In every room, be the unicorn.

Your creativity is your superpower.

Hi friends,

Like many of you, I binge-watched Supacell and couldn’t help but wonder what my superpower would be if I ever discovered I had one. “Lightning creativity,” I thought as I looked at my unfinished novel, the cursor blinking unapologetically back at me. In the context of the show, that might seem like a useless superpower, unable to save anyone but myself. But then another thought struck me: What if I could use my powers to unblock all the writers struggling with their flow or spark creativity in someone held back by fear?

It dawned on me that a mission isn’t truly a mission unless it involves helping others. Stories are the force of the world, and if that’s true, then storytellers are the superheroes. With this realisation, I decided to bite the bullet and start sharing the stories that have shaped me, hoping they supercharge you in a way that ignites the superpowers you’ve always had.

Storytime…

Back in 2018, a recruiter for a job I landed in Dubai called me a unicorn the first day we spoke. She was tasked with finding "an exceptional African storyteller, well-versed in content curation and narrative development." With no clear starting point, she sifted through an endless list of CVs on the company career portal, but nothing matched her criteria. Then, one day, she stumbled upon a CV from Nigeria. It belonged to someone who proudly called herself a storyteller with a rich portfolio of creating narratives for brands, art exhibitions, and editorials.

"You’re a unicorn," I remember her saying as we spoke about my experience. "I would like to set up an interview with you and the hiring manager," she added before the call ended. I could hear the excitement in her voice, and I wondered if she could hear the surprise in mine.

I often think back to that first conversation and how seen I felt by a stranger who had never physically seen me. As creatives, our work comes from within and thus is an extension of who we are. Being acknowledged in that way was validating—a reminder of the impact our narratives can have even before we meet our audience.

Two interviews and one test later, I was packing my bags for Dubai. The journey was just beginning, and it all started with that serendipitous moment when my CV stood out from the crowd.

Five years later, I decided to pack my bags and pursue my freedom as a freelancer. I landed a writing gig at a global festival. After a productive writer's meeting at their New York office, one of the execs hugged me, looked at me curiously, and blurted out, “Where did we find you?” Her eyes were full of wonder, and it was almost as if she was looking at…. a unicorn. I smiled sweetly and shrugged it off like it was no big deal, but I knew I was ‘found’ because of how I have navigated my creative practice – flowing through without restriction, and even if there has been fear, never letting that stop me from trying new things.

To this day, I carry the recruiter's words with me. Anytime I feel like I don’t fit in or belong, I remember that I was never supposed to.

A unicorn is defined as something unusual, rare, or unique. Often, we force ourselves to be one thing or two things, always afraid of being too much or not understood.

But have you ever considered that the many versions of yourself are, in fact, your unique superpower?

Creative Practice

If you are someone who struggles with defining all of your creative endeavors into a nice little palatable story, I have a small task for you.

Get a large sheet of paper or a whiteboard if you have one, and write down all of the creative practices you have embarked on in your life. The unfinished novel, the doodles you’re afraid to show anyone, the plays you have written, the shoots you’ve helped your friends manage, the fires you put out while working a job you didn’t like, the random certifications you completed online – don’t hold back, write it all down.

When you are done, look for the string, the golden thread, and find a way to tie it all together. Don’t worry—no one is watching, and the thread is even more perfect when it loops and weaves through random experiences.

Now, it’s time to tell the story. Your story. I have learned that if you do not tell your own story, someone else will ‘find’ you and tell it for you. Only you can explain your experiences in a way that is honest and true, and most importantly, you.

When you are done, this story will become your portfolio; it will be the thing that guides strangers, recruiters, and future employers to make a decision about you before ever physically seeing you.

In the end, I hope you see that nothing was wasted. Even the job you hated gave you a skill that can add to your unicorn status. Because of all the paths you have taken, you are better for it.

And even if you still do not know where you are going, you realise that despite all the twists, turns, dead ends, and unexpected beginnings, you never stopped moving.

xoxo,

Nicole