For two and half years, I have invested my all into Afroklectic. When I should have been sleeping, I was writing or researching or chatting to someone half way across the world about it. I have loved every minute of it. Afroklectic is the space which allowed me to grow into my skin. It was the space which made me accept that I am Ghanaian-Australian. It’s the space which made me very comfortable with being an African creative. It is the space which as inspired me to make all my dreams happen. However, in the past 6 months or so, I have come to a rut! I don’t know how and I don’t know why. Recently, for the first time, I considered closing Afroklectic. I have am so busy with work, the commute drains me and sometimes I feel like there is nothing fresh to write about – which is very disappointing. There was a point in time where there was so much to write about that I would be posting two weeks in advance. I would even find it difficult to sleep because I couldn’t channel all the information I wanted to post in my mind. I realised that giving up Afroklectic is not an option. It’s not my space. It’s evolved into space of the Afro-Australian community.
Our team will go back to the drawing board and bring the spice back (If you have any ideas email us at info@afroklectic.com). We are all going in different directions and time is not our friend, but I know we can figure something out. Sefakor is DEEP in Law, Samaria is doing AMAZING things with the African Film Festival Australia and I am preparing to move to LONDONTOWN for the next two years.
I am thinking of starting a side blog – something along the lines of Afro-Aussie girl in London. Maybe even a vlog. I know when I get to London, I will have so much to say about my experiences. When I went to London on exchange in 2010, it was a completely new cultural experience. I had plenty to write in the 5 months I lived there and I know that after two years, I will have enough material for a book!
When I first arrived in London, I expected the Ghanaian hospitality I grew up with in Australia. Instead I got a rude awakening. It was like I moved from a small country town to a big city. I would call my friends and tell them the weird scenarios I had experienced with Ghanaians. They would be in shock because that was not how we envisioned London growing up. As much as I enjoyed myself, I was turned off by the prospect of going back again. After I finished Uni in 2011, I started job searching and all the jobs were leading me back to London. Ideas and plans that sprung up in my mind led me back to London and my drive from when I was 17 to move to London came back again. Since then, I have been riding on London, draining my parents and friends with the idea and now it’s coming to pass. It’s exciting and nerve-racking, but as Drake said ‘YOLO!’
Commentaires