I first put pen to paper(figuratively) in 2013, but my interest in storytelling was born around 2009. I had just given up my day job to start my own business, supplying 3D viewing equipment for commercial and private use.

This was at a point in time when the 3D experience was just becoming more accessible over a wide range of media. From cinema houses to kid’s comic book pages, almost any experience could be enhanced with 3D.

But I grew restless with just enhancing other’s creative endeavours. I wanted to throw my own ideas into the ring. And so, in 2013, I began. It was nothing major, just 20 odd pages of a short story with cute illustrations.

Now, eight years later, amid a worldwide pandemic, my little labour of love has grown from a few pages with doodles to a full-fledged novel.

OUT NOW and available to purchase at Waterstones, Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

It’s also available to order to the reading room at The British Library.

Synopsis:

Kara Stewart, 16, is fed up with just about everything, especially her mom’s annoying new husband. After a fight, she runs away. But,things quickly change when she gets hit by a car and wakes up in a nursing home at the age of 80.

Links to purchase:

Amazon:

Kindle edition – https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08KYL3JYG

Paperback – https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1838053018

Waterstones:

https://www.waterstones.com/book/waking-up-eighty/shola-lawrence/9781838053017

Barnes and Noble:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/waking-up-eighty-shola-lawrence/1116263854

Trailer:

The Story

Waking Up Eighty starts through the eyes of a petulant teenager that doesn’t understand the value of her parents.

Sullen and insolent KARA is eventually confronted about coming home hung-over after spending an evening among friends. Unwilling to so much as try to hide the truth of the situation, Kara instead throws a fit declaring that she can’t wait to be an adult so she can get out of there.

As the old adage goes, be careful what you wish for…

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If there’s anything I’ve learned over the years – whether working on my own projects or helping others with theirs – it’s that big things can come from small ideas.

Sometimes it’s easy to lose perspective. We might look at something we’re doing and think that maybe it’s too small in scope to really matter…or worse, we might think it’s not big enough to warrant so much effort and sweat. Those times are when it’s important to come back down to earth and redouble our efforts.

A tiny acorn will eventually become a huge oak tree, but only if it’s given a chance and the time to grow. It needs proper conditions, as do all of our ideas and efforts if we want them to blossom and bear fruit some day. That’s why it’s ever so important to give 100%, even when it seems like a small matter.

You see, excellence isn’t just a concept; it’s a habitual behavior. If you put your heart into your work, no matter how small, then you will cultivate that habit. If you slack off on the details or the things that seem minor, then the opposite will happen and you’ll become accustomed to “phoning it in.” That’s not a habit you want to be stuck with when the big opportunity does roll in!

I believe that everything we do is as important as we make it. Approaching each task, no matter how small, with zeal will always yield a better result. And when you approach everything you do with that mindset, something interesting happens: you learn that even the smallest plant can bear satisfying fruit.

It goes without saying that I’ve been busy with a lot of projects this year! With that in mind, I wanted to give an update about one of my key endeavours. It’s called “The 1000 Project,” and it’s focused on the concept of social entrepreneurism. The basic idea is one of entrepreneurs helping entrepreneurs, each of us involving ourselves in something bigger to bring something positive to the world at large.

The purpose of the project itself is to help struggling entrepreneurs build websites that will encourage growth and prosperity in their business. This came as a natural extension of my web design business, Coolours, Inc… a way to give back to the small business community in a way that suits my expertise and skills. Naturally, The 1000 Project is also working with other companies and entrepreneurs to expand the scope of the endeavour. We’re looking for sponsors, volunteers, and other socially-conscious people to help out with various aspects of the project.

(We’re also taking applications from entrepreneurs who don’t currently have a web presence and need a helping hand, so if you fall into that category, click this link and apply now! – Free Application)

It’s an ambitious project, and at the end of the day I know we’ll be able to help out a lot of people. If you’re interested in learning more, please visit the1000project.org or feel free to contact me directly!

The celebration of the end of one year and the beginning of another is the perfect time to focus on the very real need we all have to leave the past behind and press on to the future. A time to focus on forgiving the failures of the past and focusing on the hopes and dreams within us.

This video is an artistic take on how the story of the nativity might have read had a social network existed at the time of Jesus’s birth. Follow this historical period as it unfolds as a digital narrative.

This mini movie is designed to show God’s many incredible gifts to us. While we might desire to work for ”treats”, God gives to us liberally in so many ways we could never earn.

Personal .com websites (yourname.com) are all the rage! Sure, they’re a great way to start building a presence on the internet, but what are the risks? What are the rewards? I’ve been learning the answers to these questions during the past few weeks and this is some of what I’ve come up with. 

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