are we "Really Listening"? a ByLwansta Story
- Phemelo Sui Moipolai
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
It is quite fascinating to read the story of an author you somewhat know well, have worked with, consider a peer, and call a friend.
As I began reading "Really Listening" - Song Lyrics That Made Me Feel Seen as a Creative Entrepreneur; I was reminded why I bought the book in the first place. Not simply from a place of support, but from a place of respect, admiration, and aspiration.
The first thing that has to be acknowledged is the design.
Forever intentional. Forever consistent.
ByLwansta and the colour orange have become inseparable. Without a shadow of a doubt, whenever I think of that colour, I think of him. That is branding in its purest form. It has been communicated so consistently that you’d almost assume his wardrobe, his studio, his notebooks, and every miscellaneous item he owns carry a touch of orange. Whether intentional or subconscious, the impression remains. Consistency leaves a legacy long before words do.
I’ve also always been fascinated by the duality between ByLwansta, the artist, and Lwandile, the graphic designer. Earlier in his career, watching those two identities wrestle with one another felt like watching two sides of the same coin searching for balance. As someone who has often found himself living between creativity and entrepreneurship, artistry and execution, I recognised that tension immediately. It felt familiar.
Ironically, my own journey with ByLwansta began at an orange radio station called UJFM.
I remember feeling honoured to interview someone who, even then, seemed destined to lay his own tracks rather than follow somebody else’s. There was an undeniable feeling that whatever train had left the station would define its own route. The cargo it carried was simply too rich, too intentional, and too layered for anything less.
What I didn’t know then was that years later we’d collaborate, exchange ideas, and build a genuine friendship within the creative industry.
the ByProduct...
Watching that journey unfold from afar and eventually alongside it has been an absolute pleasure. As I became more familiar with the concepts, ideas, and stories within these pages, I found joy in everything I didn’t know.
Where the story truly began. Why it began. How it began.
You begin to recognise the early wrestles that shape a young man’s journey into adulthood. The questions that linger before the answers ever arrive. The innovative thinker who turns the seemingly mundane into an experience.
Even the book itself is a playback.
The layout doesn’t simply present information it feels rhythmic, almost like listening to an album. Turning each page feels like moving through a carefully sequenced body of work. The lyrics invite your own memories into the conversation. They become less about the songs themselves and more about the moments they’ve quietly carried alongside them.
Comparison gives way to contrast. Curiosity gives way to understanding. By the end, one question quietly remains:
What happens now?
Perhaps that’s the privilege of witnessing someone’s story while it’s still unfolding. Reading this book closed the spaces between the milestones. It filled in the moments I never saw and corrected assumptions I didn’t even realise I had made.
We often carry far more than people can see. Especially as creatives. Especially when you’re the person leading the vision. There rarely feels like there’s permission to have an off day. And when there is, it’s usually carried in silence. This book reminded me that even someone’s greatest display of confidence, excellence, and consistency can exist alongside uncertainty.
Not to invite pity because the author himself asks us not to. But to invite deeper respect. I say that because I know I would probably do the same. Yes, relentless ambition can become toxic. It can drift into ego, pride, obsession, or an unwavering belief in your own convictions.
But when those convictions are rooted in truth, resilience, discipline, and a commitment to keep showing up to be the first to arrive and the last to leave, to promote, inspire, educate, create, collaborate, and build platforms for others perhaps that persistence deserves our applause rather than our suspicion.
ByLwansta reminds me of both the best and the hardest parts of myself.
Sometimes I see a mirror. Not because our journeys are identical, but because they ask similar questions. How do we remain ourselves while constantly becoming someone new? How do we continue creating when nobody is watching? How do we remember our own value amidst the relentless sequence of making, surviving, and building?
Oddly enough, reading this book made me more fond of my own story. More patient with it. More curious about where it might lead. Because perhaps the destination has never been the point. Perhaps the story is.
So thank you, bro.
Thank you for being unapologetically yourself.
Thank you for trusting your instincts when they didn’t make sense to everyone else.
Thank you for creating things before the world knew it needed them.
Thank you for holding space not only through your music, your design, or your words but through the example you’ve quietly set over the years.
The story is inspiring. The consistency is admirable.
Your eagerness to “Create the things you wish existed” has become a constant reminder that we’re never truly ready to tell our stories.
But we tell them anyway.
So if you ever wondered... yes, we were "Really Listening".
Really Listening - Song Lyrics That Made Me Feel Seen As A Creative Entrepreneur
By Lwandile “ByLwansta” Nkanyuza
Format: Paperback (eBook, Audiobook - coming soon)
Release Date: 1 March 2026
ISBN: 978-1-0370-6678-8 (print)
RRP: R450
Description:
This book, Really Listening – Song Lyrics that made me feel seen as a Creative
Entrepreneur, authored by South African artist and creative entrepreneur ByLwansta,
is a unique exploration of the intersection between creative artistry and
entrepreneurship, published in Johannesburg in 2026 by NORMVL.
The author, also known as Lwandile Nkanyuza (born in Kokstad, KwaZulu-Natal),
recounts his personal journey building his brand, ByLwansta, and the agency,
NORMVL, navigating the challenges of a DIY approach to his music and design
career. Through a series of reflective essays, each titled after an influential song lyric,
he illustrates the highs and lows of balancing creative passion with business realities,
emphasizing themes of independence, self-worth, financial struggle, and the
importance of a supportive team. The narrative reveals a candid look at the sacrifices
and mindsets required to thrive as an artist-entrepreneur, particularly in the
competitive music and design industries.
Comments