Meet Lena Nozizwe | Independent Visual and Verbal Storyteller

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lena Nozizwe and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lena, can you share a quote or affirmation with us?
My favorite quote comes from the Bible. I remind myself of it constantly.

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
Matthew 7:7

Best believe I do a lot of asking, seeking and knocking.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?

My journalism, photography, and artwork are all part of my storytelling.

And they have all been a part of my life since a very young age.

The very first article I wrote that was nationally published was about getting my legs banned in Malawi. It appeared in Seventeen magazine when I was 17.

My interest in photography started not long after that. The outgrowth was a one-woman show at the San Diego Downtown library featuring local authors, including my mother, Dr. Siwundhla.

An outgrowth of that show was getting my photographs published in newspapers, magazines and books.
That includes photographs of German-American philosopher Herbert Marcuse, newspaper editor Neil Morgan, child star Diane Serra Cary science fiction writer Joan Vinge, and of course my mother.

While my art has been featured in my short documentaries, I also have been offering digital versions of my work online as well as collages and paintings. My podcast, Lena Nozizwe Reporting: Tupac’s Murder Was His Case, also features my artwork.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Food

Farmers’ Market
Farmers’ markets may not always have the best prices, but they do feature great people-watching and there is always the opportunity to learn something new. The now-defunct farmer’s market at Wilshire and Vermont is where I first discovered the Buddha’s hand. The great thing about farmers’ markets is that they are throughout the city, from Leimert Park to Westwood.

Joan’s on Third
Joan’s on Third is another great spot for people-watching. I even spotted Joan herself. She even complimented me on a Christmas hat I knitted. My visitor can choose either desserts or savory treats. Everything I have tasted there has been fresh and flavorful.

Fun

The Getty Center, LACMA
I do feel some kind of way that I have spent more time in museums in New York City and Paris than I have in Southern California, but I do love me a museum.

The Getty Center and LACMA are my favorites. Both also offer concerts as well. One of the reasons I have always loved my favorite museums is because of the bomb restaurants they have.

I have eaten at the Musée d’Orsay, the Centre Pompidou and the Whitney Museum. But to be fair I took my chef brother Lowell to LACMA because he was keen to eat some food truck grub. And he scored.

I also took him to Surfas Culinary District where he picked up some dishes and even a chef’s hat after an event featuring food from El Salvador.

Shopping

Garment and Flower District
For the past 15 years, I have made 95% of my wardrobe. So I would take my visitor to the garment district where we could look for both fabric and ready-to-wear clothing.

If we had some extra time we would also drop in on the flower market. While you can get flowers for about the same amount of money at Trader Joe’s, going to the actual market is a treat for the senses.

Third Street
Third Street in Beverly Grove is filled with a lot of small businesses, from bakeries to a multitude of clothing stores. If you happen to eat at Joan’s on Third you can walk off your meal while, at the very least, window shopping.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I am so grateful for the love, support and encouragement from my beloved mother, Dr. Alice Princess Msumba Siwundhla. My very accomplished Amai (Malawian word for mother) has showed me what is possible to achieve in this world.

And my Amai has heavily employed humor, perseverance, and kindness to reach her achievements which include earning her Ph.D., writing bestselling books and invitations to speak in every state of the Union.

I can not shout out loud or long enough to underscore what a lifelong inspiration my mother has been. I am very grateful.

Website: https://nozizwe.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nozizweoriginals/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lenanozizwe/

Other: https://society6.com/nozizweoriginals https://tupacsmurderwashiscaselenanozizwereporting.podbean.com/ https://fineartamerica.com/featured/mother-love-nozizwe-n.html?newartwork=true