What motivates and inspires you in your life?

What scares you and holds you back?

I have met some Afghan friends before who always encouraged me to come to Afghanistan,  “It’s a very beautiful country, come to visit us!” With their encouragement, I decided to come to Afghanistan, to use my colors to inspire life and people here, to bring more positive energy and happiness, and use my paintings to show people what is happening in Afghanistan. But I do feel scared before and after coming here, mainly because of security problems. When I was flying to Kabul, I was scared of Taliban attacking the airplane. When I walked on the street, I was afraid of bomb attacks and explosion. Since I came to Kabul, most of the time I stayed inside the building and couldn’t go outside alone, like staying in a cage.

With this kind of complicated feelings, I’m curious that if Afghan feel scared of bomb attacks or not? But what motivates them to stay and continue life? So I started to ask people to draw me their motivation and fear, to discover the spirit of Afghan behind their life.

Drawings and stories from Afghan 

“I’m an animal lover, my motivation is to achieve the equal rights for animals to live in this world peacefully, but what scares me is that，just like human thinks that they have the right to kill animals, people in high positions also think they have the right to kill people in lower positions’ .” — an organization assistant

“What motivates me is to build a tolerant world where people could accept each other. But what scares me are these politicians, they are making bad decisions for the country and people.  ”  — an organization coordinator

“My motivation is to make our country better with love. But I’m afraid of my neighbor countries, like Pakistan and Iran, they are attacking my country. ” —- an organization coordinator

“Listening to music while driving my car to take trips in the world is my motivation. But I’m scared of war and jobless, they are breaking my heart. ” — unemployed

“What inspires me to work for the government? There are many mediocrities we dead with every day in our country, but what bothers me the most is seeing the future builders and leaders of country sleeping on the sideroad because of extreme poverty. They can not afford to study, they are busy earning food for their families despite being small. I want to build work for the government and do my part in building a better for our children. However, every day on the way to my office, what scares me is dying for nothing on the road by the hands of the extremist !” — a government officer

“Every morning on my way to the office, I see small girls and boys with their school uniforms and a beautiful innocent smile, running to their schools, is what motivates me to stay in Afghanistan and work hard. They give me hope and the power to overcome my fears. But what scares me is the explosions in the city, which kill innocent kids and people.” — a government officer

” Creating is my daily motivation. But I’m scared of the explosions in Kabul. ” –a graphic designer

“Afghanistan is my home, after each winter, there is a spring. Afghanistan is beautiful, we need peace to see more of its beauty. Afghanistan is full of opportunities, I want to go to the top of the country, where I could see happiness and hope.  But what holds back to climb to the top easily is the safety issues in Afghanistan, also,  I as old brother need to take care my young brothers and sisters, which is a high pressure on me. ”  — a company manager

“The war has destroyed everything, and now we need to rebuild everything in Afghanistan, so it is a big market where you can find all opportunities, now I have a small company, my motivation is to find the way towards success and have an international organization and provide more people jobs. But what hold me back are security problems, visa problems, and unstable market. ” — a businessman 

“I want Equality, and I’m fighting for it, which sometimes makes me frustrated.
I want Peace, but I don’t have, I feel frustrated again.
I’m happy and proud to be a woman. ”
— a photographer

“For me, motivation is looking at future full of hope and beauty. But people always envy you, maybe, I always seek refuge in spirituality ” – an artist

 

“My family is my motivation, but security is my biggest concern.” –an airport security manager

“To achieve the women empowerment is my biggest motivation，I hope to see all the people standing for their rights in a rally. I draw a woman who wears red lipstick, red dress, and red shoes, rarely you can see women in Afghanistan in red because they said it’s a color of attraction but women need to be modest, But I want to wear everything in red, just for myself, not for man. I hope to see lots of women to go to office, which means they have already been educated and gotten a job.  What scares me ? Nothing, nothing could hold me back, I know that are bombs, I know I may die, but I will continue my way with more passion.” — work for woman rights

“My family is the core of my life, they taught me how to love, how to be honest and caring to my friends, how to entertain and enjoy my life, how to work harder in my career, how to make positive changes to achieve peace in Afghanistan. There is nothing to hold me back from what I want, my family and friends have given me everything. ” — a photographer 

“My people, the youth, the history of the country, the natural beauty and the resilience of my people motivate me. What scares me is the youth not doing anything to overcome the challenges. ” — a minister

“As far as I go, even to the death, you are always infront of me. ” — A photographer. 

“I hate Taliban! And I love Peace. My dreams motivate me for what I’m doing, “– a painter

“The joy of music and education motivates me to come to Afghanistan to teach music. I’m scared to lost students. I always think if they are safe, if the secured and protected environment of the school, if the music will be with them……My beloved student, 1 15-year-old girl, just run away and got married. I miss her…….” — A music teacher from Mexico

“The duality of hope and dispain, that is part of the daily existence in Afghanistan, gives me the prick to keep going forward. Hope will win over dispain.” — an architect

“Duality becomes mutuality. Pain +fear is the confusion of the spirit. when you turn your head left and right –don’t know where to go. ” — a student

“I am not scared of anything. Education is everything. ” — an Entrepreneur 

“What motivates me to keep my spirit up and remain hopeful is positive thoughts. I believe in future and good images. What scares me? When my friends leave the country. My friends are the soul of this city for me. When they leave, their city becomes soulless. ” — a Photographer

“Don’t put me in a box please.” — work for Norwegian Refugee Council, from Taiwan

“I want to make my country a better place to live for every nation in peace and I want gender equality, education, clean environment, and a country with no poverty no corruption. What scares me? Explosions could happen every day in the city. ” — student

“In this critical situation, we need to have our Pashtoons, Tajiks, Uzbeks, Hazara, Turkmen brothers to live peacefully and give their hand to each other, in order to experience what our country or homeland wants since centers ago. It motivates me to live and work with different people of my homeland for prospering Afghanistan. It scares me that if we used guns, swords, and bombs instead of education, peace and hardworking, will go to chaos situation which we won’t have our flag anymore. ” — Social and youth activist

“The world needs kindness and compassion and empathy. the Sami dance and the part of Rumi poem — I wish for Human— is depicted of the current state of the world; ” — a celebrity 🙂 

“……” — a creative director

Mowen

Kabul, Afghanistan
2018.5 – 6