I'm a mess. Deranged and confused incarnate. So what's new this Woolgather Wednesday, as I pop my cherry for another year of awesome possum profound nonsense, hopefully with oodles and poodles of posts? Nothing clearly lol ;}.
Over the past 5 years I have written less and less, particularly after I started working on my first film project. The blog is meant to be an open diary of sorts. A place for me to parse information, to sort through issues that have come to my attention that I believe are worth sharing with a larger audience. Always the medicine to assuage my nervous condition which has flared up in the most spectacularly and newly nefarious manner in the last year, because I didn't realise I needed to adapt and evolve how to take care of me. This Ndhlovukhazi Storyteller saw her craft take her all around the world, but her soul was left behind and it took a whole load of crazy in my life, and inadvertent and direly consequential deterioration of my most prized possessions, the many gifts of friendship being affected, for me to wake up from my stupor and right my ship. I continue to apologise to my peeps. You are my everything. I need you in my life. So I will be more careful with myself, as sometimes there is such a thing are being too open. I had to learn that. I used to be too closed off, which led to me learning to be more out there over the last couple of years, which has now I think balanced out :).
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| I chose this image as it is one I have used on the blog before and I think encapsulates my last five years of storytelling online. Photo Credit: Chosa Mweemba |
So this top 10 is the most pathetic ever, yet genius he he. I am heartily ashamed of myself. I really do need to be more disciplined. I had 8 posts to choose from. Writing really helps the rest of my storytelling. As I embark on my sophomore documentary project, I vow to implement the lessons from my first foray into filmmaking. Without compromising my writing, I pledge to learn and grow in a less destructive way with this new and exciting stab at proudly Zambian and positively African audiovisual storytelling. My journey continues to inform my creativity so I can't be mad at that really, I suppose...
On that note I give you a combination of my favourite posts from 2015 as well as to commemorate the blog turning 5 in May, which I didn't have the time and energy to acknowledge as I was gearing up to launch e18hteam's #ZambiaAtCannes campaign, with my favourite posts of all time with a little insight as to why. See I told you, genius he he:
1. Zed Love 2015
I just reread this and realised that this post encapsulates my creative process. I am always ahead of myself, I then find myself exploring other possibilities, ways of thinking and ideas and then circle back to something I have already noted down or recorded in some way for future reference. To my surprise this post is my next project epitomised in blog form lol. More details on this in about a month or so...
2. Kamanga Wear Love Affair 2015
My love for this proudly Zambian fashion brand is all over my social media and the blog. Last year I officially became a Brand Ambassador after purchasing the most extensive collection of their clothing since 2012.
3. Proudly Zambian InstaStoryteller 2015
I never join a new social media platform unless I can justify my presence there, as there are just too many to jump onto every bandwagon. I gave up on Google+ as it just doesn't fit with the way I communicate online. Same with LinkedIn. Instagram has taken my quest to be a master multimedia communicator as the Ndhlovukhazi Storyteller to a new level and looking at pictures from around the world has really helped with creative inspiration. I really enjoyed documenting Zambeef's e18hteam national tour. I finally can say I have visited all 10 provinces in Zambia now, adding Western and Luapula which eluded me when I went around with Today with Zamtel in 2013. You can find all the photos I posted through #ZambeefInYourTown and/ or the name of the towns we visited: #Kabwe #Chingola #Kitwe #Kaoma #Mongu #Choma #Livingstone #Chipata #Mansa and #Lusaka on my Instagram. (You can find links to all these hashtags in the post above ;))
This post is a great example of my commitment to allowing myself to be comfortable in discomfort. This is also is extended to uncertainty, ambiguity, the unknown. The esteem that comes with knowing that I can be rocked but will find my way back to who I am, what I believe, and the people and things that matter is priceless. Continuing to test it, fortifies this truth I have come to realise.
5. Kindness Ate the Quail 2014
Though I had a conversation about this with my mother at the time in 2014, I got burned in 2015 and uluse lwalile inkwale: kindness ate this quail. Will I stop being kind to the best of my ability, be giving of myself and open to the world? No. Will I be more mindful about whom I let into my life in any capacity in the future and what opportunities I commit to? Absolutely. Learnt a lot. No regrets. Just got to keep growing. My intuition has evolved and my radar is now stronger, so will guide me better going forward.
6. Twit Tuesday Debut 2013
This reminds me that though I tend to be pretty stubborn and fixed in my ways, that opening up myself to new experiences and challenging myself to rethink how I feel about things, can lead to awesome possumness. Still think Twitter is for twits, but enjoy the silly banter it affords with the people I talk to regularly online.
7. Mobile Tales Part I 2012
This post at the time was a light post that epitomised me and my profound nonsense. In retrospect it is one of the strongest symbols of my journey returning to Zambia and sacrificing everything to be a filmmaker. I started on e18hteam in 2012. I did not spend any money on new technology till I finally bought myself a Samsung S5 in March 2015, after suffering through multiple instances of my phone dying in the fashion described. All my money went to the success of the film. I would not spend if I could work around it. Ask my hair lol. Craziness! That's me though. I thank my mother for continually taking pity on me. I am very loved thankfully.
8. Innocent Mugabe 2011
A perfect example of awesome possum profound nonsense. Nuff said!
This post has hit home as Zambia struggles to deal with local socio-economic setbacks coupled with the global fervour powering feminist, as well as gender equality and parity movements. We are not adapting well AT ALL. I have never felt fear manifesting in such a violent way on a regular basis before. I see women cowering and pandering and men huffing and puffing and trying to snuff out our lights. More on this soon he he he ;}
10. There isn't one. Got here and decided not to force it and leave it at 9. This is a celebration of my writing over the last 5 years with a healthy cross-section of posts. Hope you enjoyed it xo.
To sample more, check out the Top 10s from previous years curated on pages listed in the top right hand corner of the blog. For alternate storytelling from this mwana ba afrika, please check out my social media: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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