Writing has always been my passion. I've loved to put things down right since I was a child even when I didn’t have access to smartphones and other computer sets, I wrote things with pen and jotters.
There was a time that I thought writing was only for the fun of it. I just write whatever comes to my mind. It could be what I intended to do, a short story, a song, outline of my goals, drama and series. In the long run, growth changed my mindset.
Back then in secondary school when I took writing seriously, although not impeccably, yet consistently, I wrote a lot of short stories and even sketched a book cover for my stories. My parents, especially my dad, were against it. Sometimes he’d cease my storybooks and scream at me whenever he caught me writing.
I can remember vividly that he’d ask me to go and study my school books. I’d quietly ditch my storybooks and opt for my academics books.
This happened over time and it got really worse during examinations.
Slowly I began to lose interest in writing because I thought it wasn’t worth it. I thought it’s just a mere talent and isn’t that valuable.
However, talent would always be talent, despite all the counter, I still couldn’t stop myself from writing. Every now and then, I still put things down.
After my graduation in 2017, I started attending a coaching center to groom myself academically prior to the joint admissions matriculation board examinations for college.
So, I usually go to class with my already written storybooks. There was a day that I watched my novel being passed among my classmates in class. I initially brought the storybook for a classmate who had requested it.
Moreover, that very day, I washed her pass my story book to another person to read after she was done with it and at the same time, someone else begged to be the next person to read it and it kept on going round the class until it got to a point that argument broke out over who would be the next on the line.
I didn’t even know what to do, I just watched them, from person to person as they gave their opinion about the “book passing” arrangements. I watched till I didn’t hear any voice again. All I could see were the gestures my classmates made to each other.
I was lost in thought trying to agree and prove to myself that perhaps writing a storybook was actually a “thing”. Perhaps it’s valuable and worth spending time, ideas and energy on.
Soon, I didn’t see my classmates again. All I saw was a train of people, young and middle aged, who had come to hear me speak about my book and to also get an autograph from me. In that broad daylight dream, I was a great and famous writer, fully guarded, seated on a podium and smiling from ear to ear as my pen danced on each book to the movements of my right hand as I attended to each fan.
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I asked up to 40 people for their names and signed an autograph at the back page of their copy of my book. Time was so fast and I was really enjoying myself as I worked.
Ifedayo (a yoruba unisex name which means love became joy) - my classmate that I gave my storybook to initially, appeared in front of me. She pointed my storybook at me and immediately the class noise was restored.
At that instance, I knew I’d snapped back into reality. I was so disappointed that I wished I never left the sweet dream. However, the request Ifedayo asked me drew my attention fully from the daydream.
“Give it to any one you want”
She said softly.
The whole class remained quiet as they awaited my judgment.
“Oh! The storybook. Okay”
I replied as I took the storybook from her.
“Don’t lie o, who’s the next?
I faced the class again and asked with confusion written boldly on my face.
The class resumed the murmur and noise again.
I fixed my gaze with a few people interested in the storybook but I couldn’t bring myself to hand it over to anyone.
Everyone of them looked desperate and looked at me with demanding eyes.
I was about to respond when the chemistry subject tutor walked in and ordered decorum. Every student returned to their initial seats and the lecture began.
After that dream, I became even more motivated to write more and I did.
Fast-forward to recently, I daydreamt again that I wrote a best selling book about my natural hair. I got inspired to write this book to impact knowledge and most importantly to avoid explaining myself all over again every time I encounter someone who is interested in my type 4c natural hair maintenance and regimen.
I had begun writing this book since last year as an undergraduate, I even gave the excerpt of the book out to many individuals for free (which worked for them) and I didn’t know that the book completion day would be this soon.
Few months after convocation, I updated my natural hair maintenance book titled;
“Hair that got people asking!”
My book cover; I designed it myself
This achievement is the genesis of a dream come true for me and I have a strong belief that it was my multiple woolgathers that birthed the inspiration.
My first e-book ever is on sale and doing pretty good in the digital space.