Recently, Kuwaiti visual artist Alymamah Rashed published a letter she described as “a small offering of remembrance,” written during what she called turbulent days in the region. In the letter, she reflects on faith, presence, and the importance of staying spiritually grounded in uncertain times.

After reading it, we decided to ask Alymamah to share more about her personal experience and how faith and spirituality help her navigate difficult moments — in case her thoughts might support others. In this conversation, she reflects on the ways faith offers grounding, patience, and trust in both everyday life and her artistic practice.

— How can faith or spirituality help people cope with difficult or uncertain situations? How has it helped you personally?

— Faith offers a form of grounding when the world feels unstable. It reminds us that uncertainty is part of the human condition, yet we are never entirely alone within it. For me, faith is not only practised through prayer but through awareness and presence in my everyday life. Painting, walking, reflecting, and listening to silence become forms of remembrance. During uncertain moments, faith allows me to return to a deeper trust that there is wisdom beyond what we can immediately comprehend. It softens fear and transforms it into patience.

— Why do you think people often turn to faith or spiritual practices during times of crisis?

— Moments of crisis strip away the illusions of control that we often carry in daily life. When this happens, people naturally seek something larger than themselves. Faith provides language for what we cannot explain and comfort for what we cannot change. It gives people a sense of continuity and meaning, reminding us that hardship is not the end of the story but part of a greater unfolding.

— In what ways does faith give you strength and emotional support when things feel overwhelming? Are there specific practices, prayers, or rituals that help you?

— For me, strength often comes from returning to stillness and creating a space of presence. I find that listening to ambient and classical music on my vinyl player helps ground me deeply. Artists like Carlos Niño, André 3000’s flute compositions, and Max Richter allow me to enter a state of calm and reflection. I light candles and incense in my studio, and as I paint, I become fully present with my body, my mind, my spirit, and my beating heart. All of these are blessings that Allah has given me, and I do not take them for granted. In these moments, painting becomes a form of remembrance and gratitude, allowing me to reconnect with faith through the act of creation itself.

— Can faith help people find meaning or purpose in suffering or hardship? Have you ever experienced a moment when faith helped you see a difficult situation differently?

— Faith allows us to see hardship not only as something to endure but as something that can transform us. Difficult experiences often reveal aspects of ourselves that we may not have encountered otherwise, such as patience, compassion, or resilience. There have been moments in my life where uncertainty felt overwhelming, yet faith shifted my perspective. Instead of seeing difficulty as purely negative, I began to understand it as part of a process of growth and deepening awareness.

— During challenging times, what helps you stay grounded spiritually? Is there something you return to, such as prayer, reflection, community, or art?

— I return to simple practices. Prayer, reflection, spending time with my family, and working in my studio all help me stay grounded. The studio in particular becomes a place of refuge. Painting allows me to process emotions that cannot always be articulated in words. Through art, I reconnect with stillness and with the sense that creation itself is an act of gratitude and remembrance.

— Has your relationship with faith or spirituality changed after going through difficult experiences? If so, how?

— Yes, it has deepened over time. Difficult experiences often remove the superficial layers of life and bring us closer to what truly matters. They have taught me that faith is not only about moments of ease but about remaining present and trusting even when things feel uncertain. Over the years, my relationship with faith has become quieter yet stronger. It lives within the everyday gestures of gratitude, reflection, and care for others.