In Conversation with Saman Hayat Soomro

Every person is destined to play a role in society, and some are able to create profound goodness with just their mere existence. Saman Hayat Soomro didn’t set out to become a digital personality but she had all the traits to give out positive vibes and make a difference. Aiming to tackle the stereotype perception of Pakistani women, while empowering them to unleash their creative spark, Saman has created amazing videos with motivational messages. Speaking to Social Diary, she shared more about how she started off on this ‘accidental’ journey and what more she aims to attain.

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SD: Share with our readers how your interest as a digital creator piqued.

Saman: I was actually not even aware of what a ‘digital creator’ or a ‘content creator’ is. It happened accidentally. I started hosting a live show for a digital platform and when people started watching me regularly, they wanted to follow me somewhere so I created my public Instagram profile and that’s how it actually started.

SD: What was the first thought that came to you on how you will create a distinctive platform for yourself?

Saman: So initially it was very random, just posting about what I was doing, where I was going, but when I went to Malaysia and took a solo trip to Langkawi, I got a lot of exposure. First of all, it made me believe in myself, because in my head that was something a girl couldn’t do(traveling solo), and secondly, I met a lot of people from all over the world who had a perception built of how Pakistani women are. And that’s when I decided, I wanted to break that stereotype and empower Pakistani women to do much much more.

SD: How has the journey been so far?

Saman: The journey has been ecstatic, wonderful, exceptional – words are less to describe the amount of love and respect I’ve received over the years. Wouldn’t say it’s easy, it’s not easy, it’s a 24/7 job, full time, and it’s a very public role. To include everyone in your life in all kinds of emotions, happy times, sad times, and toughest is to include them and share our difficult times and struggles with them.

SD: Do you feel this market is too saturated right now or does creativity does not have any barriers?

Saman: No matter how saturated the market is, you can always stand out for how focused you are, how creative and hardworking you are, and how much you love your job. You shouldn’t be comparing yourself with other creators, you should be competing against yourself. Create something better than last time, be relatable, and most importantly, be real.

SD: What is your mantra for managing the trolls?

Saman: I used to cry and feel upset about those comments before. Some still bother me, but now I just ignore them. I’ve realized that I’m the main character, and others are just extras. Let them say what they want; they truly don’t matter.

SD: How do you create a balance between sharing and keeping certain aspects of your life private?

Saman: It was challenging for me. My fiancé (now husband) made me realize that not everything needs to be shared publicly. I was initially offended, but I now understand the importance of keeping parts of our lives private. I’ve started to separate my work from my personal life.

SD: You create plenty of content on Pakistan- your thoughts on how to brave the storm of chaos engulfing the country right now?

Saman: I think my 14th August reel said it all. I love Pakistan, but I’m super hurt right now. And that is how everyone feels at this point I believe.