Dedicated to Enjoying Life
The Body, Brain, and Books: Eleven Questions with writer Ochuko Akpovbovbo
Welcome to another edition of The Body, Brain, & Books. If you enjoy reading these quick, insightful interviews brimming with wisdom and hope, please subscribe to Beyond.
What are you reading now?
I’m currently 50 pages into Elena Knows by Claudia Piñeiro. It's been on my shelf for a while and is every bit as good as I thought it would be. I just DNFed NW by Zadie Smith, so I really needed a winner.
What are your most beloved books from your youth? Did you ever hide any from your parents?
Ooooh yes. I read a lot of smut as a teenager—as one does, I guess. Fifty Shades, Jackie Collins, whatever I could get my hands on. My parents, bless them, had no idea. At the same time, I also really enjoyed African literary fiction: Chinua Achebe, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Sefi Atta. My mom was a teacher, so I’d borrow books from her school library a lot too. Loads of romantasy!
What’s your favorite book to reread? Any that helped you through a dark time?
I don't re-read much these days, honestly. I always have too many books to get through! The only things I re-read are books from my childhood—not the smutty ones, though. Everything Good Will Come by Sefi Atta was the first piece of literary fiction I read that followed a main character whose life reflected mine. It’s the oldest book I own, and I’ve read it so many times. It means a lot to me.
What’s an article of clothing that makes you feel most like you?
I have this simple white summer maxi dress that makes me feel really pretty. It’s free and unencumbered, and I associate it with some of the most beautiful periods of my life.
What’s the best piece of wisdom you've encountered recently?
This is a bit cliché, but recently I was getting angsty about something I really wanted taking longer than I’d like. A friend reminded me, “It takes as long as it takes, so you better enjoy the journey.” That resonated with me so much. This year, I’m dedicated to enjoying my life, which means wanting things badly while still embracing the journey.
Tell me about any special relationship you’ve had with an animal, domestic or wild?
Oh, I guess this is when I admit I’m terrified of most animals, so not much to share here. I really like my boyfriend’s sister’s puppy. Which is something!
What's one thing you are happy worked out differently than you expected?
Wow, so much in my life falls into this category. I was pretty disappointed when I moved to Germany two years ago. It wasn't what I wanted or thought it would be, and pretty immediately, I thought I had made a huge mistake. I see now that this season of my life has been so special, and I probably will never experience something like this again. I’ve experienced so much growth and had so many special moments since being here. I just couldn’t see it then.
Singing in the shower or dancing in the kitchen? Or another favorite way your body expresses itself?
I don’t think I’ve ever sung out loud in the shower, like ever. Logistically, I don’t think it’ll work for me. I do love to laugh though, and sometimes when I’m super happy, I will literally do a jig!
What are your hopes for yourself?
I want a life that feels full and expansive. I want to have a lot of love, eat a lot of food, be in the sun, go on walks, and feel happy in my body. I want to experience this real deep joy—which is different from happiness—and feed that into others. I want to be proud of myself too. Always.
What’s a kindness that changed your life?
So many people have shown me kindness in my life, strangers and friends alike. I call it favor—those instances where people feel called to love and bless you even when they don’t have to. My life has been sprinkled with so many of those instances.
What’s a guiding force in your life?
I have a deep desire to live a life I’m proud of, a life that has meaning. I’ve been pretty good at measuring my actions accordingly. Will this make me proud? Is this the right thing to do?
If you enjoyed Ochuko’s questionnaire, you may also enjoy this one with
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Such a great one! I really enjoy Ochuko's work and her answers are so insightful. Thank you for this.
A deep desire to live a life full of meaning - the number one reason why so many are feeling lost these days & so many people now suffer from mental health issues... I am glad you feel so deeply about this, as I do too, and let us spread the message that meaning is within you, namely LOVE! loved this lil interview and would love to be starred too :)