Meet Chinwendu Ejimadu | Content Creator, Bookstagrammer, & Registered Nurse

We had the good fortune of connecting with Chinwendu Ejimadu and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Chinwendu, can you tell us about a book that has had a meaningful impact on you?
This is a hard one since I’ve read plenty books and only fictional ones at that. Although it was fictional, when I read “Yinka , where is your huzband?”, about a 100 pages in, I remember realizing that the author never gave a clear depiction of what the main character, Yinka, looked like. As I continued reading, I realized it was purposeful. As a dark skinned woman, Yinka never felt beautiful and subconsciously needed validation from men about her beauty. She had this notion that if a guy took an interest in her, then that had to mean she was beautiful. And if they weren’t interested, then of course she had to be the problem. Yinka constantly blamed herself for not looking like “society’s preference”. While reading this, I resonated with her situation. Although this is not equal to Yinka’s situation, I resonated with her subconsciously needing validation from men. The way Yinka felt about her dark skin, is the way I used to feel about my height. Being a 6 ft tall woman (which is not that tall now that I think about it), I never got much attention from men in real life. It only happened through social media. My height was always something that elicited a shocking reaction whenever I was seen in public and the reaction wasn’t in the best tone either. And that sort of thing messes with your mind. You start to feel less than and here comes the comparison cycle. It took me a while as it did for Yinka, to realize that you have to love yourself fully before anyone can. No one should have to affirm the beauty that you are. Remind yourself that you are more than enough and it’s their loss if they don’t realize that. There was a quote in the book that brought tears to my eyes and it said, “the midnight sky is just as beautiful as the sunrise”. No matter which one you are, you are beautiful.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I decided to pursue my creative side almost year ago after losing my dad to Covid. Creating content, reading books, & posting about books I loved, allowed me to mentally live in an alternate reality where I could get away from my grief. Not only did it help me with dealing with loss, but it turned out that I truly enjoyed it. Whether I was creating book-ish content or shooting my latest outfit, my thoughts were focused on that one thing rather than the issues/trials I was facing in my real life. I guess you could say that creating was my form of therapy. My start was a bit different. I didn’t technically have a plan of what I wanted to do or how far I wanted to go per se. My mental health got me here & honestly, it’s what’s keeping me going. I feel good when I create, so I keep creating. I love being a part of a community that’s made up of people that love what I love and I found myself being able to express myself with no limitations. I remember when I first entered the bookstagram community in August of 2021, the love I felt from strangers literally within my first week was immaculate. I remember crying. Being in that space reminded me of home, reminded me of my dad, and I never wanted to leave. And that was all the motivation I needed.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
There’s honestly so many things to do in Houston. I’m a huge fan of turkey leg hut and I believe if you’re in Houston, it has to be on the itinerary. For Taco Tuesday, Boombox tacos at Axelrad’s beer garden is amazing. You’ll not regret it. It’s not a Wednesday if we don’t pop by Prospect Park for all things Afrobeats. I am Nigerian of course, so I definitely had to add some Nigerian flair to the itinerary. There’s so many amazing spots for brunch and drinks – Bisou, The Warwick, Eunice, Thirteen, POST Houston, etc – for the weekend. And what better way to end the weekend than being at 02 on Saturday for a massive turn up (more Nigerian vibes of course).

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Honestly, my parents. Especially my dad. My dad immigrated to the US when he was 18. All on his own, he toiled and worked to support not only himself, but the family he left back home as well. At some point, my mom was able to join him in the states and thus began our family. Everything my dad did, he did for us, for me. All the double shifts, multiple jobs, he did for us. He made sure we never had to question our next meal or wonder if we were financially okay. He drove second hand cars from “Offer-up” so his children could have new cars straight from the lot. I remember about two years ago when I was in nursing school and I talked to my dad about getting a job part-time just so I could have some savings coming out of school and he said “your only job is to study and I’ll take care of everything else”. Those are the parents I was blessed with. That’s the father God blessed me with. And I do my best to never take their teachings for granted.

While I create or work my 9-5, those are the memories I meditate on. My parents planted a seed in me, in my siblings, and my goal is to grow it so my generation never has to start over again.

Instagram: www.instagram.com/wendureads

Other: www.instagram.com/lifeofwendu