the power of comedy in tackling taboo topics, the importance of preserving cultural nuance while amplifying diverse women’s voices, and how going back to ancestral knowledge can help us reconnect with ourselves. Rana also reflects on her personal evolution and how she's redefining what success looks like, in business, wellness and womanhood.

Creative work has a large proportion of intangibility, which becomes a challenge when trying to price this work. So how do we place a financial value and how communicate that value to our stakeholders? 

Join me as I explain the concept of value-based pricing, share pricing trends from around the world and my pricing tips to help you craft your next proposal.

Amir El-Sobky, recognized as one of the world’s top 40 under 40 lighting designers, is a multi-disciplinary creative, musician and advocate for igniting creativity and discovering one’s true calling.

With a dynamic career at the intersection of lighting and enlightenment, I’m excited to speak with Amir about his philosophy on cultivating creative energy, the role of spirituality in the creative process and the transformative life experiences that have shaped his personal and professional journey, through passion, faith and creative resilience.

eL Seed is a contemporary artist who transforms the work of philosophers and writers into beautiful installations and murals around the world, centered around messages of humanity and peace.

I'm excited to be talking to him today about the intersection of art and entrepreneurship in his career, how he transitioned from something very different into art and how he sustained this practice throughout the years and some of the key lessons learned that he can share with our listeners.

The time is now to be talking about creative entrepreneurship. As we witness a cultural renaissance across the region, the question to ask is: who is going to lead this renaissance? It’s us, the creative entrepreneurs and fReelancers who are pushing the boundaries of creativity and innovation.

Creative entrepreneurship also comes with unique challenges. How do we balance creativity with commercial needs? How do we scale and fund our projects? How do we create impact that inspires and transforms? Let’s navigate these opportunities and challenges together.