Life Pre-Pixel Pushing

Fulbright

After graduating college with a double major in Theatre & French, I was able to learn about Theatre for Development & Social Change in Cameroon on a Fulbright Scholarship. Check out my video “Vast Country” about my Fulbright experience and the workshop I facilitated with the minors from Kondengui Central Prison of Yaounde.

The next year (2017), I was invited to facilitate a theatre workshop at an ANSOLE science & energy conference. We devised a play with the scientists called “Camerootopia” about the positive effects solar power can have in Cameroon.

Actor

Afterwards, I moved to Chicago to pursue acting. I fell in love with the city and was living my dream… well being a commercial queen wasn’t the initial dream, but it definitely prepped me for the world of advertising.

Theatre kept me grounded with many storefront passion projects.

“Maryam Abdi carries the heart and soul of this story as Inanna. The specificity of her work in each moment as she transforms from person to person, from present moment to previous reality, feels like a conjuring of ancestors past, and a speaking of possibilities into the future. The role demands a multitude of technical skills, emotional depth, physical freedom, excellent comedic timing — and Abdi makes it all seem effortless.”

Arti Ishak, Rescripted, 2021

Realtor

The pandemic pushed me to real estate, where I’ve learned A LOT and have consistently ranked in the top 20% of brokers in the nation.

I wrote and performed in many home tour videos, as well as an “Explore Chicago” series: 5 min videos with everything you need to know about the unique neighborhoods that make up our beautiful city. Theatre skills… always coming in handy.