Reading Time: 4 minutes Hello, I’m Paula Melissa. And I’m a recovering people-pleaser. I said No to an opportunity that I didn’t have the time, energy or particularly want to do today. And the earth didn’t open up and swallow me. For a recovering people pleaser like myself, that is a major accomplishment.
THE AWKWARD CAR JOURNEY THROUGH MY CHILDHOOD – SHORT STORY
Reading Time: 3 minutes When my mum was driving me to the train station to get the train from Manchester to Plymouth, she started to tell me about my childhood.
LETTING GO OF MY OBSESSION WITH BEING PRODUCTIVE. BYE.
Reading Time: 2 minutes If you’ve been with my blog and I for a few years now, you’ll know I have a little obsession with being productive. And by little, I mean big. Huge. Gigantic. And another other synonyms you can think of.
I BOOKED MY ENTIRE SOLO TRIP TO PORTO, PORTUGAL ON AIRBNB AND HERE’S HOW IT WENT!
Reading Time: 4 minutes This blog post is all about my first solo trip ever to Porto, Portugal and how I booked the entire trip via Airbnb. Here’s how it went and if I would recommend it.
HOW PORTO, PORTUGAL MADE ME FALL BACK IN LOVE WITH PHOTOGRAPHY
Reading Time: 2 minutes Today, I met a photographer who absolutely loves photography. I know it sounds ridiculous to emphasise a photographer who loves photography. That should be a given, right? It’s in the name. But this guy really loved photography.
AT WHAT POINT DO WE STOP SAYING HAPPY NEW YEAR?
Reading Time: 3 minutes Yes, I realise that it’s right at the end of January 2020 and we’re basically a month into the new year. And this is my first blog post. But oh my gosh has it been a great 2020 so far for me!
CV COVER LETTER AND LINKEDIN PROFILE MAKEOVERS
Reading Time: 2 minutes I am now available to help give advice with CVs, Cover Letters and LinkedIn profiles for a small fee. I have been gathering knowledge and expertise on careers and recruitment for the last three years.
DEAR FUTURE HUSBAND
Reading Time: 2 minutes A while back, I wrote an open letter to the man that will eventually become my future husband. I’m in my feelings, for sure but wherever you are and whoever you are, I’m praying for you.
SIMPLE TIPS AND TRICKS TO LIVING A HEALTHIER LIFE
Reading Time: 7 minutes As we get to the end of 2019, I was reminiscing and I have noticed drastic changes in my diet and lifestyle. I think I am currently in my most happy, content place with my diet, exercise and healthy lifestyle so thought I would share some of the stuff I have learnt through my up-and-down continual battle with food and health.
RONKE LAWAL β USING SOCIAL MEDIA FOR PERSONAL BRANDING
Reading Time: < 1 minute It was a privilege to interview PR guru and Founder of Ariatu PR in London, Ronke Lawal (for the second time actually!) for the first (and only sadly!) episode of the New Narrative Magazine podcast. We discussed how Creatives can use social media as part of their personal branding and Ronke dropped so many amazing gems.
PEACE THAT SURPASSES ALL UNDERSTANDING
Reading Time: 2 minutes I used to mistake peace with everything in your life being okay, all of the time. If you require everything to always be working out for you, in order for you to have peace – that’s not peace.
LIMOBLAZE INTERVIEW WITH PAULA MELISSA (AUDIO)
Reading Time: < 1 minute I got to interview one of my favourite artists at the moment, Limoblaze. Samuel Imo, also known as Limoblaze, is an award-winning Nigerian rapper, singer and afro-gospel artist.
HOW TO: RESOURCES TO TEACH YOURSELF THE IGBO LANGUAGE
Reading Time: 4 minutes I am British Nigerian. Which for me means, I am born and raised in England but I am of Nigerian heritage because that is where my parents are from. Finding my own cultural identity has been a long journey because I have never felt British enough to be fully British or Nigerian enough to be fully Nigerian.
HOW I FELL IN LOVE WITH TWO PEOPLE AT THE SAME TIME β AND LOST BOTH OF THEM
Reading Time: 7 minutes Growing up a Christian Nigerian girl meant I never really had open conversations with people about relationships. All I knew, I learnt from TV, movies and watching the people around me. I was told, donβt date, but eventually get marriedβ¦ I never learnt what the steps in between were.