This is me.
All my life, I've been a student.
From kindergarten to my final years in the university, I've dubbed myself a "Professional Student", knowing all the hacks and strategies in excelling academically.
As a new grad, I'm haunted by these questions:
Who am I if I'm not a student?
What expertise do I have?
Do my life goals end with me being an Engineer? Or is there more?
I'm tired of hiding behind the accomplishments and status.
I just want to express who I really am outside of what I was "pressured" to be. (Side note: I wasn't coerced by my parents to study engineering in university, but I would say society did. It was expected and I didn't want to let anyone down - plus, I have some interest in it as well.)
But I am so much more:
I am creative. I am fun. I am light and I spread joy. This is me: Creative Jam.
My full name is Ayebabomo Jamilla Wilfred Dambo and for some reason, "Jamilla" didn't make it to my birth certificate. But that's what I was called growing up.
When it was time for serious applications, my mum told me to ensure that I used "Ayebabomo Wilfred Dambo" on official documents. In secondary school and university, I went by the shortened version: "Bomo Dambo" and that's my official name. Friends and family still call me "Jamilla".
As time went on, I associated the name "Jamilla" with my creative personality and only used "Bomo" when it had something to do with my professional image. This is why my student resource blog and my website have the name: "Bomo".
But on this personal blog, I'm here to talk about "Jamilla" (To any psychologist reading this: I don't have Multiple Personality Disorder lol! - But yes, I do have multiple personalities. Don't we all?).
I am a writer, a musician, a dancer and on most days, a clown. This is me: Creative Jam.
So, welcome to my online journal as I explore who I really am and share my thoughts and interests with you, the weird 0.1% who found this blog.
A Little Rant
In 2016, I created a blog. It was supposed to be a "personal" blog which I named "The Jampearl Blog" but I soon found myself trying to monetize the blog and gain that sweet online cash that many bloggers and online creators boasted about.
Well, I failed! Time after time, I failed! I hated marketing my blog posts. I hated having to do Search Engine Optimization (SEO) so that it ranks in Google. I hated trying to get people to click on my affiliate links! I hated it all and I failed at monetizing my blog.
Doing all those additional tasks sapped away my interest in writing. It was like a chore, as though I was writing for people. I DON'T WRITE FOR PEOPLE. I WRITE FOR ME. And if my writing has an impact on you, then that's great.
I've come to the realization that I don't want blogging to be my side hustle. It's my hobby and I don't believe in attaching income to hobbies. That's why I'm grateful for my professional career as an engineer (I don't need to work all the time! What's with all the crazy 24/7 working lifestyle?).
On this blog, there'll be no SEO of any kind. You may or may not find pictures in posts (I don't care, tbh). You won't see any cry for you to subscribe. If you're interested in my writing, you can check in every now and then to see what's new (I won't pressure you or send you luring emails). This is my journal. It just so happens that it's also on the internet.
What You'll Find Here
I'll write about everything that interests me (And boy, do I have lots of interests). I will write about my thoughts, questions that bother me, my feelings and my faith in God.
Examples include: my thoughts about a movie/book, what new thing I'm learning, rants about things that frustrate me, questions I have about life, purpose and belief in God.