Tolulope Popoola is a UK-based writer and blogger; and the creator of the online fiction series, ‘In My Dreams It Was Simpler’. Tolulope also writes short stories, flash fiction, poems and magazine articles, and is about to publish her first novel. Making the decision to follow your dreams is daunting; and as a former accountant, Tolulope took the plunge to leave behind the 9-5 and pursue her writing full-time and shares her journey with Beyond Daydreams.
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Finding My Right Path
I was born in the 80s, I grew up in Lagos, Nigeria in a family where reading and academic pursuits were positively encouraged. As a child, I was a real bookworm; the introvert who preferred staying at home reading to going out and partying. I’m still an introvert, but I express myself a lot better now. I left Nigeria for the UK in 2000 for my university education. I studied Accounting and Business Economics for my first degree, and after a year in the workplace, I went on to gain a Masters in Finance and Investment. I started working in accounting jobs, while studying for my professional accounting exams. In between all those trips to the library to study at university, I met my husband and we got married in 2005.
Where it all began
I guess my writing journey began towards the end of 2006 when I started getting frustrated with my career. I wasn’t fulfilled in my job, even though it paid well and the company was a great place to work. I had a long commute and I kept feeling like my career was going nowhere fast. I was not using my creative talents, I was unhappy and the more I thought about it, I was filled with horror at the idea of working in Accounting for the next forty years of my life.
Writing was always something that interested me, since I was about six or seven years old in primary school. I used to read a lot, and sometimes I would write my own versions of the stories I’d read. When I was a teenager, I used write pages and pages in my diaries. I found writing therapeutic; it helped me to get things off my chest and sort through my private thoughts. However, it was never something I considered as a career. At the time, I was all about the “professional” job - you know the one where you had to wear a suit, work in a 9 - 5 office job, and get paid every month. I hated the whole routine, but I thought, that’s just how life is. Work is something you have to do to make money and nothing else. However, in 2006, I came across a few Nigerian blogs when I was searching for some information online. I was immediately attracted to the idea of writing an online journal, so I started my own blog. I enjoyed the writing, commenting, meeting other people, and joining a wonderful community of supportive bloggers. Before long, I started looking forward to coming home after a long day at work and unwinding by writing on my blog.
One day, I wrote a short story and posted it on my blog and that post attracted positive comments from the readers. I was surprised and pleased that people thought I could write fiction and they enjoyed my stories. So I started writing some more. The more I wrote, the more I realised I enjoyed it, and I wanted to continue doing it.
Shortly after I started blogging, I met a lady who was an accountant and working on a major finance project for her company. Even though it was a Saturday, and we were visiting, she was glued to her laptop working on some financial data. When I asked her about it, she started telling me about her job, talking about the project she was working on, describing every single detail. She sounded so passionate and enthusiastic. She said "I love accounting, I love finance and I love working on exciting projects". In my mind I was thinking, "Wow! She actually loves her job!”
It was amazing, because I hadn’t imagined that there were people who absolutely loved what they did for a living. After that meeting, it became very clear to me that I did not love accounting with so much passion. It was just a profession I trained for and a job to keep some money coming in, nothing more. And if I was to leave the job, I won't miss it one bit. So the question for me was: what job could I do, that would make me passionate and excited to get up in the morning?
I’m a Christian and I believe God directs my footsteps, so I started praying to God to help me find my true purpose and the right path I should take. A few months and lots of praying, research and soul-searching later, I knew I should become a writer. I was always meant to be.
Taking the plunge
Leaving my job was scary, and to be honest, I still get scared sometimes. For one, I was letting go of my regular income. That was a decision I could only take because I had my husband’s full support. I had to discuss it with him before I quit my job, and he said he didn’t mind being the only income earner for a while. Secondly, I was leaving certainty for uncertainty. Everything I’d been trained for, everything about my education since my A’levels had been geared towards a career in Economics and Finance, so I had absolutely no training in how to be a writer, much less how to make money from it. Thirdly, I was losing my independence. I knew my husband was willing to support me, but I didn’t particularly enjoy having to ask him for money whenever I needed it. However, one thing kept me going: I had to try it because the cost of doing nothing was more than the cost of taking the risk.
