Today we’d like to introduce you to Ubi Rumi Okebie-Gomez.
Ubi Rumi, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My story began when I was 14 years old. My family and I just moved to The United States from Nigeria and I was enrolled in high school. I was thrown into this new reality and I had no idea how anything worked. I tried making new friends and worked very hard to fit inside a world that was so uncertain and scary. It was a complete culture shock for me when I saw for the first time, students talking back to their teachers. I saw students throw paper that would hit the teachers back and the class would roar with laughter. People would ask me if I walked with lions and elephants like the movie “Coming to America” and it was all getting too much. It was from a place of frustration and doubt that I birth my love, my idea of self-care through the art of writing. Writing became this place I could go and voice all my questions and frustrations. It was my oasis away from all the noise I had to filter out. I began writing compelling short stories and poems. After a short while, I completed my first novel by the time I was in the 10th grade.
After I earned my bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications and Creative Writing, I went on to write for a local news station here in Atlanta, but I yearned for something a bit more fluid and a lot more creative. I was hungry for something that required me to “create” with my imagination. I wanted to do something where there are no lines or limits to how far I dared to stretch my mind. I decided to apply and got accepted into the “American Film Institute,” a prestigious film school in Los Angeles where I studied and graduated with a Master of Fine Arts in Screenwriting. Today, I write movie scripts, short stories, proofread papers and write treatments for people who can’t put their brilliant thoughts into words.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I think the universe gets a good laugh when we draw a map of how we expect and envision the way we want our lives to unfold. Writing is extremely subjective, that in itself is already a challenge. Will people like what I have to say? Will they understand it? Is it relevant? Is it good enough? Will people buy it and willingly immerse themselves in the worlds I create and in the stories I tell? These questions are compounded with self-doubt. Doubt and fear are best friends who frequently enjoy recruiting people to join their circle. Fortunately for me, I broke free from its grip and simply willed myself to just publish my work and I did. It is honestly as simple as that. Will yourself to become anything your mind can dream and you will become whomever it is you tell yourself you are. I am a talented writer and I want the world to know my work because I have so many more stories to tell and I am so ecstatic to share it.
My book is out there for the world to read and enjoy. It is out there for my friends, family and strangers to critique and form opinions of me based on the words they find inside and I am okay with that. I do not allow other people’s opinions and definitions of me define my worth or my talent. My advice for those still trying hard to get to the finish line is to sit down, relax, breathe and just write.
Please tell us more about what you do, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I am an author, a poet, and a screenwriter. I currently wrote and self-published my first poetry book called “Words Dipped in Color.” It’s a collection of poems that touches on subjects about love, loss, depression, death, empathy, injustice and the questions surrounding the existence and purpose of the human race. I am currently working on several writing projects and I cannot wait to share it. I am also in the process of finishing up my website that will offer writing services to clients who need help fine-tuning their ideas (no matter how big or small) and putting them into words. I will help bring to life thoughts and imagination that have lived in their minds for so long.
As a writer, I think it is very important to write about things that challenge people to think outside of themselves. I love writing about things to help people ponder about the events that are happening around the world and how they impact each of us. It is our job to ask the questions people like to gloss over. In my poetry, you will find that I do not mince my words. In the world we live in today, it is incredibly imperative to keep pushing boundaries in the way we choose to exist but at the same time, occasionally, we all like to escape and submerge ourselves into a completely new reality. This is why I write. Telling stories and creating extraordinary worlds that people can get lost in is what I do and what I am most proud of. I am also very proud of my book “Words Dipped in Color” because it is raw, beautiful, poetically unapologetic and I believe a lot of people will be able to relate to a lot of the topics I write about.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I wholeheartedly believe the word “luck” is not a word many successful people use to describe themselves. Luck is defined as “success or failure brought by chance rather than one’s own actions” (dictionary.com). We’ve all heard the saying “luck is when preparation meets opportunity.” For me, I believe luck has little to do with all that I have accomplished thus far. I have been writing my whole life, honing my skills and when the opportunity came to publish my book, I took it. I am prepared, I am ready to showcase my work for the world to see. For the longest time, I thought the things I wrote were for me and just a small circle of friends to enjoy. Now, I am ready to take on the world and I am constantly looking for opportunities in every corner. I leave no rock unturned.
Pricing:
- Words Dipped in Color – $12.99
Contact Info:
- Phone: 404-402-2295
- Email: poeticubi@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/poeticubi/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ubi.okebie
- Other: https://amzn.to/2KZpQTL
Image Credit:
Boma Dikio
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