MINI MANNA: TALKING TO THE INNER CHILD

Beyond The Lens sat down with Mark Onyemah, the man behind Modified by Manna. In discussion was the creative process, inspiration source, life before MBM and how God ties everything together for him. This was a continuation of the initial shoot day centred around the new custom design ‘Lattafa’ and the idea of a ‘Mini Manna’.

The Mini Manna concept was created to explore the theme of maturity and its complexities; although we age because of our lived experiences, does the inner child in us ever go away? To what extent is our inner child responsible for creating the foundation of who are as adults? If we had the chance, how would we interact with our younger self? What lessons would we pass to them, and perhaps not often considered.. what reminders would we need for from them?

“For the creative process, I take time out of the day to think. Literally sitting down for long periods and just thinking. From that ideas start to flow and formulate. The weeks and days can get real busy and sometimes we don’t take time out to think. So when I find time I let my mind wander, allowing it to see different things, objects and colours. Thats the basis of my creative process. I’m laid back, I keep myself to myself. I’m always questioning things, I’m curious and that’s why I create so much in terms of painting and designing shoes.”

“Yeah for sure, I feel that it’s important to have control of things around you. We’re all dreamers and I believe whatever one dreams should materialise exactly how they see it. The flip side though, I allow people to influence me creatively. When I’m with others, learning from them in anyway is key for me. Whatever inspires me, I run with it and apply it to my work. My work is meticulous and having things done in a particular way, whether that be designs or a collaboration, puts my mind at ease.”

“It comes down to the relationship I have with God. Over the years, I’ve built a habit of consistently seeking God first which has led to the success of the brand. When I started painting shoes back in 2017, I always wondered where it would go and what would be next. Those sort of question helped my faith grow stronger. At this point, I believe I’m a vessel allowing God to design through me. The brand is God led. I have great faith and that’s just what it is.”

“Initially the brand was centred around blogging and positive quotes. It then turned into customisation, now tapping into accessories and much more. Only God knows where it will go. That’s the power and excitement of prayer.”

“Life at the time was wild. Everyone around me was off to uni, as for me, I had just played for England Schoolboys and signed a professional contract at Luton Town. There’s a certain lifestyle that comes with that which wasn’t fully under control. It was fast living, I forgot the mission because of the things that weren’t important. I couldn’t really fathom what was happening.”

“2016 was a real aha moment for me. It was  wake-up call after getting released from my contract. That’s when I really started to question purpose and destiny. We all get that wake-up call whether we realise it or not and whatever it may be, it shakes you up and makes you take action.”

“It all comes down to fear. That mindset of doing things that are different from the norm and worrying about what others will think. At the end of the day, we’re all human and caring about the opinion of others is human nature. However we can block it out. I spent and still spend a lot of time working to block out the noise.”

“Most definitely. I feel there’s a difference between perfectionism and attention to detail. When I first started MBM, I was very much a perfectionist and would critique every little thing which led to procrastination and unnecessary headache. I later understood that there’s no such thing as perfect in the creative realm but things need to make sense. Now I just pay attention to detail making sure everything connects and flows. That’s where the magic takes places, in the finer details. If there’s a piece or project that doesn’t go to plan, rather than disregarding it completely, I ask myself what can be done better or differently.”

“Leadership is internal, you have to be sure of yourself. What you feed people is what they’ll digest. I create to inspire. For those coming after me, I want them to understand that it’s cool to think outside the box and do things that genuinely make you happy. To remain youthful. That’s what the Mini Manna concept symbolises. There’s always a way and somehow it always works out.”

Words by Mark Onyemah

Photography by Charles Ogunmilade