Meet Basi Affia

We recently connected with Basi Affia and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Basi, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
Purpose is a loaded word. Most people think of a single culmination of everything they’ve experienced to serve some greater goal. While that moment exists, and is easily missed, we all have multiple purposes in life. As a father and husband, my purpose is to protect and provide for my family. As a follower of Christ, my purpose is to love my neighbor and love God. When I was in the Army my purpose was to uplift and ensure the spiritual fitness of my soldiers and be a moral compass. As an author, my purpose is to create inclusive narratives and highlight Pan-African stories. My many purposes play together for the common good of humanity, and that I think is something everyone wants to do.

When thinking about my passion, my craft, I often think about the book “The War of Art,” and how it describes something called resistance. Resistance is the personification of darkness and the forces that would rob the world of what I have to offer it. The thing about Resistance is that the harder it tries to stop you, that acts as a compass to let you know you’re going the right direction.

Battling ADHD is a large part of this journey as well, but I believe that even legitimate obstacles are mere excuses to be mediocre. In the words of Loki Odinson, I am burdened with glorious purpose. On the outside, being in a certain position may seem glamorous but it takes a heavy toll. Sacrifices are made, friendships are lost, and pleasures are relinquished. Every step in my progress has purged impurities from me but like a deadly Katana, this makes me stronger and able to serve my purposes.

At the end of the day, everything we do should be improving us and molding us into the divinely ordained figures we are intended to be. With mentors like my father, a 4-time state wrestling champion and entrepreneur, I can follow in the footsteps of discipline, resilience, and critical thinking. The teachings of my faith instill humility, kindness, and selflessness. Military training taught me how to accept difficult circumstances, take a loss, and keep pushing forward. All of these lessons from purposes that are smaller in scope, build me up to handle the weight of my ultimate world-changing purpose.

Now, with more momentum being added to my company, I’m on the cusp of the breakthrough I’ve felt calling from within and from the cosmos. The breakthrough that everyone wants and needs. It’s attainable to everyone. In the words of legendary Chinese General Sun Tzu, “When a goal is near, make it seem far. When a goal is far, make it seem near.” With this tactic, we can “be hopeful through suffering knowing that it will produce perseverance, and when perseverance finishes its work we will be mature and complete, lacking nothing,” James 1:2-4.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
As Iowa & Nebraska’s first black comic book publisher, Sensiil Studios aspires to bring representation to the science fiction and fantasy genres. In many stories, the “diversity” seen is usually by fictional races that often dramatize stereotypes of other cultures or represent minorities in an aesthetically distasteful manner. When we do get movies or stories it’s always about slavery or segregation. For too long has our trauma been monetized. Sensiil Studios is a space where Pan-African people can see themselves in the future, and see that they have a future by producing stories with black lead characters. We fight today for a better tomorrow. We write to bring the better tomorrow to today.

The most exciting development currently is our partnership with professional racer Colin Garrett and his 11/11 Veteran project. With them, we’re publishing a cyberpunk graphic novel that follows a soldier-turned-mercenary who must face insurmountable odds to save the world from an AI government at the risk of losing his family forever. We’re working with Boom Animation to make an animated trailer for it as well, and are currently running a Crowdfundr campaign to get out early copies of the book as well as some other cool rewards.

We’ve begun taking submissions for other POC authors who have a story to tell, which can be found on our websites submission page.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Faith, discipline, and transparency. Faith will inspire you through the journey. Discipline will guide your steps. Transparency with others and yourself will light the way.

Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?
As with many business start-ups, Capital is the first, second, and third issue we have. Ambitious goals require ambitious budgets. Growing our community of supporters is the number one way to create a sustainable business. Anyone and everyone can be a part of this historic journey by participating in the Crowdfundr campaign, buying comics or donating on our website, and encouraging their peers to do the same.

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