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Adefolake: How I started writing for BellaNaija

This is not a publicity post for BellaNaija so I have nothing to gain. It is my experience or rather I should say an encounter that transformed my life and those closest to me know the story. It is also important to note that my life is not one to be envied, it is divine; so rather than envy, apply the same principles to your life and see the same outcomes. If you like stories, you will enjoy this read.

While I was working at a certain organization in 2017, on one of my random social media browsing, I stumbled upon a one week scholarship at an Education Centre for three certifications.  I applied and I got it. When I started the courses, no one was available to teach the three courses I selected so I used all the materials provided by the Institution and taught myself and it felt like a revision of courses I had done during my Master’s Degree. On the last day, I had to take the exams and I scored 94%, 87% and 100% on the three courses respectively. After the exams we were informed we would be visiting a particular company in the “Silicon Valley of Nigeria” at Yaba, Lagos State. This visit was because most of the people for that cohort were Techies and those of us belonging to other aspects tagged along.

When we got there, I pretended to care about what they were all discussing but I could not wait to leave and after I was tired pretending, I went to seat on a chair beside a guy [Nifemi] that was on his desktop and we struck up a conversation. I was telling him I love researching and writing and I was thinking of starting my website and he suggested I write for a gossip blog and Bellanaija first, before starting my website. I immediately rejected ever writing for the gossip blog but agreed Bellanaija would be a great start. I thanked him as that was the one benefit I received from the excursion.

When I resumed back at work the following week, as I sat at my desk I was wondering how to contact Bellanaija as I did not know anyone working there; the Holy Spirit began to speak to me. And I know someone out there is wondering, “How do you know it was the Holy Spirit?” There are Godly books and messages out there that help you walk with the Holy Spirit, but be careful not to accept heresy. So as I sat there, He said, “Go to Bellanaija, go to ‘Contact Us’, go to the email for Features, send them an email, attach one of your new articles with your CV and mention you do not wish to be paid for your writeups” I did everything He told me to do and few minutes later, I got an email from Bellanija giving me my login and the rules of writing for them and they mentioned that they do not pay their writers. Mind you, Bellanaija is the most popular lifestyle, entertainment and fashion website in Africa. So just imagine my shock how “easy” and quick it was. But what struck me the most was the Holy Spirit telling me to say I didn’t want money knowing they would not even offer to pay in the first place.

A few months after I started writing for them, someone on my contact asked how I did it so they can start writing for them as well. For a split second, I hesitated because I felt like why would I give them my “access” and the Holy Spirit said “Give it”. Oh well, I listened and explained exactly how I did it. Subsequently, over the 4+ years of writing for them, so many people have asked me this same question and I have told every one of them exactly how I did it not leaving a single detail out for ‘fear’ of offending the Holy Spirit. As I write this, four years later, not a single one of them is writing for BellaNaija. And therein lies the encounter I mentioned at the beginning of this write up, just imagine what I thought was a causal instruction from the Holy Spirit led to me writing over 50 articles and being featured severally as the Star Writer, being interviewed on their website, invited for a private screening of a  blockbuster movie and given an appreciation post on International Women’s Day. I have learnt so many lessons along the way by that one encounter:

  1. If you are Christian and you cannot hear Him when He speaks, there is something wrong. Don’t let anyone lie to you. And He is not your mind, He is the Spirit of God.
  2. When the Holy Spirit tells you to ‘jump’, do not for a second question it. He knows why. Just follow His leading.
  3. Do not hoard information, wealth, opportunities or whatever you have access to. A time will come, it might not matter to you anymore and the person you refused to give won’t need it anymore.
  4. When people speak, take what you need based on God’s word and throw the rest away. If I had written for the gossip blog, I think it would have watered down my authenticity as a writer.
  5. God can use anyone. If it is against God’s word, do not stand for it but asides that hear people out.
  6. If it makes faith, it doesn’t have to make sense. Some ideas or instructions do not make sense but so far it makes faith in God, then do it.
  7. Your Spirit has to always be active to hear the Holy Spirit speak.

 

Isaiah 59:1 [MSG], “Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear.

Numbers 11:23 [AMP], “The Lord said to Moses, “Is the Lord’s hand (ability, power) limited (short, inadequate)? You shall see now whether My word will come to pass for you or not”.

 

If God can tell me what to do and how to go about it for something as trivial as writing for a blog. I do not know what that problem is that you think is big but trust me, He is with you in the midst of it all.

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2 Comments

  1. TERNGU

    Hello Adefolake,
    thank you for your blog post. I’ve been writing for years now, but looking into making freelance writing a full business, was looking into how to get gigs and came across your blog post. I couldn’t find a way to contact you. However I would like to guest contribute to your blog, I have a background in health/medicine and have been writing about travel and culture. I am not asking to get paid either, I believe this would be fantastic opportunity to work for/with you. I look forward to hearing from you.

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