About Me — Dumebi Favour
I’m writing this piece at my cluttered desk at 6 pm (Nigerian Time). It’s the first time I’ve actually sat here today. My workday started at 9 am sharp, and since then, I’ve been on my feet or running up and down the stairs, trying to keep the office running.
I promise I’m not a handyman, a builder, or anything like that. I’m an (acting) technical assistant to a fast-paced boss. The person whose shoes I recently (and temporarily) filled has 10 years of experience as a technical assistant in the agency. So, I guess you could call this an odd case of a three-week-old baby trying to grow teeth and wolf down hot solid food without waiting for the developmental stages of the body to kick in.
The timeline of this odd case example should give away that I was plunged into this office three weeks ago (or maybe more). Time seems to move really fast when I get to the office, and before I blink twice, it’s a new day, and the same routine all over again.
In the weeks that have passed, though, I’ve realized that while I display the symptoms of someone constantly on the verge of a panic attack and my heart seems to thud on autopilot as I carry out tasks or respond to a boss who probably hadn’t noticed me much before now, I don’t exactly feel miserable or extremely stressed the way someone in my position might be.
Well, not yet.
I’ve also noticed that if I could just breathe like a normal person and take on these tasks with a little more confidence, I’d be able to get them done exceptionally well. I’d probably even be happy about it — or at least my facial expressions would shift from dread to an odd satisfaction, which is usually how I feel after really stressful days.
So..am I a Writer or not?
My name is Dumebi (pronounced as ‘Doo-May-Bee’) Favour, and I probably should’ve started by introducing myself as a writer and a Nigerian. But starting with a fraction of my messy day at work seemed more fitting, as it captures my current life. It’s also low-key a deciding factor in the choices I intend to make moving forward.
But to make amends for the disconnect, let me take you on a brief walk down memory lane.
The first time I picked up a pen to write a story, I was in Junior Secondary School 2 (JSS2) — or Grade 8. I can’t remember the content of that story. But I know it was short because I used the last three pages of my friend Ruth’s notebook (the one with the disturbing condom designs) to write it. Before this story though, I was already obsessed with writing.
The earliest piece I remember writing was excerpts from the Vampire Diaries series, which I neatly scribbled on squarely cut (and clean) tissue paper before dispatching it to the front seat where my other friend, Joy, sat back then. This was in JSS1, and I did this because she’d mentioned that she hadn’t seen an episode of the series yet, and I felt it was too good for her to miss out on.
Yes, this proves that I had an unhealthy obsession with movies and a crazy imagination as well. I would watch films (usually the ones way above my age rating, since I was the youngest in my house for a bit) and become so engrossed in them that I’d often imagine what it felt like to be in these movies, acting out these scenes. For the ones with really upsetting plots, I just wanted to rewrite them myself.
For instance, after watching The Vampire Diaries for the first time, I got really upset about the amount of pain Tyler Lockwood had to go through before turning into a werewolf — or even the idea of lycanthropy being treated as a curse in the first place. This ‘offense’ sparked a long, handwritten story which I named The Blue Wolf or Lycanthropes. It was the typical American tale of a rebellious teenager who becomes conflicted after losing his elder brother ‘Danny’ in an accident. He gets shipped off to a small town to learn manners. Amidst his initial chaos, he discovers that he’s a werewolf, meets a budding park, and gets to experience all the cool powers of being a werewolf. The story went viral in classrooms at school, and it was pretty good for someone my age.
I would later discover (this year to be more precise) from Austin Kleon’s books Steal Like an Artist and Show Your Work that the art of picking ideas from things I loved and rewriting already written stories in the way I wanted them to be seen by the world was like an introduction to Creative Writing 101.
Writing Evolution
Looking back, it’s clear that much of my early writing inspirations came from American movies and literature. I wasn’t particularly in tune with my environment; as a child, I rarely went out or played with neighbors. At home, we seldom spoke my native language (Igbo) and were discouraged from watching Nigerian movies, as they were believed to be detrimental to our IQ. Despite this limited exposure, I couldn’t stop writing. I also realized that most of my close friends and classmates — let’s call them my first reading audience — always appreciated and looked forward to the things I wrote (some still do).
As time went on, I began to dive into Nigerian and African literature. I read books about the Biafran War and wondered why it wasn’t discussed in such depth in our history classes at secondary school. I discovered authors like Chukwuemeka Ike, Buchi Emecheta, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, and Chinua Achebe. I admired the boldness they used to creatively address the realities of their environments, and this opened my eyes to the power of writing and good storytelling. Even with this discovery, I still wasn’t sure what to do with my talent; I just knew I desperately wanted to hold on to the raw joy I got from writing — for as long as possible, preferably, for the rest of my life.
Career Crossroads
Secondary school flew by quickly, and I came into the real world to realize that a classroom audience was very different from publishers and writing agencies. I submitted my first, very incomplete manuscript to about six publications, and the sting of rejection was crushing. I knew I needed to improve at what I loved, but I wasn’t sure how to do it. I couldn’t find any schools in Nigeria that focused solely on writers, and, for some twisted reason, I was also afraid to study art courses like English, literature, or even journalism at university.
