I just found something that I had forgotten to be grateful for... or at least have minimised to the point of being forgotten...I'm guilty of taking the good things i have done for granted...
Maybe a little selfish in not wanted to come across egotistical not realising this in itself is pure ego in wanting to control how people see me by editing experiences and achievements... Preferring not to have people expect more of me perhaps...
When i came across this TED file earlier today it all came flooding back and I realised i had a lot of fear around sharing anything i actually care about if people reacted negatively...
I had forgotten I was meant to be on a path to experience, share & inspire others...
This is the official letter i got that made it all real...
The handsome guy second from the end is yours truly of course...
In 2013 I was invited to speak at TED X Aso Rock, Abuja, The Presidential Villa... of the government of Nigeria. A friend reminded me of the importance of letting people see your achievements so they can benefit somehow or perhaps they may realise that you might be able to help them out somehow. My talk was on how Creativity can change the world against the backdrop of my project "Forgotten" The story of the Amputee Football Club, a self assigned project I did while on assignment as an Observer Photographer for UN Women during the elections in Sierra Leone 2012...
Between 2012 and 2014 I had been a UN Observer Photographer, met a head of state, a first lady, the american ambassador to sierra leone & was invited to speak at TED x at the Presidential villa...and photobombed Ban Ki Moon at a conference in dubai...
I began teaching myslef photography in 2010...
and if i can teach myself...