Anansi in the City – My Professional Retelling of an Interesting African Folk Tale

Now coming to the story, once upon a time in the factual but fictional city of Accra was a young man named Anansi. No they sure didn’t tell me the story of the Anansi that I know – that spider of the bygone years. No, this was a new Anansi – a modern character who worked in the megacity rather than the forest, using his smartphone instead of webs and intelligence instead of power.

Anansi at one time was just like any man who walked the streets, or at least he appeared so. But he was not large, he was not muscular and in a way that was rather a disadvantage, for what he lost in physical power he more than compensated in wit. He rented an apartment, worked for himself as a designer, and had a small business selling jewelries online. There are a lot of trickster characters in world folklore but what set Anansi apart was that he could trick almost everyone.

In Accra; the noise and the crowd of the constantly moving populace, success was not exclusive to the bachelor. It was about working smart. And Anansi had mastered the art of smart . He had all the skills one needed in getting ahead in life; be it climbing the ladder at his workplace or overcome any complex events in life, luck was always on his side.

The Challenge: Anansi vs. The Corporate Giants

One day, as Anansi was normally browsing through his social media feed, he found an advertisement for a huge new corporate jewelry brand that was going to open soon in Accra. You could hardly open a magazine, turn on TV, or scroll through the feed and not see their ads; they even released new products in collections.

Anansi's heart sank. How could the owner of a small shop that makes handmade jewelry cope with this large corporation? He had loyal customers and a loyal clientele, but it seemed all could turn their back to him as the major brand grab large market share through its elaborate marketing strategies.

No matter how hard things were for Anansi, he wasn’t going to let the situation defeat him. He thought that there must be a way to beat them at their game. And that is how a thought occurred to him.

The Plan: Outsmarting the System

Sitting down in his little workshop cramped with bead, threads and other utensils, Anansi started working. ‘If I can’t spend more than them, then I will beat them at their game,’ he chuckled to himself. He then started on a new edition of shoes—one that had a narrative. But rather than design beauty into the pieces of jewelries, he designed meaning into them. Every piece in his most recent series was made in reference to a particular African proverb that comes with a story and an equivalent meaning.

He called this new line “Wisdom in Chains’, and with each purchased necklace, bracelet, or earring, came a little card with the associated proverb. It wasn’t jewelry anymore, it was a discourse, it was a journey, it was heritage.

After that, Anansi decided the best strategy was to take to social media, although not in the form of expensive ads. He started sending simple, short movies in stick-figure that depict the story behind each of these proverbs. These simple and funny animations were seen by people from all over the city. It did not take long before he began sharing posts that would go viral. In particular, people appreciated that his work is not only an ornament but also a cultural reference.

The Victory: Anansi’s Web of Success

Day by day, the corporate brand was introduced to the public with a lot of touts. Their stores were sexy, their models were gorgeous and their advertisements were glistening. And what they were short of, in particular, was the passion that only handmade jewelry identifiable as the creation of Anansi could ignite.

Those who seen the shiny ads had no other choice than reflect and compare to Anansi’s viral animations. But when they heard of the stories and proverbs in the clothes, the gist in his fashions, they could identify with them. His pieces transcended jewellery they symbolized history, culture and pride.

The super corporate image that glitters so brightly today failed to capture the heart and mind of the masses. Yeah, they had the money, but Anansi had something more important- love.

The Lesson: Cleverness Over Power

Anansi was not only alive but prospering after every defeat he received from the stronger forces. His costumers soon made his jewelry line one of the favorites in the city and he was soon shipping out orders all over the country. The corporate brand? Over time they mysteriously closed their business; their business was not able to stand stiff competition from the locally preferred business.

Moral of the Story:

In the context where everything is chaotic and noisy and there are rational contenders dispensing identical products or services, it is not the noisy contender or the bodybuilding contender that will succeed. And often the simplest, the most unpretentious decision is the most effective one possible. It isnt about how much money you have to spend but how smart your head is, exactly like Anansi.

Closing Thoughts

Anansi is a retelling of an African fable of today that has roots deep in the past but still has significant moral messages worth learning. So, it doesn’t matter whether you’re an entrepreneur, a creator, or just a person that uses their intelligence to live life – you will always find a way to be smart and win.

That’s why next time you find yourself in a tricky situation just think of anansi and be smart. You might just start weaving a plot of success no one saw coming.

Illustration Tip: Thus, in parallel with this blog, you might want to post short animated sequences in stick figures illustrating Anansi’s path. For example:

Anansi watching the corporate brand ads and thinking to himself.

Him imagining that he was the designer of his new collection and lightbulb ideas were coming over his head.

Customers holding some jewelry with big eyes and smiles on their faces over the attached proverbs.

Each of these things can contribute to the general looks of your blog, and therefore make it more appealing to its readers.