So, The Balloons Weren't Just Balloons
In 2018, I had a naive, hopeful, determined idea as a new author with little understanding of how to navigate the Author persona. So I created a small WhatsApp group: The Kiddie-Writers Forum. We supported each other through endless questions, messy drafts, rejections, social media following, and honing our dreams. We promised: “One day, we’ll meet in person.” Then, in 2020 the pandemic hit and dreams on paused. Or so we thought…
Then brewed an idea and instead of hibernating, I reached out to even more authors, planned an evening of togetherness, where we showcased our books, cultures, and heritage Online — attracting young family audiences from South Africa to Switzerland, Zimbabwe to Canada – all to my amazement! Little did we know that we had created something special. The events became much anticipated. And so the dream grew and invitations followed from Bookstores. Museums. Cultural Organisations.
But, we chose to first work with museums.
When the City of Chelmsford in hashtagEssex invited us to deliver a CALF event, we were ecstatic. They had permitted us to transform their Victorian kitchen and Victorian Wardrobe into vibrant African settings — complete with spices, utensils, textiles, and traditional games like ayo, owari, and mancala.
Kiddie-Write and non-Kiddie-Write Authors and Creatives crossed districts Berkshire, Hertfordshire, Manchester, Kent, London, simply promised: “I’ll be there.” Yet, quietly, I worried about their pockets as there was no financial provision for the Artists: people who had already paid and paved their way through self-publishing or paid independent publishers. Them being out of pocket worried me quite a bit and I wondered if we would sell enough books worthwhile their journeys.
With encouragement from our Essex Book Festival manager, I summoned the courage to write an application to Arts Council England. Two days to submission deadline, I contacted her to say I succumbed to doubt. I had freaked out and will not be going ahead with the application. She asked ‘Y?’ I didn’t have an answer. Sloppy, I returned to my desk. A week to the museum’s proposed day, Arts Council England replied with a big fat ‘Yes!’
On the said day, 26th Oct ’23, Carrol May Nelson heading down from Manchester ordered golden C.A.L.F.E balloons to be delivered to the museum.
I had no idea. I didn’t even see them until we were closing the event. But every visitor that walked through the glass doors did.
That simple, golden gesture said everything, and continues to speak volumes: We’re building something beautiful. We’re not crazy for dreaming. We belong.
Lesson is:
Trust the process and honour the people who lift you up [when you’re too busy building to notice] one balloon at a time. 🎈