Ndidi Amaka is studying Theatre and Film at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Her creative journey started while she was in secondary school. She has always been interested in acts of service, so she started writing randomly to that effect and also joined the Rotaract Club secondary division and even became president. This allowed her to write, act out, and get inspired by individuals.
Today, Ndidi writes different types of content including articles and blogs, social media posts, emails, website content, and more. Typically, she has to craft her articles and creative copy so that after reading them, a user or potential customer would be motivated to purchase a particular good or service. She finds the work to be both challenging and exciting.
I engaged her in a conversation about what her work entails and how she’s been able to navigate the tide of the creative journey.
Could you tell us about yourself and your career journey, starting with your education?
My name is Ndidi Amaka, and I love writing, music, activism, volunteering and anything ‘artsy’; I’m a final year student studying Theatre and Film at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. I’d say my creative journey started in secondary school. I was pretty obsessed with the English Language, and I knew I was good at it, especially in the essay and poetry category. Once, I was asked to create a poem about Nigeria and was later asked to read it to the entire school. From then on, I knew it was something I wanted to do, but I never wrote anything again until 2020. It was the year I fully connected with my inner creativity. It was a depressing year for me, so I decided to channel all that negativity into something awesome. Now I use my writings as a form of activism to make money.
Have you always fantasised about doing what you’re doing now? If that’s not the case, what inspired you to start?
Early in life, I never imagined I would be doing what I am. Although I knew I wanted to be creative. I just didn’t know what area it would be. I’m very shy and introverted, but I also wanted my voice to be out there, inspiring people in any way I could. These are two very contradictory things. I started to think of what to do to make it work, and I decided to draw my inspiration from works by people like Maya Angelou and Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche. Also, random stories I’ve heard from women and men alike and iconic historical events.
My major motivation for creating is experience. I’ve been through horrible situations for most of my life, the kind of situations you’d want to bury in the darkest alley of your mind and about which you do not want to speak. These experiences inspired me to start and keep doing what I do.
I draw my inspiration from everyone with a story, and I also draw my inspiration from personal experiences.
How do you tailor your content to your audience?
A good percentage of my audience is young adults who want to see inspiring content. Also, my audience comprises people trying to find their place in life. These people are in constant conflict with themselves. They want to see someone like them with a story, doing what they think they can’t do or being who they think they can’t be. With this in mind, I tailor every content I put out to be top-notch and educative, uplifting or entertaining.
What achievement or contribution are you most proud of and why?
I’m proud of the achievement and contribution of getting feedback from people who see my content and can relate to it. The feedback has never been negative, and I get to be the reason someone made a positive change or did something positive for themselves. Isn’t that why I started this whole thing in the first place? There’s no better pride than the pride of actualising the visions and goals you set for yourself.
What do you do if you’re experiencing difficulties coming up with fresh ideas?
I eat shawarma and relax. Lol, I’m kidding. I search for hidden content creators/writers, read their works, listen to them, watch Black history movies, scroll through socials or just drop my phone and observe my environment. There’s always a story or inspiration hidden in these things. But shawarma works too.
What words of wisdom would you give to someone just starting in your line of work?
Breathe! Do not force the creativity, don’t overthink it. We find creativity in the most unlikely places, but don’t expect creativity to come to you when you’re not passionate about it or doing things that would trigger it.
Considering how social media has supported some significant revolutions, how are you, as a creator, using your platform to support causes that could positively impact our world?
Since taking my craft seriously, I have been very particular about how I am viewed in social media. I’m most active on Facebook, and with my audience on the platform, it has always been a chance for me to use it as a medium of activism by sharing or writing up a story for any pressing issue. What’s the use of having that large following and not using every opportunity you get to speak up for a good cause. Now that the Nigeria presidential election is fast approaching, my message is, “Go get your PVC!”
What are you manifesting for the rest of the year?
For the rest of 2022, I’m manifesting overall growth, good health, awesome relationships, confidence, clarity of the future and positive exposure.