on doing it yourself (i.e., I published a tiny book)

TL;DR: my chapbook Soft & Solid is out!

I don’t know that I have mentors in the traditional sense; the life I’ve carved is tailored enough to my interests - art making, grant writing, teaching, a mixture of all three - that I seldom encounter people (those more seasoned than me) who are on a similar wavelength. And when I do, I find their time is limited. That’s okay. I don’t believe in chasing or forcing anymore. I believe in creating my own momentum, and sometimes a rocky start is better than no start. 

Self-validation is at the root of all good artistry. Work with an external nexus has no real integrity. It’s great to be published in journals, magazines and anthologies, and I’m really happy that I have some publication credits. Soft & Solid is the story I wanted to read when I was younger, before I learned to stop looking for belonging and make my own. Soft & Solid is fiction, but there are pieces of me in it: my protagonist, Bim, and I both have Nigerian moms who are excellent cooks. We are both determined to make our own mark on the world with the things we create. And we both make sense of life by writing letters.

You can buy my chapbook online. The link will take you to my business website, Spare Jar Consulting. If you’re in Chicago, I’ll have a local event or two in the near future (more to come soon!). Thanks for your support in my self-validation; I hope you feel more inspired to validate yourself, too.