Have a voice and don’t stray from it – Labake Anyebe

Hello, African freelancers!

Welcome to another session of educative and motivating interviews. Today, we bring to you an exciting interview we had with Labeke Anyebe, a blogger, and a freelancer writer.

Enjoy our interview with her!

1. Can you introduce yourself to us?

Hello, everyone, my name is Anyebe Elizabeth Ene Labake, Just in case you are wondering how Ene meets Labake, I’m from a mixed culture, Benue is my dad and Ogun state is my mum. I can be a trouble finder unlike first born(s) which contrary to belief are cool headed. I love eating and daydreaming of beautiful places I would love to visit when am not writing.

2. How long have you been writing?

I believe far as my SS1 which is 9yrs back. I started out with poems.

`    3. How long have you been freelancing?

Almost a year.

4. In the course of your freelancing, what are some of the challenges you faced and how did you overcome them?

• The choice of words that sends the proposed expression/message. I try to get a minimum of two different people to proofread and tell me what they think before I hit “publish”
•  Being out there. No publicity is bad publicity they say, I strive for the brand to have a reputable publicity.
• General stress. More often than not, I try to offload my thoughts and sieve through weeding out the unwanted.

5. What are your favourite tools for working?

Google. It’s my research and answers buddy.  Since I deal with pictures, I use VSCO and PicsArt for my edits.

6. Tell us about your blog.

Labakeany is all about style from different persons and fractions, my personal style inclusive from fashion to lifestyle routines down to what we read books in no particular genre. I write to engage people in a conversation for knowledge is exchanged and learned.

7. How do you motivate yourself to write?

I draw my motivation from people, both the ones I know personally or just through my phone screen via the power of the internet. They make me want to be better and I’m always happy getting feedbacks from my write-ups.

8. What is something you’ve learnt about freelancing that others can learn also from?

Research is the key. A keyword/topic can pop up and that would be all it can be “A pop up” but research can make it a line and more lines and we have a write up from there. Writer’s block is writer’s block if you let it, a deep breath and an addition of junk food for me are ways to send away any block.

9. Tell us about one of your works you consider as your favourite.

I don’t think I have any right now, I try to make the next write up better and spicier.

10. What is your best writing tip?

Have a voice and don’t stray from it.

11. What is your best freelancing tip?

Knowing what your brand as a whole represents, and living by it goes miles.

12. What advice would you give to a budding freelancer or writing?

We are all writers, just keep scribbling it out and you would have yourself a fantastic piece to gaze upon.