As my life has taken on a newer meaning in the past month, my mind has also embarked on a journey of its own.
Lately, I’ve been crazily inspired. There’s a fire in me, a push to make something beautiful of my life, or more accurately, to allow myself walk into the breathtakingly beautiful life God has already written for me.
I believe writing is prophetic. I’ve watched things I’ve written in fiction unfold before my eyes in reality. I think Habakkuk 2:2 exists for a reason.
This space has always been safe for me. I come here when something weighs on my heart. Here, you’ll find a whole catalogue of the thoughts I had through every month in 2023 with later updates in 2024. Here, I have written to my future husband. Here, I have put out my actual thoughts about God with absolute wonder. Here, I have grieved my sister. Here, I have been hella vulnerable. If anyone wants to know the real me, this is where to look. Here, I have been Ife.
Honestly, I’ve always been scared of putting my dreams out there. I worry I’ll jinx things. But from experience, I’d say there’s no jinxing with God. More so, these days, I hear Him saying why don’t you try Me?
So here I am.
I want to write books and films that do more than entertain. I want to shape and shift culture. I want them to bring healing and comfort. I want people to feel seen. I want people to see the world, and God, differently. And yes, I want to win awards, not just for the recognition, but because it would mean that the message has traveled far and wide. I want to change certain narratives. I want my work to open doors for others, to inspire others who have stories burning inside them but have been told their voices don’t really matter.
I want to build a foundation that pretty much breathes life into the arts. Not just as a means of self-expression, but as a vessel for God’s kingdom. I want to support writers, filmmakers, musicians, and artists who feel called to shape culture but don’t yet have the resources to bring their visions to life. The world is full of voices pushing darkness, confusion, and despair, but I want to amplify voices that bring light. I want to fund them all. The kingdom of God is not just built in churches; it is built in culture, in the stories we tell, in the songs we sing, in the images we create. And I want to be part of that movement.
I want these to be a sign that when you partner with God in your work, He establishes it.
And because He’s a God who hears even the tiniest prayers; the ones that feel insignificant or a little silly, I’ve added a few seemingly random ones for good measure.
This might seem small, but I’ve always wanted to be a chief bridesmaid. My sister always told me I would be hers, but I couldn’t be there for her wedding. And ever since her passing, a part of me aches for that lost moment. I feel like it might heal me in a weird way. Maybe standing beside someone who feels like a sister carrying her matter on my head, making sure her day is flawless, serving her with my whole heart – would heal something in me. For some odd reason, I want to change from my heels into slippers and walk around ensuring everything is all good. I want to be a part of those dance routines. I want to cry tears of joy as the (new) love of their life whisks them away to their new home.
Until then, I’ll work on my sensory overload and keep working on being a great friend, on showing up better, on making sure I am someone worthy of standing beside another in their biggest moments.
Speaking of dance routines, I would love to train at a dance academy, even if it’s just for one session. Believe it or not, I was a dancer before I even entered this world. My mom says I moved so much in the womb that the doctor thought she was carrying twins. Dance has always been in me. Maybe it’s because I love stories, but I believe dance is just another way to tell them. You know those dance studios? The ones where you feel the bass? I want to lose myself in a choreography.
Some of these dreams feel close, while others seem distant, with no clear path to how they’ll happen. But I know He delights in giving good gifts to His children. So here I am, placing these desires in His hands and trusting Him completely, even if they are reshaped or take a different form than I expect.
In secondary school, I was always writing. It was comforting, an escape for me. Every night or before heading out for school, I would sit on my dorm bed and write to God. I would tell him what I wanted, my worries, and I would write jokes to Him and make these cute little drawings because a part of me felt like He delighted in them. At the end of the day, I’d written way over a hundred letters to Him. My mom scanned a couple of them and sent them to me, and I realized that I’m living in those things even now.
I started writing this post on the train back home from a job I love. On some days, I truly can’t believe that I get to work as a writer, but then I remember that it all started when I wrote in my journal that I would want to work in a media and entertainment company.
So I believe I will live in these prayers. I will walk in them. And even as I type this, my heart races; not with fear, but with excitement.
These days, I’ve been deeply inspired by my mother. What a phenomenal woman. When she sets her gaze on something, she goes after it relentlessly. I want that drive. I’ve been inspired by my father, and just the other day, I told a friend that I would be crazy not to seek that same unwavering support in a partner after witnessing my dad support my mom’s every dream. I want that fierce support. I want to receive it, and I want to give it.
I’ve been inspired by Pastor Nathaniel Bassey. I want to be known as a woman helped by God, used mightily by Him. I want to live a life fully submitted to Him.
If you didn’t know anything about me, know that I have a suspiciously great amount of knowledge where pop culture is concerned. I always look forward to the film awards season. I love listening to the acceptance speeches, and I love being reminded about the power of storytelling. The other day, I watched the 31st Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards and Timothée Chalamet won an award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Motion Picture. He gave this beautiful speech reaffirming that he wants to be among the greats, and I sat there thinking, boy, do you know who you are? But I realized that 41 awards later, he’s still striving for more. I want that desire to do more when I’ve attained something huge. To be unashamed of my pursuit for greatness.
Alma Asinobi is currently preparing to break the world record for traveling across all seven continents in under 60 hours with a Nigerian passport, no less. I want that determination.
I’ve been inspired by my friend, who has had life throw a storm at her all at once yet still finds the strength to stand. I want her resilience. I want her ability to show up.
All these qualities, I need them. They are pieces of the puzzle I’m putting together for my own dreams.
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you can also find me on instagram at ifeoluwanimi.a.
