Mzolonaire Blog - Childish Stories
- Jul 2, 2018
- 2 min read
"it is important to own your narrative. after all you are a story that is still being written and who can write a better story about your life than you?"-Mfundo Mzolo
When I was growing up in Kwa Mashu , I used to tell outlandish stories. I would tell the old ladies (oGogo) of my neighborhood, stories of people that lived underground and the kind of life style they lived. I would convince my friends that the best way to get to the beach was to build a boat and travel on the river, I mean all rivers end up at the sea right?
None of these stories were true or even remotely real, the boat idea failed in the most fantastical way, it was an epic failure. The saddest part is that we lost the lunch that our mothers and grannies made for us(we had lied to them and said we are having a picnic), so we had to go hungry for a day to cover our tracks. But what was important about these stories is that they were real to me!
It mattered that I believed them and I believed in the ideas. More often than not, we get ideas that are brilliant but we do not go for them. We do not act on them because we no longer believe in ourselves, but why does this happen? Where does the confidence go?
I think that as we live life we let other people tell our stories, they tell us our limitations and tell us how far our potential can go, how much is afforded to us. We repeatedly hear this and until we allow it to become our truth, until our brilliant ideas merely become outlandish ones or even beyond the realm of possibility.
There needs to come a time where we take ownership of our narratives, our short comings and our victories. We need to understand the inner workings of ourselves so we can not only stand firm in ourselves but also have the internal fortitude to pursue our dreams.
When I wrote Cleric I wanted it to be uniquely South African. I wanted to ooze our flavour and I wanted to be sophisticated enough that it stands up to international stories and art. I wanted to be the kind of series that will be studied in art schools and most of all, the kind of series that will touch hearts and inspire minds. I put philosophy into it and poetic prose. And then I dared to believe that it will work in a market that South African publishers claim doesn't exist.
As I build this company and write this story, I think of you and how you are becoming a part of it. The story of how Mzolo Creative will one day become a recognizable brand, known for excellence in quality, insightful literature and unforgettable entertainment. We are yet to have an African brand, become truly gloabal and I wish to be one of the many that will aspire to that and achieve it.
Thank you for journeying with us, remember you can order a book on: Mzolo Creative Comics.
Peace and Good Vibes
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