Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Derick Nana Mbrah. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Derick, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Are you able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen?

Living as a full time artist sounds like a bed of roses, beautiful only when it blossoms. In reality it is a tag of war. Living in a society where the people around you don’t know the worth and the importance of art, sometimes is just like drop your brush and look for something else to do, but then I look around and within me paying attention to my heart beat I hear that voice that keeps saying to me for you is art and art is you just smile be happy and create. In the same time I start to contemplating about paint and canvas with the feel of not knowing what to paint that will sell fast to get some money as needed , many a times I paint and post and try to sell through my social media all I get is Oh is nice and beautiful and no one will ask how much is it , but I keep posting sharing here and there sometimes take it to a vending to get it sold one way or the other I get something sold or nothing sold at all, but I was never moved by all the cos it caused me knowing and believing in what I have and the value of it I kept striving.
So, I focused on painting on T-shirts and doing wall murals, and before that I was working as a painter painting rooms and through God’s love started getting hotels where I had the chance to convince the owners with some ideas and getting the chance to do some art and designs on the walls.
I kept painting houses, offices, pubs and restaurants and other places while I tried selling some hand painted shirts and canvas works at vending’s and I started sip and paint and through all these ways and forms from word of mouth recommendations here and there and posting on various social media platforms I got to this far.
All said and done, sometimes I do cry, hope and pray for that moment of time for work, working by myself with not much links and hock ups it was very hard to get work most times.
It was like in some times disappointment was my only friend, and through self-motivation and inspiration I kept persisting.

Good or bad pay I accepted jobs just to enable me to get along so I can buy some art supplies to paint.
Being a self-taught artist, I missed some chance of learning how to use certain mediums and tools like can spray and air brush and pallet knife. In times past as the moment presented itself, I took the chance to learn and utilized those skills even though I don’t use it often only if need be.

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 Derick nana Mbrah am self-thought artist i was born bread in the centre of the world Tema to e precise in the greater Accra region of Ghana ,growing up in the industrial city of Ghana where everything is environmentally busy i found and nurtured my God given talent. At a very tender age i discovered my ability in creativity learning from skilled people around me, i focused my elf practically doing every handy work from basket weaving, carpentry, masonry painting to name a few.
love being by myself at early age i spent all those quiet and cool timing by my self-creating from empty boxes to empty tins, i used tins and boxes to build houses and cars and cooking utensils to play with and whiles sometimes i stay indoor that’s where my energy is channelled on drawing so through the passage of time i took it upon myself to master the skill of art.
i have a passion for colours and paint it makes me happy and it agitates me to do something.
drawing from newspapers, Bible story books, school textbooks i challenged myself to be good at what i can do any moment i get opportunity in school i was always asked to draw images from the textbooks unto card boards and it will be used to teach the whole class and other classes as well and that did create a very big influence in my life.

i am very determined with what i do so i stay focused and meditate, as i rise i give thanks for life pray love and mercy and ask for wisdom and understanding.

i admire life so i get excited when i awake and hear nature, the birds the cock crowing people making moves the sounds of talking and cars and plane the birds chipping and singing and the sun shining through my window all this attributes to my inspirations and fulfils my aspirations and brings out the creativity in me.
i evolve, manifest and brings my imagination into reality.
many a times i been asked who my role model is and i keep saying no man no one just the Most High creator.
my style iss me and i am my style be cauuse i want people to see and look at my art works see themselves in it relating to the story my art is telling or talking about from their own perspective and by doing so they can recognize me through my style and energy in my art works the love and passion i input to make a master piece which a part of me to the world to heal the world and make it a better place so people who have and sees my art can gain some love and care and strength from my art.
for fun or cash through my ability of creativity i channelled my energy into the art seeing myself as work of art i found beauty in everyday life. i obligated myself to bring peace and joy which is a part of my art everywhere i go.

i came i saw and i conquered my mission is to inspire, elevate and motivate to encourage and bring understanding to the people of the four corners of the world with and through my art works whiles my art beautifies your homes and surroundings.

i do murals ,hand painted clothing,canvas works i work with both acryics and oil paints cieling art and body painting, portraits, abstract.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

everyday seems to e another breakthrough mostly when something is accomplished but in all as the days are not equal sometimes you got do what you got to do not by sitting down and procrastinating, you got to make a move as they say a journey of a thousand mile begins with one step. pursuing what you love and want to is easier said than done but through persistence i kept pushing and moving through rough tough and hard times and until good times come. sometimes is very hard to survive as an artist in a time where things are going digital.

sometimes you wake up to nothing and you have to make something and there is the case where by u don’t have what it takes to do what y0u can and want to do as an artist, not having money to buy art supplies i always keep a good faith hoping and praying for a new day to come where i can get a call for art works or general house painting that where i can get some piece of paint and get money to buy what i need to create my art, but it becomes more difficult when you preserve the little paint you have for a next job as u can’t use it to paint on a canvas and you have no one to d=sell to you are forced to do nothing until that call comes p again so sometimes i end up not being able to paint my visions but in all this i never gave up seeing art was and is the only thing i have i strived through all rocky roads until this day that i can boldly say and call myself an artist because now i can paint and paint any time of the day not thinking about who is coming to buy and how to save my last paint for a job.
so in all things never give up on yourself believe in your selves and do you.

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

art is one of the most significant form of education preservation of history and culture in our societies.

art has really help me defined myself and know my worth and role to play on this earth. doing art really helps me to talk about my feelings and it has been playing a vital role in my life as it is one of the best medications i administer and can share with the world

Contact Info:

• Website: tafariartworld.com
• Instagram: @tafari_artworld
• Facebook: Mbrah Derick Nana
• Linkedin: Tafari Boanerges
• Other: tribbal

Image Credits
my art studio