Thirteenth or fourteenth mentorship session. Visual concept work for documentary plus scene boards for my own short film adaptations. Lydia’s photo-art background transformative here. She sees narrative cinematically. How lighting creates mood. How camera angles suggest power dynamics. How editing rhythm controls emotional impact. We developed visual style guide for documentary. Naturalistic lighting. Handheld camera […]
Scene Boards and Vision Read More »
The most valuable lesson from my luxury brand management MBA wasn’t taught in any classroom — it came from watching a content creator have a breakdown in my nail salon. She’d built a million-follower empire around wellness and authenticity, but sitting in my chair, mascara smudged, she whispered: “I don’t remember who I was before
How My MBA Inspired The Influencer’s Canvas Read More »
Last night’s reading at Waterstones Bishopsgate was everything I hoped it would be—and more intimate than I expected. When you organize an event yourself, there’s always that moment of uncertainty: will anyone show up? Will the conversation flow? Will the words I’ve labored over resonate when spoken aloud? The setting couldn’t have been more perfect.
Reflecting on The Influencer’s Canvas Reading Read More »
It’s live. The Influencer’s Canvas officially launched on Amazon this morning, available worldwide for the first time in my publishing journey. Watching the page go live, seeing the cover appear in search results, receiving the first reader reviews — the surreal nature of digital publication never quite becomes routine. Looking back at this four-year journey
The Influencer’s Canvas – now on Amazon! Read More »
Meeting with Lydia about logistics. Pre-production scheduled January-February 2026. Started compiling interview subject shortlist, securing permissions, scouting locations. My next task: sixth and final research memo on technology-storytelling intersection. How digital platforms shape what stories get told and how they’re received. Instagram literature versus traditional publishing. Twitter threads as creative form. TikTok changing what counts
Documentary Pre-Production Plans Read More »
Fifth research memo complete. Examines UK literary networks supporting or failing to support migrant writers. Literature Wales accessibility. National Centre for Writing inclusivity. Smaller organizations like Eurasian Creative Guild providing community where larger institutions create barriers. The research revealed structural issues. Most funding requires citizenship or established publishing history. Emerging migrant writers often have neither.
Diaspora Networks Memo Read More »
Sometimes validation arrives when you least expect it. Last week brought the final results of the Gala Literary Competition 2025, and while I didn’t take the top prize, Eastern Empire made it to the finals — a result that still leaves me genuinely moved. The notification email sat in my inbox between promotional messages and
Making it to the Finals: A Moment of Unexpected Joy Read More »
Documentary treatment hit twelve pages today. Marathon session with Lydia finalizing structure. Hybrid format confirmed: personal interviews interwoven with literary readings and archival footage. Target venue: Pushkin House for pilot screening. Appropriate location given their support for Russian cultural programming in London. Documentary examines broader migrant writing community but Pushkin House provides institutional anchor. Three
Treatment Milestone Read More »
The countdown to completion feels surreal. The Influencer’s Canvas stands nearly finished — manuscript complete, final revisions underway, details being polished until they gleam. After months of layering narrative elements like paint on canvas, I’m approaching those final decisive brushstrokes that determine whether the work succeeds or falls short of its ambitions. Today I can
Final Strokes on the Canvas Read More »
Fourth research memo for Lydia’s documentary. This one examines luxury and beauty industries influencing migrant identity formation. Drawing directly from nail salon experience and MBA research. How aesthetic labor becomes cultural assimilation. Learning British grooming standards. Understanding which brands signal belonging to which class positions. Beauty consumption as integration strategy. I’ve written about this across
Case Study: Consumer Culture Read More »
Dive into my latest novel that explores art meets algorithm in our hyperconnected world. Multilingual storytelling with visual elements—questioning what’s authentic behind perfectly curated facades.