I started reading all the “how to” books on writing that I could get my hands on. I also signed up for two writing classes so that I could get feedback from a tutor and other writers. I stayed up many nights researching about the writing and publishing industry, and where my career could take me. I was nervous, but also excited about the possibilities.
I remember when I started to tell people about my decision. I got mixed reactions in the beginning. Some of my friends found it funny, and they teased me that whilst they were at the start of their careers, I was already “retired”. Some of them asked me why I didn’t hold on to my job and try writing on the side. My mum was supportive but my dad was particularly difficult to convince. He used to complain that after all he did to educate me; I was now jobless and relying on a man to look after me. It look him a long time to appreciate it, but one day he finally changed his mind after reading some stories I’d written. He later explained that he too, had the gift of writing, but he had been too scared of criticism to take develop it and share his work with the world.
The Story So Far
I’ve faced a few challenges, including the occasional bout of self-doubt. I’ve also had to deal with receiving rejection letters from publishers. It was then I decided that I won’t sit around waiting for someone else to give me a break; instead I’ll go out there and create my own opportunities. The worst episode I experienced was when I bought a novel and after reading half of it, realised that the story was scarily similar to the manuscript I’d been working on for two years! The plot, the names of the characters, and even whole chapters were identical. I was so heartbroken and confused because I hadn’t shown anyone my story, but here I was reading it in published form, with another lady’s name on it. I realised I couldn’t publish that manuscript; there were just too many similarities and I could get accused of plagiarism. I cried and was depressed for almost a week because it felt like I’d wasted two years with nothing to show for it. Slowly with the help of my husband and friends, I was able to learn from it and move on to a new project.
It’s been an interesting journey and I’ve had to change and challenge myself often. I’ve had to become more organised and self-disciplined. It’s easy to allow myself to get lazy and distracted because I’m not necessarily answering to a boss. Sometimes I spend the day playing on Facebook and doing chores around the house, instead of writing, and then feel guilty about it afterwards. It’s meant that I have to be more time-conscious because the day can fly by and I won’t have something tangible to show for it. It means that I can’t take any day for granted; each day must be spent doing something useful.
What Keeps Me Going?
God is my number one inspiration. I get ideas and my work flows when I’m connected to my source of creativity. I’m inspired to achieve the potential that God has placed inside of me. When I feel like I’m slacking off and settling for second best, God reminds me again that His plans for me are not small or insignificant, so I shouldn’t settle for where I am now. I should get up and aim for more. Now I have big dreams and goals that inspire me and motivate me to keep going, even if it’s one small step at a time. If I lose sight of my dream, I get lost and stop having a focus. As long as I keep working towards a certain goal, then I can get up in the morning and put in a bit more effort into making my dreams come true. To keep going, I celebrate each small victory and push myself to aim for more. With regards to my writing, I’m inspired by life, by people and their stories. I read often - to get ideas from other writers. I listen and observe what’s going on around me. A story can come from anywhere, I just have to tune into a conversation, a song, or a situation, to get raw material for my stories.
Life as a Writer
Being a full time writer can seem isolating, but thanks to the internet, I have made many friends who are also writers and we help each other. When I first started writing, I went online to look for forums and groups of other writers that I could join and learn from. I also started a group on Facebook called “Nigerian Writers” so that I could meet other writers with a similar background to mine. I’ve since met so many people - bloggers, journalists, aspiring authors, published authors and so on that have been a tremendous supportive network. I’ve collaborated with people on different writing projects, received free books, been interviewed, had my stories published in magazines, received feedback and so on, all from people that I’ve met online. I’ve also tried to attend as many events as possible, to network and meet with people face to face.
The best part of being self-employed for me is the fact that I can work from home. I certainly don’t miss the rush hour commute and all that comes with it. Another benefit is the freedom from the 9 - 5 routine. By nature, I’m a night owl, so I do my best work late in the night when it’s quiet and everyone else is asleep. I used to hate the office job because my brain doesn’t fully engage with tasks until around 4pm, but by then it’s almost closing time! Now that I’m working for myself, I can be as flexible as I need to be. I can choose my own working hours, fit tasks around my family and other commitments and have a much better work-life balance.
