About Me — Niki Tisza
All I ever wanted was to write
Oh, the rollercoaster of dreams and doubts, triumphs and setbacks!
In my world as a writer, the digital ink of my pen has often been mixed with tears of frustration and joy.
Picture a young, fragile teenager, me, scribbling away in journals, escaping into a world where words were my refuge. I was that kid who learned the alphabet before even stepping into elementary school, and by the time I was a teen, I had 7 unpublished books in Hungarian.
My love for words knew no bounds.
But then came Ms. Taylor, my high-school Hungarian teacher, who laughed at my essays and told me I’d never make it as a writer. I wanted to be a journalist, but her words stung like a slap, and I carried that wound for years. I blamed her for losing interest in writing in Hungarian, even wondering if she was the reason why I never made it as a pianist. But that’s a story for another time.
In the early 2000s, I found solace in the world of blogging, hiding behind a pen name to escape the shadow of Ms. Taylor’s criticism.
I blended fiction and poetry with elements of my life, and guess what? I won an award for my writing! Take that, Ms. Taylor!
But the ghost of her words lingered, haunting me even as I ventured into writing in English. I faced trolls and discouraging comments, and I dubbed it ‘The Ms. Taylor Effect.’ It was like reliving my high-school years, and it took me 5 years to regain my confidence.
Now, in 2023, I’m back, stronger and more resilient. I’ve even published a book in English!
I’ve learned to see my writing ‘failures’ not as failures but as stepping stones, lessons that have shaped me.
I was a troubled youth struggling with my demons, but my encounter with Ms. Taylor taught me invaluable lessons. She pushed me down a path less travelled with lots of detours, but in hindsight, I’m glad it happened how it happened.
My goal is to write, express, share my experiments & learnings, and more importantly, create a sustainable writing habit.
I’m not a native English speaker, and yes, I still make mistakes. But I show up, and that’s what matters.
Fun facts about me — alphabetically
A — Animals
Animals and I go way back. My house was like a petting zoo without the admission fee, from dogs to parrots to deer (yes, even a deer!).
By the way, I don’t like zoos. Zoos are one of the saddest things I’ve been to. Caged-up animals? Not cool.
B — Books
With my love for writing and languages, books hold a special place in my heart. Books have always been my gateways & escape to new worlds, whether it’s a novel or a technical guide.
C — Chocolate
Chocolate and I have a complicated relationship.
I don’t know how to say this…but I’m one of those weirdos who just doesn’t like chocolate.
How come?
I have a theory. Chocolate wasn’t introduced to me when I was a kid. I remember tasting it for the first time when I was about 8. And I never developed a taste for it.
D — Dogs
Dogs are girls’ best friends. Dogs bring joy, companionship, and endless tail wags into my life. You can live without a dog, but why would you?
Growing up, we always had pets, dogs, cats, bunnies, parrots, pet chickens & pigs, and I even had a deer at some point.
I lost my sweetest dog, Mango, a year ago. And it took me a long time to recover from her loss. I even wrote about her here.
E — Engineering
I work in design, but my first education was in engineering. With a master’s degree in Agribusiness Engineering, my expertise extends beyond the creative world of writing and design. I’ve got the analytical mind of an engineer!
F — Farming
I grew up on a farm where the chickens crossed the road, and nobody questioned why. I have a connection to the land and the delicious fruits & vegetables it produces.
Farming’s in my roots; one day, I might grow mushrooms. No, not those mushrooms, the salad-friendly kind!
G — Gluten-free
Living with gluten intolerance, I’ve embraced a world of gluten-free noodles and other tasty alternatives. I really want to say it’s a culinary adventure, but it’s not. Trial and error is more of a better term.
H — Hungary
Hungary is my birthplace, and trust me, it’s more than just a country with an insatiable appetite for seconds at dinner. I left in 2010, and when I returned last year, it was like walking into a surprise party thrown by my homeland.
I flirted with the idea of moving back, but my suitcase gave me the side-eye and said no.
I — Injury
I had a spinal cord injury, the ‘super mild’ kind, they said. You know, the kind where you can’t walk but can still tell bad jokes.
I was under rehabilitation for over a year. The recovery felt like a never-ending gym membership I never signed up for with a private physiotherapist named Xavier. We saw each other so often it practically felt like we were dating.
If I had a nickel for every time I thought of Xavier, I’d have enough for a gluten-free Belgian waffle by now!
This injury was a life-changing event, like a plot twist in a novel. It’s strange to think without it, I wouldn’t be the character I am today, and it led me to exactly where I needed to be.
J — Journeys
My life’s been a whirlwind tour from Hungary to Ireland, New Zealand to Canada. I’m collecting countries like stamps. Each place has added a new flavour to my life and shaped me in unique ways.
