Sketches Of My Life

Artist, Engineer, Author, Speaker....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[scribblyg-deactivated20220103]

Fetch!

[ofilispeaks]

Smart

[gqandw]

[secretsbest]

[the-absolute-funniest-posts]

[mysharona1987]

If you love a flower, don’t pick it up. Because if you pick it up it dies and it ceases to be what you love. So if you love a flower, let it be. Love is not about possession. Love is about appreciation.

Osho (via mysharona1987)

[subjectivestanzas]

I was spanked as a child and I learned that a raised hand and voice is what I deserve when I voice my own opinion or go against what someone else feels is best for me. I never learned respect in a ruler or wooden spoon. I never learned respect in bruises or bloody noses. I never learned respect in yelling or threats. I learned to fear the people who were supposed to protect me, to love me, to be gentle with my body and my heart. I learned respect in mutuality. I learned respect in relationships I experienced as I grew older; in the people who asked me if I was okay with them touching my shoulder. I learned respect in the people who chose not to raise their voice at me when my crying became too loud in my sleep, but woke me and told me that I would be okay. Yes, I’d be okay. I’ll always be okay, but I didn’t learn respect from the people who told me not to cry, not to make enough noise to alert the neighbors. “We can’t have the cops here again” “stop crying or I’ll give you something to cry about”. These things I heard as a child conditioned me to later think that I deserved to be hit and screamed at when I made my own choices, spoke my own opinions, said “no, I do not want this”. The “punishments” I knew as a child later became my self doubt, my years of thinking my abusers and attackers were justified because I disobeyed and went against their wishes. When I refuse to hit my daughter as punishment, I am not depriving her of a way to learn respect. I am teaching her that I respect her, her body, and her life. I am setting the stage for a mutual respect. I am setting the stage for her to respect herself.

Why I won’t spank my daughter  (via utterlyembarrassing)

[jonathanbartlett-deactivated202]

Jonathan Bartlett “Book World” The Washington Post

I illustrated the Washington Post’s Book World guide for The Library of Congress National Book Festival.

The theme of this year’s festival was “escaping through books”. Some key words from the AD were “larger than life characters” and “made-up land”… say no more! Such a fun assignment.

Newspapers still fascinate me, finish on a Thursday, published on a Saturday. Phew!

more—> www.bartlettstudio.com

[ofilispeaks]

This is a very simple illustration with an even simpler​ message "Get Shit Done or This Ninja Will Flog You Up" But despite it simplicity, it means a lot to me. I haven't drawn or created anything in close to a year. I just could never find the time or motivation. I had the ideas but nothing else. But yesterday I said I was going to draw something no matter how shitty or crappy. And it worked, I guess I was afraid of getting flogged up! #ofiliart

[babbling--books]

‘Why did people ask “What is it about?” as if a novel had to be about only one thing.’ ~Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Americanah

[babbling--books]

‘Why did people ask “What is it about?” as if a novel had to be about only one thing.’ ~Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Americanah

[theperksofbeingabookseller]

Writing fiction is the act of weaving a series of lies to arrive at a greater truth.

Khaled Hosseini (via theperksofbeingabookseller)

[ofilispeaks]

You are the @okadabooks director. Pick a team of 3 to write a script for your epic "oscar worthy" movie! Who will they be? I picked 134 aka @nnediokorafor @_tejucole and Adichie.

[ofilispeaks]

Omenana Issue 7: SWEET LIKE By Rafeeat Aliyu “There are demons living amongst us,” The Prophetess informed her audience, her voice was low but filled with so much strength that it carried through the room even without a microphone. “These demons are walking in our midst. They wear human skins to deceive the foolish, but those of us who are blessed can see through their falsehood.” The assembly seated on white plastic chairs before her shuddered as one. All who came here knew of the Prophetess’ campaign to make Nigeria free of all demons. She was a survivor of many supernatural battles and they itched to hear her stories. The Prophetess knew how to hold a crowd even in a place of worship that was nothing more than a rented canopy, open on all four sides. “My recent encounter…” the Prophetess’s voice caught as she recalled the events of the previous week. She swayed as she shared her combat with the people. She was a master orator and as she wove the tale, those who followed her every word could picture it clearly. They saw her spotting a woman who for all appearances was a mother of three, and were with her as she followed this woman through the ... read full story at okadabooks.com

[ofilispeaks]

THE ENCOUNTER By Nnamdi Anyadu If you play at Hoplus’ trench, the chance you’d find yourself breaking a sacred rule on some occasion is high. Higher than if you play at Arjin or Kowi, for instance. The girls here are wild and mother warns me every time to be wary of their company, though she knows she cannot stop me from coming here – Hoplus is the closest play-area for teenagers around our home – so she constantly reminds me of why the rules are in place. For safety and balance. I nod every time, saying I understand, but it does not stop her from repeating herself the next day. I know the Sacred Seven like the end of my own caudal fin. Never shed a tear. Never perform dishonesty. Never travel to any of the other tribes without the chief’s blessing. Never swim to shore or contact a surfacer. Never wield your gift for destruction. Never take the life of a fellow sea creature. Beware the halls of Tada; never venture there. Mother does not know, but my closest friends – Kaumi, Jauni and Pkeni – and I have broken one, or is it two of the Sacred Seven? Thanks to Pkeni’s temper ... read full story for FREE on okadabooks.com

[ofilispeaks]

In most countries Ninjas are not allowed to slash fuel prices. But it's totally legal to upload your Ninja stories to @okadabooks #ninja #OkadaBooks #fuelscarcity

[ofilispeaks]

#wcw is the one Minister in Nigeria that makes you proud. Quiet but active, hidden but seen, not flashy but classy. And slowly transforming a normally ignored ministry into a giant that can't be ignored. Keep rocking Amina Mohammed ... we see you and we feel you.

[ofilispeaks]

The official @ofilispeaks 10 Rules Of Writing. Number 10 is key. #books

[forgottengenres]

The planet has been through a lot worse than us. Been through earthquakes, volcanoes, plate tectonics, continental drift, solar flares, sun spots, magnetic storms, the magnetic reversal of the poles … hundreds of thousands of years of bombardment by comets and asteroids and meteors, worldwide floods, tidal waves, worldwide fires, erosion, cosmic rays, recurring ice ages … And we think some plastic bags and some aluminum cans are going to make a difference? The planet isn’t going anywhere. WE are! We’re going away. Pack your shit, folks. We’re going away. And we won’t leave much of a trace, either. Maybe a little Styrofoam … The planet’ll be here and we’ll be long gone. Just another failed mutation. Just another closed-end biological mistake. An evolutionary cul-de-sac. The planet’ll shake us off like a bad case of fleas.

Georeg Carlin (via clash-official)