We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Inioluwa Alabi a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Inioluwa, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

I learned by watching videos on YouTube and observing the work of artists I admire. I paid attention to their techniques and thought process and practiced a lot.. and did my best to refine what I learned into what I loved.

Knowing what I know now, I would have focused my learning on the things that stood out to me the most, I was trying to learn any and everything about art, but that’s just not possible… You have to be able to find a niche in art and stick to it.. so I would be more intentional about my learning and not try to just learn anything I think can be learnt.

The skills that were most essential in my learning process were discipline and determination, I was determined to learn as much as I could about art and I actually put in the time to work and grind on my laptop, learning the skills I needed to express myself in my art.

Some of the obstacles that stood in the way of my learning were lack of access to resources, I would watch some videos where I had to get some materials to practice, but I didn’t have the money to get the materials at the time so it limited my learning, because as we all know learning without practice is a waste. Also responsibilities and work… I had to learn to make time for what I love in spite of the situations surrounding me, but really these things were temporary limitations because when you’re really determined to do something, you always find a way to get it done, so I always found a way to make art despite all these.

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 Inioluwa Alabi, I’m a Multidisciplinary artist (Graphic designer and Illustrator) based in Nigeria, I have always made art since I was a child. I remember I had sketchbooks that my parents bought me and I would fill them with drawings/paintings and ask for new ones, I have always been passionate about making art. I started learning design when I was 13, I used PowerPoint at that time; but then I saw an image cut out of a picture and I was intrigued, I wanted to know how that happened and that’s where my interest in Photoshop began. I make Art that represents me and my community in a beautiful, colorful and vibrant way. I render Illustration and Graphic Design services, my Illustration style is a combination of photography and design. I help my clients bring their creative ideas to life by using vibrant colors, shapes and patterns to evoke emotion and communicate creativity. What makes me stand out is my style and the stories I tell through my art, I express the beauty in every black portrait i design. I am most proud of my work and how I create, most especially how it resonates with other people. The main things I want new clients and followers to know about me is that I’m an artist with a growth mindset, I’m always growing and learning new skill sets and techniques to keep expressing new ideas and thoughts into my work.

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

The most rewarding for me is the fact that I get to put out something that represents me as a person and my community and to see that it resonates with other people as well. I’ve had instances of people telling a certain art piece of mine really touched them at a point of need and stuff and I was really excited that I was able to make something that impacted someone else

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

Some of the books that have impacted me are, Steal like an Artist by Austin Kleon, Find your Artistic Voice by Lisa Congdon and Show your work, also by Austin Kleon

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://instagram.com/creativeinioluwa?igshid=MzNlNGNkZWQ4Mg==
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/inioluwa-alabi-463a38202