Why I Decided to Build A Website

February 24, 2025

For a long time, I didn’t think I needed a website. And honestly? It didn’t feel like a priority.

From the moment I moved from Sheffield to London to pursue a career in the arts, the focus was always on the work—upskilling, learning, growing, and finding my creative voice.

But as the years have passed, from tax return to tax return… to tax return (ha), my priorities as an artist have shifted. Or, more fittingly, I’ve changed.

I first went into Rose Bruford wide-eyed and bushy-tailed, set on being an actor. I’d spent so much of my adolescence working towards it, and that was all I could see for myself in the industry. But the more I grew—as an artist and as a person—the more I started to see other pockets of this industry that resonated with me, my artistry, and the things I cared about.

That shaping never really stopped. And now, almost 10 years into a career, I find myself engaging with my artistry in different ways, across different areas of the industry. Which I love. But when I started thinking about where I fit in this industry, I realized something: there aren’t many direct comparisons for Black Nigerian directors who grew up in South Yorkshire, who act, write poetry, and facilitate workshops.

I wanted to create a one-stop shop for all things me—a space where you could explore the different facets of my artistry but still see how they’re connected.

A couple of years ago, I attended New Diorama’s ‘The Knot’ program, where we spent time thinking about ourselves as artists against the realities and practicalities of the world. It was a necessary space, and I’m so grateful to have been invited onto the program. We discussed how to understand yourself as an artist and how the world perceives you—as well as how you want the world to see your work.

I didn’t know it then, but that was when the seed was planted.

So after a lot of thinking (and rethinking), I decided to build a website.

But Then I Looked at Wix & Squarespace Prices… And Changed My Mind (Briefly).

I quickly realized I couldn’t justify paying for yet another direct debit every month in a cost-of-living crisis. So, I thought, why not build it myself?

I had zero experience in website coding, but I knew two things:

• I loved Tumblr back in the day (maybe a bit too much), so I wanted my site to feel visually engaging and personal.
• I’m obsessed with browns and neutral tones, so my site’s color palette needed to reflect that.

And that’s how it began.

I threw myself into YouTube tutorials and ChatGPT-powered coding sessions, trying to teach myself from scratch. It took ages. I ran into so many roadblocks.

💀 The grid layout on my ‘Direction’ page nearly finished me.
💀 The lightbox feature (clicking a credit to expand an image/video) refused to work for days.
💀 There were weekends where I’d be on my laptop for hours and feel like I’d made zero progress.

But then, one day (yesterday), I turned around and… I had finished.

Seeing My Work in One Place for the First Time

I showed my family first, and for the first time, it felt like they could see what I’d actually been doing in London for the past decade.

And when I looked at it, I thought, wow… I’ve been working. My work exists. And now, I finally have a place to show it.

It was a game-changer. And, honestly? It was validating.

What I Want This Site to Be

I want this site to feel like a true representation of who I am and what I’m doing at different points in my career.

And this page—this blog—is meant to be a space for honest reflections about the work I do, but also about our industry as a whole.

So here it is! ewadina.com.

✨ Welcome—take a look around, explore what I’ve been up to over the last decade, and see what’s coming next.

Let me know what you think! 👀