NAKIA SHADE | AMBASSADOR OF MAMI WATA

  Nadia Shaik and her artwork from Song of Wata © 2024 Garam Masala Studios, Inc. Photo Credit: © 2024 Photographer Rachel Hadiashar / Zing Studio Hi Cool Storytellers, When I started Song Of Wata , I thought it would be a prose novel—a story of two Mami Wata mermaid sisters and their love for each other. But after years of grappling with structure, creative blocks, and the weight of my perfectionism, I’m admitting it: the novel has failed . And that’s okay. Now, after eight months of interviewing other authors, holding in-person write-ins through Meetup, and creating merchandise, I see this story for what it truly wants to be: a short, stand-alone motion webcomic , blending my scriptwriting skills, sound effects, and visual art with ian illustrated script. Here’s where my mind has been spinning these two years and six months: Should it be a motion comic ? An audiodrama? An animatic ? A slideshow ? A picture book for kids or adults ? Straight-up merch for all ages ? A serialized no...