Brave Monologues w/ Aybüke Pusat
Aybüke Pusat is brave enough to leave ballet, a discipline she trained in for years, and carve out a new path for herself; yet passionate enough to never abandon the stage. There are people you cross paths with and instantly know it marks the beginning of a new journey — that’s what it was for us, too.
Aybüke speaks not of the absence of fear, but of walking with it; of daring to try even when she knows she might lose. She reminds us that sometimes, courage is simply being willing to listen to your heart. We’re not talking about the sterile, polished version of a creative journey, but its real and unfiltered state: fragile yet persistent, risky yet honest.
DUYGU In your own creative journey, what does it mean to be brave?
AYBÜKE To try… even when you think it’s foolish, even when you believe it will lead nowhere. To try, knowing you might fail, and knowing that failure might break your heart. Shame, regret… embracing all of these emotions as your own and making peace with them. To me, being brave is choosing to try, despite whatever positive or negative outcome may come.
DUYGU How has fear—or the absence of it— shaped the way you express yourself?
AYBÜKE Fear is a fundamental emotion; its absence is impossible. It has been this way since the beginning of humanity. When I can’t overcome my fear, I want to feel safe. Instead of freezing or running away, I want to find the courage to take action. I want to silence the chaos I feel inside. And for me, all of that comes out through writing, reading, and dancing. Those are my ways of coping.
DUYGU What’s one risky decision you made for your art that ended up defining your creative voice?
AYBÜKE Choosing to walk away from classical ballet, even after years of training. Deciding, with absolute clarity, that I did not want to be a dancer. Letting go of years of effort, half of my life… But none of it went to waste. On the contrary. I found myself once again in a place where I felt completely at home. On stage.
DUYGU If your creative work could deliver one Brave Monologue to the world, what would it say?
AYBÜKE Let go of judgment. Don’t categorize. Don’t be a fanatic. Love.
DUYGU When the world goes quiet, what does your courage tell you?
AYBÜKE My courage feeds of f my hear t. First, I hear its rhy thm. Then I hear its voice from within — a voice that has never lied, never been wrong, and never needed to shout.
DUYGU When you’re standing at the edge of the unknown, what pushes you forward?
AYBÜKE Curiosity.
DUYGU How does pushing boundaries manifest in your reality?
AYBÜKE My boundaries begin in my own mind. I’m the one who builds the strictest and most limiting walls around myself. That’s why the storms always break within me.
DUYGU What does creativity mean to you?
AYBÜKE I don’t think I can answer this with my mind. I would have to show it. To me, creativity isn’t conjuring something out of nothing, but reshaping what already exists through your own feeling. It’s taking whatever is in your hands and turning it into a form it has never been before. That could be a dish, a canvas, even your own body.
DUYGU Do you consider yourself brave when it comes to life?
AYBÜKE One hundred per cent.
“My courage feeds off of my heart. First, I hear its rhythm. Then I hear its voice from within — a voice that has never lied, never been wrong, and never needed to shout.
-Aybüke Pusat
DUYGU We all go through times when we are a bit hard on ourselves. When and how did you stop apologizing for yourself and your choices?
AYBÜKE For me, it happened in stages. First came regret and self-blame. Then came the reckless choices — the kind you make thinking, “you’ll deal with the consequences anyway,” and you pay the price. After that, I stopped making decisions altogether just to avoid responsibility. Now, my mind and my heart have finally learned to work together. I weigh the positives and the negatives, and I make choices within reason.
FROM BASED ISTANBUL N45 10TH ANNIVERSARY ISSUE: BRAVE MONOLOGUES
Cover Guest Aybüke Pusat
Creative Direction & Words by Duygu Bengi
Photography by Abdullah Yazıc
Styled by Emre Köklüçınar
Head of Talent Hair and Makeup Önder Tiryaki
Creative Group Head Yağız Yeşilkaya
Producer Tunga Yankı Tan
Creative Production by BI Creative
Special Thanks to Cansu Sıtacı
Creative Team Duru Ustaoğlu, Kerem Acar
Hair Team Batuhan Sancar, Enes Sakızcı, Mustafa Akgül
Make-Up Team Doğukan Tuncer, Esra Poyraz, Hazar Baştürk
Gaffer Onur Karaca
Photography Assistants Hakan Diner, Hamza Kazım Esen
Styling Assistants Elif Akpunar, Şimal Özyiğit
Editorial Brews by Starbucks Türkiye
Bites by Focamia