The Lebanese artist Elissa was a guest on the first episode of the podcast, where she spoke about traits associated with her personality such as bravery, sensitivity, intelligence, and honesty, among others.
Elissa reflected on her past experiences that shaped these traits, from her days in boarding school to her special relationship with her parents, through the challenges of her early artistic career, culminating in her experience with illness. She emphasized that everyone should benefit from their experiences to enhance their personality, as well as criticize themselves, which helps them develop. She stated that one should not give up but rather face all difficulties, especially since life is short; it is essential to develop oneself and utilize all physical, mental, and emotional resources to be active in society.
She continued, saying, "I worked a lot on myself; of course, I had musical and artistic intelligence. However, I strove to develop my social and emotional intelligence through self-criticism to activate many types of intelligence, in addition to my curiosity and self-education."
Elissa talked about her experience with illness, saying, "When I learned about my illness, I felt like life had ended. However, I realized the truth of the matter, gathered all my energies, and decided to continue my artistic activities and fight this illness, which can be overcome with a high spirit. I emerged from this experience without any psychological effects. One must always remember that God does not burden you with something you cannot overcome."
Elissa also emphasized that she is one of the most attacked and criticized artists in her life, and each time she felt sadness from the severity of the attacks, she remained composed, especially as she would turn to her father for comfort. She indicated that she had accustomed herself to being strong, convincing herself that she worked for her own satisfaction, not for others, considering herself an artist who knows her limits of bravery. She referred to the music video "Bidi Dop," which contained a level of boldness that society was not ready to accept. She expressed that if her goal had been to consider people's reactions and the extent of criticism she would receive, she would not have taken that step.
