Edidiong Uzoma Essien
ORP: What inspired you to begin writing or creating? Has that source of inspiration changed throughout your life?
Edidiong Uzoma Essien: I've always been a reader, ever since I was a little girl, and that love for reading became a love for writing early on. My access to television and the internet was extremely regulated growing up, so reading and writing filled that gap for me. I was and still am inspired by the world around me as I perceive it, by the human senses, by my heritage and environment.
ORP: Do you write or create with an audience in mind? If so, how do you consider the relationship between that audience and your work throughout your creative process?
EUE: I typically create without thinking of a specific audience, but I think this varies by piece. Some of my work speaks to a reader interested in stories that don't only center Western POVs, whether the story is taking place within a Nigerian/West African context, or abroad. However, I believe my work is accessible to a variety of readers, regardless of nationality and location.
ORP: What does success as a writer or artist mean to you?
EUE: Success to me is enjoying the process of creating and reaching readers who engage willingly with my characters and settings. And ideally feel inclined to engage with the new worlds I spin up!
ORP: Does writing or creating energize or exhaust you? What aspects of your artistic process would you consider the most challenging or rewarding?
EUE: I feel both ways about this. I go through seasons of energetic creation and it is almost all consuming in those moments. On the other hand, I have my temporary drought periods, and trying to create anything during the drought periods feels draining. This is actually one of the challenges of my process, but stepping away when necessary and coming back to whatever it is that's stumping me often helps. As for the most rewarding part of my process, I love the writing of the first sentence/paragraph, the feeling of beginning a new adventure full of unrestrained possibilities!
ORP: What is the most valuable piece of advice you’ve been given about writing or creating? What advice would you give to another writer or artist?
EUE: The most valuable advice I''ve received is not to tear myself to pieces trying to do something that is supposed to be joyful. I'd give the same advice! This doesn't mean the work cannot be challenging occasionally, it just means distancing yourself from the sort of negative thinking that constantly degrades your creative capabilities and character.
