Uprising: How Rowan El Goweiny Practices “Humanity to the Fullest”
Having lived across Egypt, Abu Dhabi, Canada and Germany, creative copywriter Rowan El Goweiny is a product of diverse cultures. She says, “I was born in Egypt, raised in Abu Dhabi for the first part of my life, studied in an all-french lycée and then eventually moved to Toronto as a teenager before ending up here in Berlin.” Naming it a “hodgepodge of contradictions,” she ended up falling in love with her upbringing. “I feel like I have a well-rounded view of the world, from many angles, which is a privilege on its own,” she explains.
Describing her childhood, she says, “I used to blast music and paint in my room for hours with a strict closed-door policy, and then turn into a hyperactive ball of energy shortly after. In a way, I like to think that I’m still a little bit of both. I was always into all things creative and entertaining.”
Writing plays for herself and her cousins to star in, her love of writing transpired from a young age. “I [also] played a wide range of sports professionally. I guess I learned my discipline from there. From gymnastics to basketball, badminton, and martial arts all the way to watching football religiously.”
Shaping who she is today, every little piece of culture Rowan was exposed to gave her a deeper understanding of people and compassion for each unique life experience. “I mean, it does come with many other struggles, like the concept of ‘home’, but that’s a discussion for another time,” she jokes.
Making Berlin her home now, she studied advertising at OCAD University in Toronto, before landing an internship within the Wunderman Thompson Cairo team. It was here that she realised exactly what she wanted to pursue: “I finally knew that I wanted to be a copywriter, once and for all,” she says.
Once she realised what she wanted her career to look like, she applied to the Miami Ad School in Toronto, taking on two more years of education and specialising in copywriting. “I studied advertising – twice. So nothing accidental there,” she laughs when explaining her path into the industry. “As cheesy as this may sound, I knew exactly what I wanted at university, and worked my way from there.”
It’s her commitment to reaching her goals that powers the need to continually develop further. She explains, “The copywriting program at Miami Ad School was definitely helpful. I also follow a lot of great writers that inspire me on the daily - I watch their work, breathe their work, dream their work, and try to follow their footsteps.”
To this end, one of Rowan’s goals is also to listen to herself while trying to find that signature style that defines and separates her from others, but it’s definitely a process rather than an overnight fix. “Still in the making, but it’s getting there,” as she puts it.
In her early days, there were a few key takeaways that helped her find her feet. “Well first things first, don’t take things personally,” she explains, “Second of all, everyone is busy. If you want to be heard, then make yourself heard. Be loud. Be present. Be yourself. Nag. Own the space. And you’ll be remembered.”
Equally important, Rowan explains, is how “putting in the work is an obvious prerequisite.” And, there’s one other thing. “The last lesson, I would say, is that no one knows what they’re doing. So don’t waste your time feeling like an imposter, and just ride along.”
The first project Rowan worked on was “a Vodafone campaign in Egypt to launch a musical platform, that championed up-and-coming indie artists,” she says. Describing it as “ super cool,” her excitement at seeing the artists and thinking up the possibilities of what else was possible is what made her even more keen to keep going.
In turn, this passion carried through to the project that Rowan now feels was a defining moment in her career, the ‘Every Four Years’ film she created for Kia World Cup Global as part of the FIFA World Cup celebrations. “It’s one piece of work that holds a very special place in my heart,” she continues. “It may have not changed my career, per se, but it certainly was a milestone in.”
Elaborating further, she says, “My partner and good friend, Kostas Alexandrakis, and I were so invested in every tiny piece of that project that we really dove into the different worlds of writing, styling, casting, directing, set design, and of course, football. It was even bigger when I was receiving messages from family members and friends who actually saw it on TV. And the long awaited ‘I’m so proud of you’ text from my Dad was the cherry on top.”