Still, it doesn’t mean I don’t work hard when I have to. Working for myself means that I’m solely responsible for my progress, so I have to make sure I set my own targets and achieve them. I have to keep myself motivated to work because I don’t have a boss assigning tasks and giving me deadlines. I have to stop allowing myself to make excuses, and keep doing better, even when I get discouraged. Sometimes things don’t go according to plan and that takes a big chunk out of my confidence but I have to carry on.
For anyone looking to take the plunge and pursue their dreams, I would say this:
Believe in yourself and don’t let fear hold you back. If we think carefully about all the reasons why we don’t pursue our dreams, it’s usually because of fear. It could be fear of the unknown, fear of failure, fear of exposing ourselves to criticism, fear of economic implications, etc. Sometimes, it’s even a fear of success! Maybe your dream seems so big and daunting that you’re afraid to embrace it because it will completely change your life. Don’t be afraid to make some mistakes, don’t be afraid to take risks and find out if you could really make your dreams come true. Don’t listen to negative people who try to hold you back because they have no dream of their own to pursue. Surround yourself with the people you want to be like.
Sometimes, what holds people back is the lack of resources. But I’ve discovered that resources won’t just flow to you if you don’t have a plan to utilise them. Nine out of ten times, you have to make the move first, and then the right resources will come your way!
And always remember, life is a precious gift, don’t waste it. It’s better to take risks, than to live with regrets. From my experience I’ve learnt that everyone needs a dream. I saw a quote on Facebook recently that said, “If you don’t build your dream, somebody else will hire you to build theirs.” and that’s so true.
I’m just starting to reveal myself to the world and I believe that with God on my side, I can fulfil my purpose.
Tolulope Popoola
You can interact with Tolulope online via:
Blog: www.onwritingandlife.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/TolulopePopoola
Twitter: www.twitter.com/TolulopePopoola
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/TolulopePopoola
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/tolulopepopoola
_________________________________________________________________________________________
The information in this post is © Tolulope Popoola
I was born in the 80s, I grew up in Lagos, Nigeria in a family where reading and academic pursuits were positively encouraged. As a child, I was a real bookworm; the introvert who preferred staying at home reading to going out and partying. I’m still an introvert, but I express myself a lot better now. I left Nigeria for the UK in 2000 for my university education. I studied Accounting and Business Economics for my first degree, and after a year in the workplace, I went on to gain a Masters in Finance and Investment. I started working in accounting jobs, while studying for my professional accounting exams. In between all those trips to the library to study at university, I met my husband and we got married in 2005.
Where it all began
I guess my writing journey began towards the end of 2006 when I started getting frustrated with my career. I wasn’t fulfilled in my job, even though it paid well and the company was a great place to work. I had a long commute and I kept feeling like my career was going nowhere fast. I was not using my creative talents, I was unhappy and the more I thought about it, I was filled with horror at the idea of working in Accounting for the next forty years of my life.
Writing was always something that interested me, since I was about six or seven years old in primary school. I used to read a lot, and sometimes I would write my own versions of the stories I’d read. When I was a teenager, I used write pages and pages in my diaries. I found writing therapeutic; it helped me to get things off my chest and sort through my private thoughts. However, it was never something I considered as a career. At the time, I was all about the “professional” job - you know the one where you had to wear a suit, work in a 9 - 5 office job, and get paid every month. I hated the whole routine, but I thought, that’s just how life is. Work is something you have to do to make money and nothing else. However, in 2006, I came across a few Nigerian blogs when I was searching for some information online. I was immediately attracted to the idea of writing an online journal, so I started my own blog. I enjoyed the writing, commenting, meeting other people, and joining a wonderful community of supportive bloggers. Before long, I started looking forward to coming home after a long day at work and unwinding by writing on my blog.
