Adebisi is not just a blogger friend, she’s my beautiful Nigerian sister.

The most interesting thing about the blogging world is the connections you build with people from all walks of life and one such person that I have been totally delighted to connect with is Adebisi.

I call her sis or ‘Nne’ – which means mother in my language, not just because we share a common bond of being Nigerians and her consistent support, but her loving and endearing spirit that shines through her work and her words.

A Bit About Me

I am the first of 6 siblings and my sisters and brothers call me madam action *Wink*. This stems from having to fill the shoes of being the oldest and wanting everyone to fall in line. On Saturdays, while growing up I would wake them all up and assign chores to everyone. We would scrub, clean and tidy up the house before anyone takes breakfast…now you get the picture! Now they are enjoying the dividends of that as adults running their own homes I imagine…well, I somehow know and I still behave like a mother hen to them.

I was also the end of year party organizer back then. All the teenagers in our neighbourhood or who were our friends looked forward to our Christmas party which normally holds on Boxing Day, 26^th of December. Looking back now I laugh as I remember twisting my dad’s arms to foot the bill of our budget for the party.

If he didn’t have enough to cover for what we had in mind we would consult with our friends coming for the party and ask everyone to contribute towards making the party a success. Some would bake a cake or make pastries, others will make fresh drinks and it always was a lot of fun for everyone. Great fond memories that we still talk about till date were made.

I like reading story books a lot so much that my parents couldn’t keep up with buying me new ones. Any great story still catches my attention even now whether it is a movie or literature. Perhaps this hobby is why I am a writer today. My life’s passion and goal is to make a difference in people’s lives no matter what Job I find myself doing.

I dislike lazy people who just drag their feet when something needs to be done. So you may say I can be impatient sometimes.

Most importantly for me is my spirituality. I believe in God and see him as my father. Simply put, knowing Jesus is what gives my life a meaning.

What motivated me to start blogging?

Firstly, training on blogging at a workshop opened me up to the world of blogging. I was thrilled. It came at a time when I felt dissatisfied with how things were being run at my workplace. I felt choked and needed a space where I could express myself not necessarily about what was going on. It was just a place to pursue my passion of reaching out to others on my own terms and at my own pace.

One of the things I learned about blogging was to write about what I am passionate about. I know I am passionate about making life better for women and girls and so I decided to go in that direction. But since I started blogging I found out from the community and courses on WordPress that I could spice my purpose with writing about other things. It is interesting to know that your readers want to have a peep into who you are and what your life is all about. So I have learned to spice my blog with a few other ideas.

Here is my first blog post ….. Why Femininematerz https://femininematerz.wordpress.com/2015/05/26/why-femininematerz/

Another from my first few posts – https://femininematerz.wordpress.com/2015/05/30/a-happy-girl-without-virgina-violation/

How I Motivate Myself to Continue Blogging

Once I started blogging I found out that it can be addictive so that in itself has kept me going. There are days when other aspects of my life get in the way for example when I have work deadlines or a project I am working on like this one: https://femininematerz.wordpress.com/2017/02/24/people-and-places-that-have-made-my-week-memorable/

It can sometimes seem like I am barely floating with my blogging goal. At such times I try to post at least once a week.

Other things that keep me motivated are the fact that:

• blogging is something I want to continue to do even after retirement
• I really do not like disappointing my readers who have come to follow my blog watching out for new posts
• I will like my blog to grow and be sustained so I must be consistent
• I will like to be able to sustain the friendship I have come to enjoy in the blogging community. I mean it’s amazing that you can meet people from other parts of the world and become friends.
• And I do want to make money with this thing someday so I need to keep writing and posting for people to take me seriously.

Challenging Bloggy Moments

My greatest challenge is juggling my job with my blogging goal. I can get really busy sometimes that I simply do not have time to spare blogging. At such times I try to share a bit of what I am up to with my followers/readers.

You too can become a blogger

• Blogging can be fun and tedious at the same time. It takes hard work and consistency.
• Blogging gives you the opportunity to have your say about any issue that is of interest to you.
• I have come to know some blogs that started as a channel for relieving stress or a means to reach others going through the same challenges in any area of life ranging from health issues, parenting, cooking etc. So blogging allows you to meet other people like yourself doing the same thing you do or going through something you might be facing.
• Blogging is self-discovery. It helps you to discover new things about yourself and you actually learn a lot meeting and reading other bloggers post.

My Lessons

• Write about what you know and care about
• Write at your own pace. Determine what works best for you and how many times you wish to post.
• Be yourself don’t try to be like other bloggers but you can learn a few tips about what works for them.
• Don’t be a wall expecting others to come to you, reach out and follow other bloggers.
• Read, comment and like what others post on their blog and you will be expanding your reach
• Seriously there will days and times you are not able to write or post so don’t beat * yourself.
• Keep at it and keep doing your best
• Blogging helps others as well as you

More Images from My Life

Taking it further

I’d love to publish some of my written work but I am yet to get there.

This interview has been fun.

Thanks Jacqueline for your friendship and the opportunity to share my life and story on your page.  I call her Nne…