Today we’d like to introduce you to Ngeri Nnachi
Hi Ngeri, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Since I was a kid I really valued being in community with others. It meant a lot to me to be in spaces where other people were congregating, and finding opportunities to connect. In 2010, when I taught myself to sew, people were always asking me to sew them fun things. Every time…I wondered whether or not I could do it and found that with their support, I could. Sometimes, all it took was a friend to tell me that I could do something that I had never done before and let me know they had faith in me. My community keeps me creative and inspired. I was able to build an even larger community with my sewing and it means a lot to make things for them with my own hands and from my heart. My children’s book writing came about from my wonderful mentor Dr. Artika Tyner pushing me to do more with my love for children. She took notice of how much I love creating learning opportunities for the younger ones and introduced me to ample opportunities to write. I am incredibly grateful for and indebted to her.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
For the most part, yes it has been smooth but I can constantly feel myself getting overwhelmed and wondering if I have what it takes to be impactful or successful. I talk about community a lot because every single time self doubt creeps in, here come friends or mentors to lift me back up. So the only struggles that come about are totally on and from me.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I love working with vibrant African prints and bringing different creative items to life. I don’t use patterns so when I come up with an idea for a cute, multi-colored (patchwork Ankara) clutch bag, it can become a process of trial and error. The finished products make them all worth it. I am most proud of the community of people that I have curated around my art. It means the world to me to visit people’s homes and see pillows that I made just for them on their couches. Or when I see friends post pictures of an outing with a clutch bag that I made…it brings me so much joy.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
Oh goodness, I was a chatty kid. I remember people always being so welcoming and engaging with me but now that I am older and have encountered other children who have similar personalities…I find myself going back to loved ones and apologizing because I cannot imagine how hard it was to keep up with my constant questions. I was always the kid who couldn’t just take what was being said, I had to ask follow-up questions to understand why whatever was happening was happening or learn more about it. Interest wise, I can’t say that I had any specific interests. I was always really friendly and still keep in touch with friends and teachers from as far back as elementary school. I would say that I have always been community oriented and believe that shows up in both my personal and professional lives in the present.
Pricing:
- 50.00
- 75.00
- 20.00
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ngerinnachi.com
Image Credits
Judah Avenue took the photo of me with my fist and fro. Her watermark is included.
