Page 29 - ChildArt_2021.Q1_Global Creative Leaders

28 CHILDART GLOBAL CREATIVE LEADERS JAN-MAR 2021 29

At the age of three, Mohsin Hamid left Lahore, FOR THERE WAS
Pakistan with his family and traveled 7,550 EMPATHY AS A A MOMENT WHEN
miles to CA for his father’s studies at Stanford
University. There, Mohsin began a typical 1970s ANYTHING WAS
California childhood, running barefoot in the street, SUPERPOWER POSSIBLE. AND THERE
camping in the woods, playing Dungeons and WILL BE A MOMENT WHEN
Dragons, and playing make-believe. “Like many
kids, I used to pretend all sorts of things. I would NOTHING IS POSSIBLE.
climb into a tree and imagine that I was on an BUT IN BETWEEN WE CAN
island, that the grass below me was an ocean, CREATE.”
that the leaves were the fins of sharks. And I think,
unlike a lot of people, I never stopped doing this. I
continue doing this professionally, today. I make up MOHSIN HAMID -MOHSIN HAMID
worlds in the form of novels. I play make-believe
for a living.” AUTHOR

His first book, Moth Smoke, published in 2000,
established him as a writer of repute. His second LAHORE
book, The Reluctant Fundamentalist, became a
New York Times bestseller and was made into
a movie starring Riz Ahmed, Kate Hudson, and
Kiefer Sutherland. His third book, How to Get
Filthy Rich in Rising Asia, was praised as “a any other creative or worthwhile pursuit, is the result school loans. Little by little, he was able to cut back
globalized version of The Great Gatsby.” His of putting in the time. “Work is an undervalued on his consulting work and spend more time writing,
recent book, Exit West—winner of the L.A. Times attribute in contemporary society. We don’t eventually moving to London to write full time.
Book Prize for Fiction, was selected for the New expect a successful farmer to harvest wheat unless
York Times Ten Best Books of 2017 list. they put in the time. We shouldn’t expect a writer to Mohsin’s creativity is enhanced by empathy.

Mohsin’s journey from his homeland of Pakistan to a successfully grow a chapter or a book unless they “Empathy is a beautiful capacity that humans
have. It allows us to imaginatively leap across
newfound home in California marked the beginning put in the time. Kids often imagine being an Olympic barriers that we think separate us.” Mohsin’s
of personal migrations that have endowed his life gymnast, or a professional basketball player, or a understanding of empathy has evolved through
with friendship and broadened his definition of rock guitarist, or a novelist. But each of those people the years. “I used to think empathy, in and of itself,
community. “I care about issues of migration, has put in a lot of time. You don’t become a rock was enough. But something in addition to empathy
identity, foreign policy and public policy. I’m “I AM A STORYTELLER AND guitarist unless you enjoy playing the guitar. You is required. There is a moral compass that must
quite passionate about these things. Some don’t become a basketball player if you don’t like be applied to ourselves with empathy. Empathy is
people believe that art should be nonpolitical. THEREFORE AN OPTIMIST, A FIRM playing basketball. You don’t become a novelist if the superpower of humans. Will you use it to be a
I’m not one of those people.” BELIEVER IN THE ETHICAL BEND OF you don’t actually like writing. If you don’t put in villain or a hero? This question requires each of us

When Mohsin was in the fourth grade, his teachers THE HUMAN HEART, A BELIEVER IN the time, then it’s a perfectly pleasant dream to to develop our own moral compass.”
have, but it’s just a dream.”
thought that he couldn’t write. He was sent to a Mohsin believes that “kids are very robust and brilliant
special needs classroom for extra help. The THE MIND’S APPETITE FOR TRUTH From his college days at Princeton University through creatures,” yet, nurturing all that is good in children
teacher there asked Mohsin to print rather than AND ITS DISGUST WITH FRAUD. his law school days at Harvard University, Mohsin can be daunting for an adult. Each child is embarking
write in cursive. She quickly noticed that he was has made a place for writing. He was privileged to upon a unique journey. Our collective efforts to guide
a good writer! “They figured out that my writing I’M A BELIEVER IN THE POWER OF study under the renowned author Toni Morrison them along the way are such a critical part of human
was good. It was just that my handwriting was KNOWLEDGE AND THE FEROCITY OF at Princeton. About a year into law school, Mohsin civilization. He wishes for kids to understand that,
atrocious, and my spelling was very bad.” From feared he had made a terrible mistake because he “everyone is trying, but nobody is quite sure. Find
that point on, they allowed Mohsin to print rather BEAUTY, SO FROM MY POINT OF VIEW, didn’t love the study of law or the idea of practicing teachers who understand and support what you’re
than write in cursive. “If my elementary school YOUR LIFE IS ALREADY ARTFUL— law. “I was lucky enough to find an advisor who trying to do. Understand that you do not deserve
teachers had insisted that I write in cursive or that I allowed me to submit a work of fiction as my law to be harmed. Learn to communicate how you
spell very well, they could have destroyed the love WAITING, JUST WAITING, FOR YOU TO school thesis instead of a traditional legal analysis. feel, value yourself, and find a way to tell your
that I have for writing.” My novel was about a trial, so he said that would
MAKE IT ART.” work.” Mohsin finished law school and worked as a own story.” This is sage advice from one who
Although Mohsin has always loved to create stories management consultant in New York to pay off his knows the power of an exquisite story.
and write, he imparts that good writing, as well as TONI MORRISON

MOHSIN HAMID EMPATHY AS A SUPERPOWER https://icaf.org