K — Kiwi
I’m a Kiwi, but not the fuzzy fruit or bird. New Zealand adopted me, and they even gave me citizenship. It’s like being part of an exclusive club. I owe so much to New Zealand, including my ability to confuse people about my fruit/identity crisis.
L — Languages
Languages are like my hobby collection.
Hungarian is my first, German is my second, and English is my third.
I’ve even dabbled in Russian, Spanish, and Chinese, but let’s just say I wouldn’t win any international Scrabble tournaments.
Now, I’m learning French because I like how it sounds.
M — Melon
Watermelon, to be precise. I grew up on a watermelon farm and am its biggest fan.
If watermelon were a band, I’d be front row at every concert. I could eat it every day, any day. If there were a watermelon fan club, I’d be the president.
But W is reserved for writing, so melon it is.
N — Noodles
I’m a noodle connoisseur, from rice noodles to flat noodles to soba noodles. Since moving to Canada, I’ve developed gluten intolerance, but that’s just another plot twist in my noodle love story.
Noodles every day?
Where do I sign up? I’m noodle-obsessed. And yes, pasta is noodle.
O — Owls
Why owls, you ask? With my love for learning and staying up late to write, I’m basically an owl in human form. Plus, they’re wise, and who doesn’t want to be associated with wisdom?
I’m also a big bird nerd. Unlike eagles that often miss their target, owls are the smartest, quietest, and most precise birds that only hunt when they eat.
P — Psychology
Psychology is like my mental gym. I’ve studied cognitive and behavioural neuroscience, and I’m still trying to figure out why I love noodles & watermelon so much.
It’s a fascinating field that helps me in UX design and understanding why people do what they do, like putting pineapple on pizza. (guilty, I do this too)
Q — Quest for knowledge
From Agribusiness Engineering to Neuroscience to Digital Design, my quest for knowledge is never-ending — it seems.
I’m also a florist, personal trainer, and plant-based nutritionist. Yes, I’m Jill of all courses!
R — Rollercoaster
Life’s a rollercoaster, and I’m just here for the ride — sometimes a little too literally.
Once in Vienna, I took on a rollercoaster that a medieval torturer must’ve designed. By the end, I had broken my tooth and gum, looking like I’d tried to floss with a chainsaw. It was a bloody mess.
S — Swimming
I’m not exactly a mermaid, but I can splash around.
I started swimming lessons at 20, proving it’s never too late to dive into something new. Now, I enjoy the water, even if I’m more dog paddle than butterfly stroke.
T — Tattoos
I have 5 tattoos, and they’re like my permanent accessories.
One is a half sleeve, and it’s like wearing a fashionable shirt but without the laundry.
No ragrets! (And yes, that’s spelled wrong on purpose.)
U — User experience
I’m a UX design lead, which is a fancy way of saying I talk to customers and try to figure out what they want.
It’s like being a tech detective but with fewer trench coats and more spreadsheets.
V — Veganism
I’ve been vegan for 7 years, and no, I won’t throw tofu at you if you eat a burger. You do you, I’ll do me, and we’ll all live happily ever after. Just don’t ask me to cook your steak.
W — Writing
Writing is my forever love. If it were a person, I’d marry it. If it were food, well…I’d write about it, probably.
X — Xavier
Ah, Xavier, my Belgian physiotherapist, the man of many talents. We had a relationship that was more one-sided than a pancake. I saw him, he didn’t see me, but he did see my weird neck (his words, not mine). I grew fond of him, a lot. I believe I was his longest-visiting patient.
He rode a bike, had a tattoo from New Zealand, played the guitar, and was in a band. He even introduced me to Karnivool, which I first thought was a new stretching technique. He was funny, cute in glasses, and always ready to tell me to bend a little more. Ah, memories!
Y — Yeah, nah
It’s my favourite, non-committal, kiwi way of saying no.
Z — Ze(al) for life
Zoltan, or as I like to call him, Ze. We met in 2009, and it was like finding the missing puzzle piece. We’ve been through more countries together than most people’s bucket lists. Ze’s been my partner in crime, my best friend, my fellow adventurer.
He’s the best thing that ever happened to me, and I’m not just saying that because he reads my writing, and I need to make up for crushing on Xavier. Thanks for putting up with me, and here’s to many more years of fun and lost luggage.
Where else to find me
Wow, that was a lot of food talk! If you’re still here, thank you for reading my About Me story.
If you want even more of me (for whatever reason), here are a few links you can visit:
For writers
Newsletter for part-time writers because everybody is a writer, so you need this in your life. A YouTube channel is coming soon!
For designers
I have lots of free stuff in my Gumroad shop, a YouTube channel, and a newsletter.
Fun facts alphabetically was inspired by ArtisKev N.
