Champion Your Work!

'You are as good as your last project. You are as good as your last pitch. You are as good as your last review. And with every day that passes, that project pitch or review will lose its wonder.' - Ross Simmonds

I first wrote about self marketing after a workshop held for volunteers and interns at my workplace. Back then; it was based on the background of employment and promotion. But, how about if a person is a creative? A writer or an actor? How do they go about having their work out there?
Last week: I came across a tweet from a blogger saying that she had written a topical piece for a program. Unfortunately, the piece was rejected and it left her deflated. She had put a lot of effort into the composition of the piece and the bad review almost crushed her. However, she did not let it get her down. She shared the same piece on a different platform and was contacted about it a few weeks later.
In the same week; the nominations for the Emmy Awards were announced. HBO, the famous home of that little show Game of Thrones had left out actress Gwendoline Christie from its list of submission for nominees. She took matters into her own hands and submitted her own work. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity for her to get recognition for the craft she loves so much and she got it. She received her letter of nomination from the Emmy Awards Committee and the rest as they say is history!
Personally, I participated in a writing competition for the Uganda Feminist Forum by writing an op-ed on the theme 'Silencing our fears and fearing our silence'. Acceptance into the convening depended on the success of one's submission and I really wanted to gain entry into that space. Topical pieces are typically not my forte as history serves. Since I know myself well and are very conversant of my not so lucky streak when it comes to these pieces; I kept it at the back of my mind to share the piece here. It was reflective of my hardwork and sweat for it to be hidden away like something I was not proud of.
Surprise of all surprises? I recieved an invite to the Uganda Feminist Forum! I was so giddy with excitement and disbelief that it took awhile for it to sink in. I then took to my social networks to share the excitement! To this date; I am still happy at the thought that that op-ed scored me a invite into a space that is closed to many. I still harbour the intention of sharing the op-ed on this space for I am extremely proud of myself and the piece.
With all that said: I am requesting us to become champions of our work as creatives. Let us not let the bad reviews, lack of appreciation from companies, organisations and institutions that we work for stop us from gaining the recognition that we seek. Let us take advantage of the platforms available to us and use them in our favor.
You do not have to wait for people to appreciate you in order to appreciate yourself especially when it comes to your work. Be your own Champion and let the world marvel at your grit, determination and work.

Disability and the Media

Uganda Media Women’s Association and Mama FM recently held an Editors Dialogue between representatives of Disabled People’s Organizations and News Editors from different Media Houses to deliberate on how best to promote disability sensitive reporting. A much needed endeavor as stories inspired by Persons with Disabilities rarely make front page news, and if they do; they come from a biased background of helplessness and victimization which makes it hard to address their problems.

I didn’t get the chance to attend the meeting in person but followed its coverage on the Uganda Media Women’s Association twitter handle, where I read a tweet quoting a journalist from the Daily Monitor saying, “Persons with Disabilities stories always have the same issues. We need variety and different angles to stories.” I was rather appalled to know that someone from the media could have the nerve to make such a blasé remark. 

We read about poverty, disease, poor infrastructure on a daily basis without anyone growing tedious of the topics; not even the media houses that continue to fill their pages with these problems nor the journalists that cover them. What makes the stories of Persons with Disabilities any different? Is it the subject? The thorny background of disability or the notion that front page coverage of disability related stories won’t make papers fly off the shelves? How does someone from a Media House expect to have a different angle to a static problem without coverage to bring upon change?

The perception that stories of Persons with Disabilities are of no import since they are static and do not bring huge sales are what brought about the Editors Dialogue. For a representative from a big Media House to sit within the meeting and utter something so callous shows that we still have a long way to go if we want coverage of stories of Persons with Disabilities treated with the impartiality that a Journalist is supposed to uphold.