One day, I wrote a short story and posted it on my blog and that post attracted positive comments from the readers. I was surprised and pleased that people thought I could write fiction and they enjoyed my stories. So I started writing some more. The more I wrote, the more I realised I enjoyed it, and I wanted to continue doing it.
Shortly after I started blogging, I met a lady who was an accountant and working on a major finance project for her company. Even though it was a Saturday, and we were visiting, she was glued to her laptop working on some financial data. When I asked her about it, she started telling me about her job, talking about the project she was working on, describing every single detail. She sounded so passionate and enthusiastic. She said "I love accounting, I love finance and I love working on exciting projects". In my mind I was thinking, "Wow! She actually loves her job!”
It was amazing, because I hadn’t imagined that there were people who absolutely loved what they did for a living. After that meeting, it became very clear to me that I did not love accounting with so much passion. It was just a profession I trained for and a job to keep some money coming in, nothing more. And if I was to leave the job, I won't miss it one bit. So the question for me was: what job could I do, that would make me passionate and excited to get up in the morning?
I’m a Christian and I believe God directs my footsteps, so I started praying to God to help me find my true purpose and the right path I should take. A few months and lots of praying, research and soul-searching later, I knew I should become a writer. I was always meant to be.
Taking the plunge
Leaving my job was scary, and to be honest, I still get scared sometimes. For one, I was letting go of my regular income. That was a decision I could only take because I had my husband’s full support. I had to discuss it with him before I quit my job, and he said he didn’t mind being the only income earner for a while. Secondly, I was leaving certainty for uncertainty. Everything I’d been trained for, everything about my education since my A’levels had been geared towards a career in Economics and Finance, so I had absolutely no training in how to be a writer, much less how to make money from it. Thirdly, I was losing my independence. I knew my husband was willing to support me, but I didn’t particularly enjoy having to ask him for money whenever I needed it. However, one thing kept me going: I had to try it because the cost of doing nothing was more than the cost of taking the risk.
I started reading all the “how to” books on writing that I could get my hands on. I also signed up for two writing classes so that I could get feedback from a tutor and other writers. I stayed up many nights researching about the writing and publishing industry, and where my career could take me. I was nervous, but also excited about the possibilities.
I remember when I started to tell people about my decision. I got mixed reactions in the beginning. Some of my friends found it funny, and they teased me that whilst they were at the start of their careers, I was already “retired”. Some of them asked me why I didn’t hold on to my job and try writing on the side. My mum was supportive but my dad was particularly difficult to convince. He used to complain that after all he did to educate me; I was now jobless and relying on a man to look after me. It look him a long time to appreciate it, but one day he finally changed his mind after reading some stories I’d written. He later explained that he too, had the gift of writing, but he had been too scared of criticism to take develop it and share his work with the world.
The Story So Far
I’ve faced a few challenges, including the occasional bout of self-doubt. I’ve also had to deal with receiving rejection letters from publishers. It was then I decided that I won’t sit around waiting for someone else to give me a break; instead I’ll go out there and create my own opportunities. The worst episode I experienced was when I bought a novel and after reading half of it, realised that the story was scarily similar to the manuscript I’d been working on for two years! The plot, the names of the characters, and even whole chapters were identical. I was so heartbroken and confused because I hadn’t shown anyone my story, but here I was reading it in published form, with another lady’s name on it. I realised I couldn’t publish that manuscript; there were just too many similarities and I could get accused of plagiarism. I cried and was depressed for almost a week because it felt like I’d wasted two years with nothing to show for it. Slowly with the help of my husband and friends, I was able to learn from it and move on to a new project.
It’s been an interesting journey and I’ve had to change and challenge myself often. I’ve had to become more organised and self-disciplined. It’s easy to allow myself to get lazy and distracted because I’m not necessarily answering to a boss. Sometimes I spend the day playing on Facebook and doing chores around the house, instead of writing, and then feel guilty about it afterwards. It’s meant that I have to be more time-conscious because the day can fly by and I won’t have something tangible to show for it. It means that I can’t take any day for granted; each day must be spent doing something useful.
