Every month we will interview an Empress from our community to highlight and celebrate their work.
As our community grows, we want to create an inspiring space to share our stories. Our July muse is Farrin Khan. Farrin is not only a medical student but also a self-published poet, dancer, cook, fashionista and all round kick-ass creative Empress.
If the above list seems overwhelming, you're not alone. Below we do a deep-dive into what makes Farrin tick, how her new poetry book "No More Ear Nectar" came about, her journey to self-love, and more.
You can find Farrin on her website , Instagram and Amazon
“No More Ear Nectar” is a poetic journey of a woman coming to love herself, knows her worth, and is only made stronger by her trials. And every woman is capable and deserving of reaching this pinnacle.
Tell us bit about yourself and your background
I am currently in university studying as a premed student, but I’ve always been a creative person, and I channel this through writing. I'd call myself an avid dreamer with a travel bucket list that is miles long. I have a never-ending reservoir of opinions and love finding culinary gems around Boston.
What woman inspires you and why?
There are so many women who serve as an inspiration to me. There are those who lie in the pages of history, from Cleopatra to Catherine of House Romanov. Then there are those that breathe and exist beside me. My friend who hustled and started her own salon. My mother who shows me each day how formidable women can be in the face of their trials. My sister who is battling a virus on the frontlines of the hospital. Every woman is an inspiration, wears an invisible crown, and is a queen on a throne of her own making.
What was your dream job as a kid and why? At what point did you know you wanted to pursue your current path?
As a child, I devoured books. I found books to be such a feast, with the spice of suspense to the sweet hints of romance. I knew from a very early age that I wanted to publish my own book. Writing has always served as a sort of catharsis for me, and poetry especially was where I channeled and processed all my emotions. I collected my poetry from the age of thirteen to twenty. I published this collection once I was brave enough. Because it really revealed my journey to becoming the woman I am today, from battling doubt and depression and overcoming it, I wanted to share it with other women too. “No More Ear Nectar” is a poetic journey of a woman coming to love herself, knows her worth, and is only made stronger by her trials. And every woman is capable and deserving of reaching this pinnacle. “No More Ear Nectar,” is my proudest accomplishment to date. It’s on Amazon and on my website www.farrinkhan.com!
Do you have any rituals or routines that help you get through a difficult day? How do you bounce back?
I always have this playlist aptly named the “Bad B*tch” playlist that I play to remind myself that I can prevail. Music reflects my emotions and helps in motivating and inspiring me. I am also a firm believer in self-care and how much it can help in getting you through the day. On a particularly bad day, I make it a point to use a body scrub and a face mask. The ability that these little things have in calming you is amazing. It’s your time to recoup and remember that queens can conquer anything!
What has your journey to self love and empowerment looked like?
My journey was filled with pebbles of doubt, stones I had to overturn to face ugly truths, and thorns that snatched at my heels and echoed in pessimism. But it is a journey nonetheless, and I am stronger for it. I tell of this journey in my poems, from the riotous nature of my mind at the state of our world, to romances that soured, to my final realization that true empowerment comes from within.
What is your favourite quote?
“Mom, I am a rich man.” How could I not adore the absolute confidence and empowering syllables in this quote from Cher? <3
Which books / writers have impacted you the most? If you could gift everyone one book, which one would it be?
Growing up, my favorite book was “The Great Gatsby” because of how beautifully it was written. I loved Alfred Tennyson’s poetry because of how unique it was, and I adored Agatha Christie as well. If I could give everyone one book, it would be “We Should All Be Feminists” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. It is an engrossing an empowering read that should land in the hands of everyone.
What is your lifetime dream / goal and how are going about achieving this?
My dream is a sort of bucket list. I want to publish a book that reaches people and resonates with them. I want to start a medical-grade makeup company that inspires women to embrace their skin, especially since my home country of India struggles with the lasting impressions of colonization, and colorism (the preference of lighter skin), is such an effect. I want to be the same formidable mother to my children that my own mother is to me. I am unafraid, confident, and even if I stumble into failures, they are simply hurdles that must be overcome.