ISLAMABAD’S DIGITAL DOYENNES - Hemayal - Virtual Influencer & Content Creator

Another content creator from the capital who easily takes the crown of being one of the most followed personality of the digital world in Pakistan along with her sister Hira. We spoke to Hemayal about everything that goes in the world of digital creator. Read on...

 Tell us about your journey on social media, did it start off a hobby, or did you always see it as a viable career option?

Yes, actually I did start is as a hobby. To be honest I never thought it would be a source of income for me or become my career choice. Once I came to know that, it just added more to my motivation. It is now my full time career and I love what I do.

 How do you characterise what you do? How do you feel about the word ‘influencer’?

Well I'm a content creator often referred to as an influencer. I feel the word ‘influencer’ has attracted a negative connotation to it which is not how it should be. Everyone is influenced by someone in life, who they look up to, not particularly someone on the internet but someone who has influenced them in life. Being an influencer for someone is really an achievement for me.



The world is going digital, particularly with the global pandemic and lockdowns; people started working from home, many businesses moved online etc. Do you think that now even more than ever the future is online?

The world had been changing and moving towards the digital world for a long time, I just think pandemic accelerated the shift and made it more global. It just showed how important it is now more than ever.



People seem to have the idea that the only thing that people do online is waste time. What is the biggest misconception that people have about your work?

That I'm a model. I love the compliment that I look like one but no I'm not. I'm a content creator and even though our work might look similar, the major difference is that Content-creators do everything themselves from styling to direction to conceptualizing.

We’re constantly being told about the detrimental effect that social media has on our mental and physical health? Do you ever switch off or take a break? How do you keep a check on your emotional well being?

Yes, I most definitely switch off. I need my days off. ‘Social media seriously harms your mental health’, that is an actual quote on my phone case, which is in fact a constant reminder for me. I try to detox every week with a day off from posting and only relaxing at home.

On a related note, we’ve seen that negativity on the internet, or ‘trolling’ can have a real impact on people. How do you deal with trolls and what advice can you give to the rest of us who have to deal with them occasionally?

I can say I deal with them on a daily basis. Trolling is fun but I think people don't know where to draw the line. It’s high time people are taught internet etiquettes, how they are taught etiquettes in real life.



On a more positive note, what is it about being a digital content creator that you love and that keeps you going?

I love my followers and the love I receive. When a girl tells me that I have empowered her to wear something or I have boosted someone's confidence, it makes me happy. The love I get keeps me going every day. I wouldn’t last a day without the constant love of my followers.

Who would you pick as your favourite/top three influencers/content creators?

My sister Hira Bleeh, Valeria Lipovetsky & Leone

INTERVIEWS: H! Pakistan
PHOTOGRAPHY: SALMAN MUNIR OF QAMAR ANWAR
PHOTOGRAPHY