What Keeps Me Going?
God is my number one inspiration. I get ideas and my work flows when I’m connected to my source of creativity. I’m inspired to achieve the potential that God has placed inside of me. When I feel like I’m slacking off and settling for second best, God reminds me again that His plans for me are not small or insignificant, so I shouldn’t settle for where I am now. I should get up and aim for more. Now I have big dreams and goals that inspire me and motivate me to keep going, even if it’s one small step at a time. If I lose sight of my dream, I get lost and stop having a focus. As long as I keep working towards a certain goal, then I can get up in the morning and put in a bit more effort into making my dreams come true. To keep going, I celebrate each small victory and push myself to aim for more. With regards to my writing, I’m inspired by life, by people and their stories. I read often - to get ideas from other writers. I listen and observe what’s going on around me. A story can come from anywhere, I just have to tune into a conversation, a song, or a situation, to get raw material for my stories.
Life as a Writer
Being a full time writer can seem isolating, but thanks to the internet, I have made many friends who are also writers and we help each other. When I first started writing, I went online to look for forums and groups of other writers that I could join and learn from. I also started a group on Facebook called “Nigerian Writers” so that I could meet other writers with a similar background to mine. I’ve since met so many people - bloggers, journalists, aspiring authors, published authors and so on that have been a tremendous supportive network. I’ve collaborated with people on different writing projects, received free books, been interviewed, had my stories published in magazines, received feedback and so on, all from people that I’ve met online. I’ve also tried to attend as many events as possible, to network and meet with people face to face.
The best part of being self-employed for me is the fact that I can work from home. I certainly don’t miss the rush hour commute and all that comes with it. Another benefit is the freedom from the 9 - 5 routine. By nature, I’m a night owl, so I do my best work late in the night when it’s quiet and everyone else is asleep. I used to hate the office job because my brain doesn’t fully engage with tasks until around 4pm, but by then it’s almost closing time! Now that I’m working for myself, I can be as flexible as I need to be. I can choose my own working hours, fit tasks around my family and other commitments and have a much better work-life balance.
Still, it doesn’t mean I don’t work hard when I have to. Working for myself means that I’m solely responsible for my progress, so I have to make sure I set my own targets and achieve them. I have to keep myself motivated to work because I don’t have a boss assigning tasks and giving me deadlines. I have to stop allowing myself to make excuses, and keep doing better, even when I get discouraged. Sometimes things don’t go according to plan and that takes a big chunk out of my confidence but I have to carry on.
For anyone looking to take the plunge and pursue their dreams, I would say this:
Believe in yourself and don’t let fear hold you back. If we think carefully about all the reasons why we don’t pursue our dreams, it’s usually because of fear. It could be fear of the unknown, fear of failure, fear of exposing ourselves to criticism, fear of economic implications, etc. Sometimes, it’s even a fear of success! Maybe your dream seems so big and daunting that you’re afraid to embrace it because it will completely change your life. Don’t be afraid to make some mistakes, don’t be afraid to take risks and find out if you could really make your dreams come true. Don’t listen to negative people who try to hold you back because they have no dream of their own to pursue. Surround yourself with the people you want to be like.
Sometimes, what holds people back is the lack of resources. But I’ve discovered that resources won’t just flow to you if you don’t have a plan to utilise them. Nine out of ten times, you have to make the move first, and then the right resources will come your way!
And always remember, life is a precious gift, don’t waste it. It’s better to take risks, than to live with regrets. From my experience I’ve learnt that everyone needs a dream. I saw a quote on Facebook recently that said, “If you don’t build your dream, somebody else will hire you to build theirs.” and that’s so true.
I’m just starting to reveal myself to the world and I believe that with God on my side, I can fulfil my purpose.
Tolulope Popoola
You can interact with Tolulope online via:
Blog: www.onwritingandlife.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/TolulopePopoola
Twitter: www.twitter.com/TolulopePopoola
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/TolulopePopoola
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/tolulopepopoola
_________________________________________________________________________________________
The information in this post is © Tolulope Popoola
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