With creating new and exciting projects, comes the aspect of the role that she enjoys the most: satisfying her creative cravings. “I feel like I have a foot in many doors. From writing to styling, music, photography, directing, activism and all the in-betweens,” Rowan says. Also mentioning collaborating with talented people from across the globe, she adds, “Creativity is subjective, and is all about taste. It’s important to work with people that you align with creatively.”
Alongside feeding her creative appetite, it’s also the production side of things that is particularly exciting. “Seeing an idea come to life is the most satisfying feeling ever. After navigating all the ping pongs, the sleepless nights, the stress and the politics, you give birth to what was once a scribble in your notebook. It’s huge.”
For Rowan, the excitement for the job hasn’t worn off. “I try to keep my cool every time we have a director’s call, but internally I’m fangirling hard. However, the creative process does bring with it some tricky moments. Specifically, she notes that for her, it’s “getting out of a creative rut,” to which she explains, “Sometimes you hit a wall and feel quite helpless. Seeing as our job relies on our minds to keep generating ideas, when the mind is not doing well, I struggle to accept it and give it the break it deserves. It took me years to establish my own ‘routine’ or way of working to overcome this.”
Cutting herself some slack in the challenging moments, Rowan reminds herself of exactly what she wants to deliver to the audience: work that is not only memorable but also impactful. “If it touches one person, I’ll feel accomplished. Let alone if it touches the whole world.”
To create this, she makes sure she’s surrounded by creativity in all kinds of forms – “Watch movies. Go to galleries. Attend concerts. Travel. Party hard. Take the subway. People watch,” she says.
Continuing she notes that in a field, all about human behaviour, there’s no better way to understand people than by being where they are. “New technology will always pop up, and it’s important to know what’s happening in that world, but no great idea will come from just the mere knowledge of technology. It will always be about the people and for the people, so just practice your humanity to the fullest.”
When she isn’t honing her creativity, Rowan also takes the time to consider what really should be changed to support the future of creativity. First on her list is giving the young ones more autonomy. “Push them and trust them until the end, without letting any hierarchical insecurities get in the way,” she says. “The more you empower your people, the more loyal they’ll be, which is a win-win for all.”
There’s also the issue of DE&I, which she’s passionate about championing. “I helped found the DEI department in my old agency, which was something that really needed to be done,” she says. But, Rowan hasn’t stopped there. She’s also part of a global women network that helps empower women in the industry - a movement she’s equally keen to keep supporting. “Now, I’m part of a cultural editorial within our agency, where we aspire to inspire our colleagues through events, exhibitions, activities and more; to experience inspiring fun outside of work.”
On that same note, she mentions the women who inspire her in the industry, Antoinette Hoes and Hend Ghorab. “Both women are forces and everything I want to be. My mentors, my role models and most importantly – very close friends of mine.”
She also mentions her partner, Odile Breffa – “he’s something. She’s built differently,” Rowan explains. “Her energy, compassion, dedication and overall power is something that I can’t help but admire.” And aside from that, her creative copywriting inspirations come from Patrik Lenhart, Pedro Lourenço, Ricardo Wolff, and Mo Saïd. “They’re human first, creative second. They’ve each inspired me in one way or another. Whether it’s their style of working, writing, thinking, or how they’ve empowered their people. Overall real trail blazers.”
But of course, Rowan is also now a Berliner. That means dressing well (with some styling and some creative direction on the side), hosting art exhibitions, going to Berlin-style raves and travelling often when she isn’t at work. She also jokes, “I’m a millennial, so yes, I’m on TikTok but just as a ghost lurker.” She also can’t resist a good meme or WhatsApp sticker here and there. And, she makes sure to promote her side hustle, “LMNTL (pronounced elemental) which is a collective that marries art and music in a party combination.”
All in all, Rowan may be driven by her “fear of failure” but don’t fret, she sees it as both sides of the yin and yang equation. “It’s a blessing and a curse that I’m constantly haunted by. I guess it stems from some sort of unresolved childhood trauma, but that’s one I’ll happily take.”
