9 years of Afri-love + so much more than a blog

9 years ago tomorrow, I published my first post on a new blog I named Afri-love. I had thoughts and theories I wanted to explore; discoveries I wanted to share; inspiration I wanted to pass on; and community I wanted to find.

I didn’t know it at the time but, my humble blog was about to be the most powerful vehicle for me to find my voice, to realise my purpose and to build some incredible relationships along the way.

If you’ve been reading for a while, you know I love creating lists of 9. Therefore, it’s thus fitting to share one with you, celebrating this 9th anniversary of what has become so much more than just a blog! Continue reading “9 years of Afri-love + so much more than a blog”

Why I became a creative professional

The beginnings of a creative professional

My earliest memory of intentionally making art is from around the age of 5 or 6. I can picture it so clearly: a family friend, Auntie Bridgitte, sitting with me at our dining table, showing me how to make interesting shapes by overlapping letters and numbers and colouring the spaces in between. I loved it! And continued to make up all kinds of creative challenges for myself until …

Continue reading “Why I became a creative professional”

Afri-love Fest: reporting back from the first edition

The first ever Afri-love Fest was held in Nairobi on Sunday 18th November, 2018.

I am still overwhelmed – in the most joyful way ever – by the turnout of almost 700 people who came and contributed to the magic of the day!

[Photos by Imeldah Kondo]

The roots of Afri-love Fest

I’d dreamed about putting on an event like this for years. Ever since I started this blog, in 2010, I wanted to create real-life spaces to share its discussions, questions, discoveries, experiments and ideas. Continue reading “Afri-love Fest: reporting back from the first edition”

From mundane to magical with soulful branding

I recently received an unexpected invitation: to share the concept of soulful branding at a Kenya Ministry of Tourism & Wildlife conference! The title of my panel: “From mundane to magical.”

The first African Safari Summit brought together different stakeholders from the sector,to reimagine the African Safari. Players included government, hotel and lodge owners, tour operators and more. The ultimate goal? Over 4 million annual foreign tourist arrivals; over KES 1.14 trillion earned from tourism in 2030; and jobs provided for 3 million Kenyans.

I thought to myself – how progressive of the organisers to consider the power of soulful branding in this context!

To give you an example of how soulful branding can be applied in real life, I’m sharing what I prepared.

Continue reading “From mundane to magical with soulful branding”

4 strategies for more productivity (and joy)

I often get asked how I do it all.

I work with clients on branding, illustration and mural commissions. I produce a line of stationery and lifestyle products, featuring my illustrations. I run an online branding course. I run a festival. I co-run a networking club for female founders. I regularly publish blog posts, I send weekly emails to my list and I try to post daily 2 of my Instagram accounts. I’m raising a toddler and I’m trying to have a life again. Productivity is essential! Continue reading “4 strategies for more productivity (and joy)”

International Women’s Day portraits and colouring sheets

Happy International Women’s Day!

I’ve created a new series of illustrated portraits for the occasion, inspired by vintage photographs of women around the world.

The women featured include:

Continue reading “International Women’s Day portraits and colouring sheets”

How your business philosophy can help you grow

We all have personal values and beliefs, as well as experiences and interests that inform our business philosophy.

Often, this philosophy is behind the scenes and something we don’t consciously tie into how we talk about what we offer (i.e. our marketing). Sure it seeps into everything because we are so connected to it but, have you ever considered writing it down, in one place, for the world to see?

Have you ever sat down, with your strategic hat on, and thought about how all the products and services you offer directly tie into the different aspects of your philosophy? Continue reading “How your business philosophy can help you grow”

Afri-love Gift Guide – For Her

We’ve curated some of our favourite pieces from some of our favourite African brands, to help make gift-giving easy. Whether you’re looking for something special for your Valentine, or need a unique treat to celebrate a magical woman, we think you’ll find something here. This list encompasses fashion, accessories, beauty, stationery and art. Continue reading “Afri-love Gift Guide – For Her”

African goddesses: Orisha Alchemy – a project story

African goddesses were an obvious choice of subject for me, given how I love to create African feminist work.

In addition, for a long time, I’ve been interested in religions and belief systems. Years ago, I started a blog dedicated to this exploration which, I used to create some art for.

My recently launched collection, Orisha Alchemy, picks up where that now inactive blog left off. In this post I share my inspiration, my process and the final creations. Continue reading “African goddesses: Orisha Alchemy – a project story”

#justformechallenge: how to enjoy 28 days of me-time this February

In August 2017, 7 weeks after my son was born, time for self-care – actually, time for anything, other than looking after Leko – seemed like the biggest luxury in the world.

So I gave myself a challenge: commit to doing something for myself, every day of the coming month.

Doing things with a community of like-minded people is always amazing and so I roped in Afri-love Women and others to join in. Sharing helped with accountability, motivation and inspiration.

Let’s do it again!

After the success of that challenge, I’ve decided to run another, this February.

I’ve tweaked a few things, this time around. For those who like a bit of structure, the following are some specific prompts. There are 28 so you could very well choose one for each day of the month: Continue reading “#justformechallenge: how to enjoy 28 days of me-time this February”