Fariha is a multidisciplinary writer who has released works of poetry, non-fiction and fiction among many articles for various publications, as well as recently having released her first book “Who Is Wellness For?”. We first met Fariha on Instagram, and fell in love with her very quickly. The Suku team became obsessed with her newsletter “How To Cure A Ghost” and read it religiously throughout the Melbourne lockdowns. In a time of COVID where we were all looking for comfort, Fariha’s beautiful words about collective grief and how to better understand our emotions were the soothing for the soul that we all needed.
We admire how Fariha prioritises embracing the individual self in a time marked by homogeneity, continuing along her own path and staying true to herself. You can see this reflected in her work and her consistency in championing the issues that matter to her. Through embracing her individuality she has been able to foster a sense of community with her audience, and we’re so glad to be a part of it. Join us in the fray after reading our Little Chat with Fariha, where we talk about all things joy and delightful solitude.
You were born in Canada, grew up in Sydney and have now lived in LA for some time. What parts of these cities do you carry with you to feel at home?
I also lived in New York for almost 8 years, Montreal for almost 4. It’s pretty wild I’ve been away from Sydney, and Australia - my island home - for more than 12 years. Absurd.
From Sydney I carry my taste, my very Australian taste that is popping with color (honestly very Suku) and was refined on the streets of Newtown going vintage shopping and thrifting at the Glebe markets. I’ve got a pretty extensive wardrobe because I’ve been dressing the same since I was 12… lol. Sydney gave me that, and I carry my Australian sense of style with me everywhere.
New York gave me a love for walking the streets, especially long distances, and a sincere love for the fall.
Montreal gave me French quirk, an entirely new reference point of the Canadian avant-garde… which is really dope. Like pretty wild that everyone from Grimes, Drake and Justin Bieber are Canadian.
Los Angeles has given me a new appreciation for my body. I’m in love with life here. I feel alive here. In astro-cartography LA sits on my Venus/MC line so it’s definitely shining a nice light on me.
What childhood memories do you turn to for comfort?
The films I watched, the books I read, the nature that comforted me… and the good times with my dad, sister and mum when we forgot everything and laughed.
You’re having a solo dance party in your living room - what are you listening to?
Maybe Ya Sidi by Orange Blossom or something by Tame Impala, lol.
What are ways in which you continue to bring play into your life?
Through fashion, through making art, through my home.
What is your go-to comfort meal?
Anything brothy – like anchovies with white beans or lamb meatballs cooked in broth or some creamy polenta with perfectly stewed mushrooms.
What books are you reading right now? What are you loving about them?
I’m reading one of my best friends Safia Elhillo’s new book Girls That Never Die. She’s just such an inspiration. Reading Safia is a constant recognition of the necessity of art and how the best of it satiates something deep inside of you, like her words do for me, becoming a salve for a lost wound and a lost self.
You’re lounging at home - what’s your go-to outfit?
Some comfy socks, a perfect hoodie and some slinky silk panties.
Writing is by nature an independent endeavour. Do you have rituals in place to get you ready to write?
I try to write with fire, I try to conjure it with my body. I smoke a lot of weed. I try and write at my own pace – I try not to push anything so a lot of my writing ritual is about nurturing myself to feel safe and comfortable enough to let the writing juices flow.
What do you find grounds you while juggling so many projects?
God, the Earth.
How do you feel your style has developed with you throughout the years?
I think the only thing that’s truly changed since I was 12 is that I just have more money than I used to have and thus can actually afford to buy the clothes I want. For most of my life I’ve thrifted.
Take us through your ideal solo day?
I wake up and smoke a joint, listen to the perfect songs, maybe watch a movie… like Memoria by Achitpong Weerasethakul for example, and eventually come out of bed to meditate, pray and pull Tarot. I take a hot shower, drink some matcha or PJ tips (and if it’s the best day I’m treating myself to an oat flat white) and maybe go for a walk. On the way I find some shops with cute treats for me and my friends, I buy books and treasures, and eventually stumble upon a place to eat. The meal is perfect.
Maybe I walk around more, but eventually I head home. Read a little, write for leisure, smoke some more. I’ll eat a snack, depending on what I had for breakfast. After a few hours of decompressing through art I’ll eventually think about dinner.
Maybe a roasted chicken with salsa verde that I’ll make for a few friends. Also a kale caesar, some prawns marinated in paprika and lime, green beans cooked with garlic and meyer lemons and chilled cucumbers. We’ll drink a perfect pet nat, lambrusco or gamay. For dinner we eat a raw avocado lime cheesecake.
They leave by 10.30 pm (lol LA life) and I have a hot shower and slather my body in a perfect oil, put on my Suku robe and go into bed. To fall asleep I either read or watch something like Atlanta. It’s perfect.
Photography by Tegan Lee
You can shop Fariha's picks here