In Conversation with: James Midzi

An Image of blogger-writer-poet,  James Midzi

James Midzi is a blogger, a writer, a poet going by the pen name Dante. I enjoy reading; my favourite genres include fantasy, mystery, dark fantasy and horror. Ancient literature and poetry fascinate me quite a bit. The Divine Comedy, Paradise Lost, I Am and Ode to A Nightingale are some pieces I greatly appreciate.

I’m a Potterhead, I dare you to find something about the universe I don’t know :D. I love my music, If it’s not Disturbed or Unleash the Archers, it’s Zaho or Tech N9ne. There is always something playing in my earphones and I don’t go anywhere without them.

I’m the designated “Language Guy” and I am always looking for opportunities to learn new ones. Currently I speak English, Shona, Ndebele and French; working on Japanese. In addition, I am a tutor, a French tutor and translator. Moreover I am a coder and a computer programmer, development is extremely interesting because like technology, the world of coding is ever changing. Innovation and new ideas are key, always.

I marvel at nature, wildlife, marine life mostly, I know most people won’t agree with me, but no animal is dangerous. All they ever do is protect their homes and respond accordingly when provoked. Something you would do as well. I have always wanted to be a Marine Biologist, still do. It would be great to be on explorations into the deepest parts of our oceans. 

My alone time is very valuable it’s when I sit by myself and just be. It is my time to venture into worlds of my own creation for imagination is the greatest power we have even though we forget it. I believe in magic and that it is all around us, if only we stopped for a while looked a little closer.

Words that remind me of the magic in this world and to never stop imagining:

    « Reality is just magic that we forgot how to behold »

Words I live by :  « À petits pas j’rai très loin »

Which translates to: with little steps I will go very far.

What made want to start blogging?

When I made my first blog, sometime in 2011, my goal was to post tech news, reviews and my opinions on all things tech. This worked out for quite a while, but at some point it became tedious and I lost interest in blogging completely.

In 2017, I made a new blog, my current one and the difference was that I created this one for myself. As an outlet for all the things that keep me up at night. A place I can say what I want, when I want and how I want. My little piece of the internet. My blog is the most accurate representation of me and you’ll learn much more about me there than from my mouth.

How do you choose what to blog about? 

I don’t. Life chooses for me. What I mean is; I write because something interests me. That could be a book, a movie, a person or a quote I come across. I write to express my thoughts, my feelings (sometimes). I write about my experiences; what made me happy, mad or confused. Mostly importantly, I write to clear my mind because if I didn’t I would surely lose it. As someone who thinks more than he speak, I blog to have my thoughts somewhere, anywhere. Perhaps someone will make sense of them.

What do you hope people will take away from reading your blog?

An image of blogger-writer James Midzi

More than anything, to see the world the way I see it. Well not exactly, but I would hope they get a glimpse of their world through my eyes. My hope is my writing holds meaning for someone, even just one, that would be great. I have found that in the lives we live everything happens so rapidly, we seldom notice the little things. The things that could make an average day incredible one. If my blog can help you notice, I would be very happy.

Describe a typical day in your life. 

If I’m not tutoring, I’m working on a document that needs translation. If not those two, I’m reading another chapter or listening to music, I am a major metalhead.

Most of what I do requires daily practice. French, Japanese, programming, all need constant revision. They day usually ends with an hour of code before I go to sleep.

This is not set in stone of course, and changes depending on how my schedule is set up for that particular week.

What would you say to someone new to blogging or considering blogging?

Don’t worry too much, it’ll all make sense as you go. It’s a journey, and what‘s great about any journey is the discovery. That first step is the most important one and once you take it, you won’t ever want to stop.

Which bloggers do you follow and why?

There a lot of then. Lifestyle, poets, storytellers… I follow bloggers in every category. I would need an entire post for each of them.

What are the highs and lows of blogging?

Lows: When I wrote several posts in hopes of getting feedback and got diddly squat. Having the effort I have put in go unnoticed would have to be one of the greatest lows.

Highs: would be the people I have and continue to meet each day on this journey. As a friend said, “Blogging means Community” and the blogging community is one of the most welcoming out there. I kid you not. There are a lot of amazing people in the blogsphere.

Who inspires you most in life? 

Those not bound by the laws of this reality. Those that believe, no… Those that know that anything is possible. Those that live in the pages of the books. The characters I read about portray characteristics that I rarely see in real life and they inspire me.

What does blogging mean to you? 

It is the bringing together of multiple minds from different walks of life all to tell a story. The unifying of many and bridging the gap that supposedly divides us. It brings to reality that despite whatever differences we may have, we all want the same thing, to be heard. It is connection, that surpasses distance, race or culture.

An image of blogger-writer- James Midzi

What opportunities has blogging brought your way?

Networking, friendship… Blogging has connected me with people all across the globe. They have been that driving force that keeps me going. The experiences I have, through them, through their words. It has granted me better, deeper understanding of my fellow blogger. I have met some amazing individuals I am glad to call friends.

How would you like to be remembered?

Honestly… I don’t. I wrote a poem on this some time back. Don’t remember me, remember what I did, how I made you feel. Remember things about me, not me. I want to leave a mark in this lifetime and that’s what I would rather you remember.

To quote one of my favourite movies:

We are told to remember the idea, not the man, because a man can fail. He can be caught, he can be killed and forgotten, but 400 years later, an idea can still change the world.” V for Vendetta

What is the best advice that you ever been given?

“You need to be selfish about your life.”  I used to care too much about other people and what they thought, much to my own detriment. That one statement made me re-evaluate everything; what I let affect me, how I reacted and how I went about interactions with people.

Social media

Blog:  mydialectics.wordpress.com

Twitter and Instagram: @Psypher1

Facebook: Jacques-Dante Mishima (Although I don’t use it that much anymore)

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