My Name is ChiAmaka, and It’s Nice To Meet You (Again).
A re-introduction from an inconsistent writer on her journey to recovery.
Write for a couple of months. Stop. Write for a week or two. Stop again. Write for some hours. Give up on writing career. Then feel an irrepressible urge to pick up the pen (or keyboard) after some months, and write again.
Is the curse of being a writer to have these phases of inconsistency? Or am I alone in the struggle?
Whatever the answer may be, one thing I know for sure is that this was to be my fate for several months. Before October 2022, this blog was my happy place. From stories of my father to a rape survivor and even Almajiri children, there was no end to the subjects that lived here. They made my existing readers chuckle, nod their heads in agreement, or even shed a tear.
Until I realized that a writer cannot survive on Medium alone. I need an actual job that pays actual money and will settle actual bills.
This need for survival made to transition from publicist to journalist, and I kissed my blog goodbye. I started working at Zikoko Citizen, a promising newsroom that essentially made political and business news less boring for a Gen Z audience. It had its challenges at first, but with time, what once started as a burden became my passion. There were a lot of things that I grew to love.
I loved that fresh feeling of being part of the pioneer team of a publication no media company in Nigeria had ever attempted before. I loved my eventual growth from writing satirical articles to writing feature stories on people, women whose voices deserved to be heard. I loved that my work was slowly but surely getting recognition online. I loved that I could find another happy place aside from Medium, one I did meaningful work in and could pay me relatively well.
Until the company (and I) reached another realization — a publication like ours in Nigeria was not commercially viable. Simply put, we were not making money, and that was a problem for the company, business-wise. Their solution? Dissolve the department and lay off half of the team.
The solution saved the company precious millions of Naira from payroll, but it also left ugly scars on the careers of those affected. Some who lost their jobs are still on the hunt for job offers. Some have gotten new jobs, but are no longer in journalism. Some are like me, who didn’t lose their jobs but are either learning to love what they currently do or patiently waiting for the next best thing.
I expect that some readers seeing this would have a half-bread-better-than-none mentality, but you cannot fully know the fit of a man’s shoes until you decide to wear them. Maybe I’ll explain more about this in another article.
In essence, I am trying to say that situations and circumstances have pushed me to my humble beginnings and first love, Medium. I almost wanted to deactivate this page, but I realized that the irrepressible urge to write (again) was too seductive to resist. Writing to me is my life source, without which I find no purpose.
Even with my minute follower count of nineteen, I have grown to love and accept this audience. They followed me because they too, have grown to love the subjects that live on this page, and they are waiting for more. They believe in me, my talents, and my skills, and they are counting on me to share articles that they would find insightful, funny, relatable, or emotional. Articles that could either brighten up their day, make them feel less alone in the world, or create a positive shift in mindset. I have let them down on this promise for more than a year, and I humbly pledge not to do so again.
Hence, the re-introduction.
So, if you’re new here, my name is ChiAmaka (preferably with a capital ‘A’). My aim for this humble blog is to become a home for my stories and that of the average ‘Nigerian Joe’ — our thoughts, our personal and societal struggles, and our aspirations. Simply put, a home for the stories of everyday Nigerians.
And for existing followers, my name is ChiAmaka and it’s nice to meet you (again). You can expect more consistency (fingers crossed), improvement in the subject matter and quality of my stories, and overall, a better reading experience. I’m happy that you stuck with me throughout my dormant phase, and I will try to make you not regret it. Please note the emphasis :)
Until the next article, bonne chance.
I know you want to leave now, but please give me two minutes of your time to fill out this survey. I’d like to know your thoughts and write better articles for YOU.
