We were lucky to catch up with Rotimi Olowu recently and have shared our conversation below.

Rotimi, appreciate you joining us today. I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?

In general, ill say im pretty happy as a creative. I feel extremely blessed to have the gift of creativity as well as the opportunity to have it be my career. But i will admit that there are days i imagine what it might be like to have a regular job. during the strike and the 2 years of no work, i cursed the creative life in my heart and was full of envy for those who had normal jobs. It was hard, there was a work drought, both in the freelance and studio gigs. i didn’t have money to pay my bills and eventually lost my home. i dont think i could have ever imagined it being so bad. As time has past ive come to understand that the issue isn’t the creative field in it self but rather the way it is run. i took a break to have a normal job for a few months and in those months i came back to my self and understood why i will never give up being an artist. Being an artist isnt just about making fancy drawings for a big production,.. its about self expression. Not having a job doesn’t make you any less of an artist and being an artist isnt a job, its a way of life.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Rotimi, which means “stay with me.” I aim to create art that lingers in the minds of those who see it. My journey into the creative field began in high school, where I made and sold comics and T-shirts featuring my artwork. With the support of my father and friends, I studied animation and filmmaking at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. During my time there, I founded a freelance animation collaborative called Nari Animation. My team and I worked with a variety of clients, from indie music artists and social media influencers to everyday people with stories to tell.

When my father couldn’t support me financially, Nari became my lifeline. My proudest work with Nari is our four-episode web series, “The Best of Us,” which is available on the Nari Animation YouTube channel. By the time I graduated, my work at Nari and the connections I made helped me secure several job opportunities. I don’t consider myself special compared to other artists—I’ve met many amazing artists with skills that far surpass mine. However, I feel fortunate to be in this line of work, creating cartoons that people enjoy. What I hope clients and fans understand is that the best art requires time, patience, and passion. You can’t rush the process.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

we need to make more laws that protect artists intellectual property rights. People and companies have gotten way to comfortable stealing from artists or expecting art work for free or in exchange for “experience”.

Alright – so here’s a fun one. What do you think about NFTs?

i understand people do what they must to make extra money and keep the lights on, however there has to be a limit for me its NFTs. It does a lot more harm than good to the art community as a whole. its like the quote from Jurassic park ” people spent so much time thinking of if they can do something and didn’t bother to consider if they should”.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: art_of_rotimi
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rotimiolowu/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@NARIANIMATION