THE STORY BEHIND
WORDS INMOTION
It Started With a Simple Idea: Words Matter.
Words in Motion began in a school assembly.
I was speaking to students about the power of words, how the things we say, hear, and even say to ourselves can shape the way we see our lives and the world around us.
But as I looked at the students in the room, I started thinking about something deeper.
What if young people had a story that didn't just speak to them, but reminded them that they have something worth saying too?
I wanted to create a world where students could see pieces of themselves. Their creativity. Their struggles. Their friendships. Their questions. Their fears. Their potential.
Most importantly, I wanted them to walk away knowing:
Your words matter.
Your story matters.
Your voice matters.
That idea became Words in Motion.
Then I Called a Friend.
I didn't want to create this world alone.
I've always believed creativity is better in community, so I approached my friend Dubem Okpalaoka with the idea. I wanted Words in Motion to have the energy and visual language of manga while still feeling like something uniquely ours.
Dubem took that vision and spent an entire year bringing it to life.
Every illustration was drawn by hand. Character by character. Expression by expression. Page by page.
What started as an idea during a school assembly became something we created together, a complete world where storytelling, art, imagination, and purpose could meet.
And now, that world belongs to the students too.
ILLUSTRATIONS BY
DUBEM OKPALAOKA
Every panel drawn by hand. One year in the making.
Welcome to the World of Words in Motion
At the center of Words in Motion is a group of young people discovering that words are more than something we speak. Words have movement. Words have consequences. Words can build, wound, connect, divide, inspire, and change the direction of someone's life.
Through Haru, Lina, Ezra, Sora, Zuri, Riku and the world of Everflow Academy, readers enter a story filled with friendship, conflict, discovery and choices.
What will you do with your words?
Because this isn't only their story.
It's yours too.
This Is More Than a Book.
Words in Motion is an invitation.
An invitation to create.
To speak.
To listen.
To imagine.
To discover the power already inside your own voice.
Because somewhere there is a young person who hasn't realized yet that what they have to say matters.
We created Words in Motion to remind them:
"You don't have to wait for someone to give you a voice. You already have one."
Now it's time to put your words in motion.