We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ayoola Olagunju. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ayoola below.

Ayoola, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?

Growing up, most Nigerians believed that you cant make a living off of animation or art in general, so I and most of my friends / classmates from secondary school decided to study law, medicine or engineering because they are stable professions and making a living from those professions is more realistic. I studied law for 6 years before eventually switching to animation in 2020. I had to work extra hard to prove that this is a reliable source of income especially when you get really good at it. so I read a lot of books and spent a lot of hours practicing my craft to get good enough to start getting jobs in 2021. That eventually led to me applying for the Masters in Animation course at St. Joost School of Arts and Design in ‘S-Hertogenbosch in 2022, which i thankfully got into.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is Ayoola Olagunju. I am a 2d animator and Illustrator currently based in the Netherlands. As i stated earlier, I studied law back home in Nigeria and I practiced law for 1 year before deciding to switch to Animation. However during my studies I worked as a comic book Illustrator and animator for OBK Studios’ Kanso Ogbolu on their brand “FreaktheFxxkout” because I have a deep rooted passion for art and I just needed to be around the craft even though I was knee deep in Law books.
I made the switch to animation in 2020 during the Corona pandemic. We were all at home, I saw that as an opportunity to learn something new and that is probably the best decision I’ve ever made. I got good enough at animation to start getting some jobs back in Nigeria and eventually applying for the Master in Animation course at St. Joost School of arts and Design in ‘S-Hertogenbosch in 2022 which I graduated from in 2023. Now I am currently a freelance 2d animator and storyboard artist available for work.
I am passionate about my work and my love for animation knows no bounds, so I take every job as an opportunity for me to grow as an artist and an animator. I have a really fast pace when I work as well so I try to meet all my deadlines and create as little stress for the client as possible. 2d Animation takes time to produce so I try to carry the Client along as much as possible so i can be able to bring the thought process and ideas of the client to life through animation.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I think the most rewarding aspect is seeing what you create somewhere out there in the world. The production process, even though its fun, is pretty stressful. But when you are done and you sit back and look at what you create, you get the desire to create more, and you see some parts you want to get better at. I think the most rewarding aspect of being an artist or creative is the never ending desire to grow and get better at your craft.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

Everyone wants to live a comfortable life doing what they love. I am a film maker and the ultimate goal is to make films. so I look forward to that point in my career where I can make films and live my ideal comfortable life.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/donarcher/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayoola-olagunju-43a8221a4/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/_Donarcher

Image Credits

Fair Money by OBK Studios
FreaktheFxxkout comic page and cover for Kanso Ogbolu