At the time, the common belief was that professional courses like Medicine and Law guaranteed a brighter future and better job opportunities after graduation. So, even though I had little interest in the Judicial system in my country — and frankly hated the idea of defending or speaking for a client in front of a crowd (yes, I’m still scared of public speaking) — I chose to study Law. By the time I’d settled into school and my new course, it became incredibly difficult for me to cultivate a story or a poem. This was scary since both usually came pretty easy to me. Out of the fear of letting the habit go, I began to journal frantically about everything I experienced with new eyes at university. This was not too challenging since I spent most of my time listening rather than contributing to conversations. I also had the habit of observing people and activities that went on around me. Everything I saw and thought, I wrote it down, almost every day too. This journaling phase lasted for three years straight (year one to year three).
I later realized what I’d experienced during this phase. My inability to create stories or poems freely, was a writer’s block. This also lasted for about three years. I returned to storytelling and poetry properly in 2023 and, it felt so familiar, as if I’d never stopped.
The Pandemic and The Writing Eureka
2020 was an interesting year for everyone. Schools closed in March and students were sent home due pandemic. Then, as the pandemic extended, federal universities (like the one I attended) went on strike and, the #EndSARS movement happened. Through it all, I was mostly indoors and bored out of my mind. This led me to do a lot of research, which eventually made me realize the new ways to make money online through writing.
I applied for my first content writing gig on a website, and to my surprise, I got the job. From there, I was on a writing roll. Taking all sorts of jobs and earning money — though, not as much as you’d think. I didn’t realize then that I needed to find a niche to avoid feeling overwhelmed and developing a scorn for writing. I was just excited to get gigs and I’d finally stumbled upon the gold mine of academic writing.
By the middle of 2023, I had worked for numerous clients, built a solid freelance profile, was still a student, and started interning at an investment agency (the job I introduced at the beginning of this piece). It was in the midst of what should have been a grateful moment that I became overwhelmed. The avalanche of writing jobs, mostly academic, started to bore me to death. The rigidity of these jobs made me begin to question my love for writing and, I felt the urge to step back and actually think about why I started writing in the first place and, what I wanted to use my writing for. I had also reignited my creative side of storytelling and poetry and I felt that I needed to pick one over to other in order to master it well. Instinctively, I went for creative writing instead of academic. Well, choosing to focus on creative writing seemed to be the beginning of a whole can of problems for me. I had to carve out a niche, start a new profile and begin marketing all over again. This was my pact for 2024.
2024 and the new niche
So, I kicked off 2024 with this goal in mind. I began writing creatively almost every week and started posting my work on social media platforms (excluding my medium profile, I also post on LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram). Writing came naturally, but posting felt like a bit of a stretch for me. While I’ve had no trouble growing pages for B2B and B2C clients (yes, I am a Digital Marketer too), I’ve always been wary of oversharing on social media, so I used to avoid personal posts. But I know that it is important for brand and audience building (similar to what I did with my classmates in Secondary School, though on a much broader and intense stage), so I’m committed to moving past my fear.
In addition to this, I needed to find a niche that resonated with my stories, poems, and creative musings and figure out how to turn it into a successful writing career in the long run. I chose to focus on society, people, and culture — similar to the frantic journaling I used to do in university but now in a more controlled and less personal way.
I’m currently laying the foundation for all this and preparing to quit my 9-to-5 job in December to focus more on freelancing and my writing career full-time. I also hope to pursue a degree in an art-related field (I’m thinking journalism and communications), when my income properly kicks off but I’m taking things one step at a time. To keep the creativity flowing and avoid another three-year long writer’s block, I’ve been reading extensively about creativity and discipline. I’ve also become a huge fan of Elizabeth Gilbert’s podcast, Magic Thinking and the Kenyan podcast ‘Its Related I Promise’. Both of which indirectly connect me with writers and creatives who have started out on their paths or have succeeded when it seemed impossible in creative fields.
I am pleased with the fact that this foundation is becoming strong, and my writing plans are coming together. However, cutting back on a significant client segment during a time of serious economic crisis in my country feels a bit like a questionable decision (or may more than I’d like to admit). But I keep telling myself that it's important to take these risks now (as a fresh graduate from the university).
Why you should stick around
I’m genuinely interested in building a community and connecting with creatives from all around the globe. I want to hear the stories of people who have had similar writing experiences to mine. I’d like us all to grow together. I am also eager to work with (and learn from) those who have succeeded in their creative paths. So, let’s consider this piece as an open call to meeting these people and making this happen.
By sticking around, you’ll get a front row seat to my writing journey and there will be relatable articles, intriguing stories and deep poems to read along the line. I would like to engage in debates (preferably written) about the things I write. I am also eager to explore heavy thought processes and collaborate in simplifying them with fellow writers and creatives (or generally anyone with something to say about matters in my chosen niche). I have an extensive background in research (which I wish to expand even further) so, this will be a bonus when bringing these plans to fruition.
I am excited about this journey, and the adventures that will come with it and I hope you stick around to see it happen.
