It's me 

My name is Hamed.Allen, though most people know me as Hallen.

To be honest, I’ve never quite known where to begin when someone asks me to introduce myself. Should I talk about the things I love, the experiences I’ve had, or the person I am today? Perhaps each offers part of the answer, but none can tell the whole story on its own. So, rather than trying to sum myself up in a few sentences, I’d rather share a little about the things that have shaped me: the interests that have stayed with me over the years, the experiences I still carry in my memory, and the questions that sometimes occupy my mind more than I expect.

There have always been things that spark my curiosity. Sometimes it’s an image, a few lines from a book, a simple gesture, or an event that might not seem particularly important to anyone else. Some things pass me by without a second thought, while others linger in my mind, drawing me back to them again and again. I find myself wondering why a particular image stirred something in me, why a sentence stayed with me for so long, or why something that once meant so much to me has come to hold a different meaning.

I don’t always find clear answers. Sometimes, I end up with another question instead. Still, this curiosity makes it difficult for me to simply pass by the things that catch my attention. I like to see more, read more, and experience new things, not necessarily because I’m searching for a particular destination, but because I find joy in the act of discovery itself.

Perhaps it was this curiosity that drew me toward art from an early age, although I still can’t say exactly where my interest began. I don’t know what first caught my attention or what made art become such a significant part of my life. I only know that it has been with me since childhood, and as I grew older, my connection to it became more meaningful.

One of the experiences that helped shape this connection was spending time in art centers and cafes places where painters, writers, photographers, filmmakers, and people from all kinds of creative backgrounds gathered. Each person carried a world of their own, yet something connected them all: the desire to create, to experiment, and to share something that had taken shape in their minds.

People didn’t gather there simply to pass the time. They talked about their ideas, shared their experiences, exhibited their work, and sometimes spent hours discussing subjects that might not have seemed particularly important outside those spaces. Paintings, photographs, written pieces, and films were each fragments of someone’s world,,worlds that now had the chance to meet others, to be seen, and perhaps even to take on a new form.

For me, being in those places was a different kind of experience. Art no longer seemed like something that existed only on a wall, between the pages of a book, or on a cinema screen. It lived in conversations, in the way people looked at things, in the ideas they exchanged, and in their enthusiasm for creating something new. Every corner seemed to open a door into another world, and any conversation could awaken a new thought in my mind.

I grew up in the orbit of that creative atmosphere, surrounded by people who each saw the world in their own way and added something of their perspective to it. Perhaps, back then, I didn’t fully understand what drew me to those places. I only felt that they held something I rarely experienced in everyday life: a kind of energy, freedom, and vitality that I wanted to be around more often.

If I’m being honest, I think I stole the fire and warmth of art from those places,,from the conversations, the ideas, the works, and the people who each lived out their creativity in their own way. And little by little, that flame came to consume my entire being.

Perhaps art was never just an interest for me. Perhaps it became part of the way I see the world, connect with people, and discover new things. Even now, when I think back to those days, I feel that something from those spaces has stayed with me,,something that hasn’t faded over time, but has simply taken on new forms.

Even today, art means more to me than simply looking at a piece or creating something beautiful. Painting, photography, cinema, and other forms of artistic expression each draw me in in different ways. Sometimes, I find something in the colors of a painting that I can’t quite explain. Other times, a photograph captures an ordinary moment and awakens a feeling in me that words might struggle to convey. Sometimes, a single cinematic frame, a particular use of light, a camera movement, or the silence between two scenes stays with me longer than an entire conversation.

What fascinates me about these different forms of art is the variety of ways they allow us to look at the world and reveal something of it to others. A photographer might discover something in an ordinary moment that everyone else has overlooked. A painter can reconstruct the world as they feel it, while a filmmaker can bring together images, sounds, and stories to create an experience that stays with the viewer long after it ends. For me, it is this diversity of perspectives that makes art so compelling.

Some works make me think deeply, while others simply awaken a feeling that I prefer to sit with for a while. I don’t always need to explain exactly what something means. Sometimes, the feeling it leaves me with is enough.

Alongside art, literature holds a special place among my interests. Books allow me to see the world through other people’s eyes for a while, to encounter experiences I might never have in my own life, and to meet characters whose emotions and decisions can be just as complicated as those of real people.

What draws me to art and literature isn’t just their beauty or their ability to tell stories. It’s the way they can change how we see something we thought we already understood. A story might make me reconsider someone’s behavior, a photograph might draw my attention to details I once overlooked, or a film might allow me to see the world through someone else’s eyes for a little while. I like encountering things that gently shift my usual perceptions and give me the chance to see the world from a different angle.

Perhaps this is also why I’m interested in people and their inner worlds. Everyone carries experiences, memories, and emotions that aren’t entirely visible from the outside. Sometimes, behavior that seems simple at first has more complicated reasons behind it. Sometimes, a person’s silence carries a meaning that cannot be guessed from the outside. The more I think about it, the more I realize that understanding people takes time, attention, and sometimes a little patience.

The same is true of me. I can’t always easily explain how I feel or why something matters to me. Sometimes, I need time to understand what is going on in my own mind. I might be quiet in one situation, yet speak enthusiastically in another when something genuinely captures my interest. When it comes to getting to know people or feeling comfortable in unfamiliar surroundings, I usually prefer not to rush things.

I’m generally a shy person, and in unfamiliar social settings, I tend to listen first and take the time to understand the people and atmosphere around me. I might seem a little quiet at first, but that silence doesn’t necessarily mean I have nothing to say. Sometimes, I simply need time to feel comfortable enough to show myself as I really am. I don’t usually become close to people very quickly, but when I feel at ease with someone, I can gradually reveal more of myself.

At the same time, I value my solitude,,the moments when I can be alone with my thoughts, read something, write, or quietly reflect on the things that have caught my attention. Being alone doesn’t always mean being distant from others. Sometimes, it gives me a chance to step away from the noise and reconnect with myself. Perhaps that’s why I enjoy discovering other people’s inner worlds while also needing a space of my own.

I don’t want to pretend that I always understand people correctly or that I’m any better than others at understanding myself. I make mistakes, misinterpret things, question my choices, and encounter emotions I don’t immediately know how to handle. But I think these experiences are precisely what make understanding ourselves and others an ongoing journey.

Over time, some of my interests have grown stronger, while some of my perspectives have changed. Things that once mattered deeply to me have sometimes made room for new experiences. These changes don’t always mean leaving the past behind. Sometimes, they simply mean that we’ve seen something new along the way and now look at things from a different perspective.

For me, learning isn’t just about acquiriing new information. Sometimes, it means accepting that I might have been wrong about something. Other times, it means listening to a perspective that differs from my own and trying to understand it, even if I ultimately disagree. I want to keep my mind open to new experiences and allow what I learn to change the way I see things when necessary.

That doesn’t mean I always know what I’m looking for. Sometimes, something simply catches my attention, and I feel the urge to learn more about it. An interest might lead me somewhere unexpected, or something that initially seemed unimportant might eventually find a special place in my life. I can never predict from the beginning which experiences will stay with me, so I prefer not to deny myself the opportunity to discover something new.

Writing helps me pause, organize my thoughts, and understand myself better. I see this website as a space to share my interests, experiences, and reflections, particularly on art, photography, and literature, while leaving room for new subjects and ideas. I enjoy discovering new things, exploring different perspectives, and finding meaning in the details of everyday life. I’m still on a journey of learning, growing, and getting to know myself better, and I hope this space will gradually take shape and evolve alongside my interests and experiences.

And perhaps this is a place where I can share a little of that journey with you.