The $7 worthwhile 'investment' I made in art vlogging

This is not just an ordinary accessory but a ‘dream come true’.


I live in a big town (big in the African perspective), but occasionally, there are somethings I cannot find in the shops. I remember going to many big mobile phone accessories shops and asking for a phone-stand but all of the retailers looked at me like am crazy (because they couldn’t understand what I was asking for and didn’t have it after I showed them internet images of the item)… It reminds me of a time in 2008 when I actually bought the last canvas in town as all the art supply store didn’t have any and all the artist studio had use up all of theirs. I was going from studio to studio begging artist to sell a yard of canvas and they all confessed to not have (that was 2008).


So today, I finally got this selfie phone-stand which would make it easy for me to Vlog and even shoot live creative studio sessions. For those of us that don’t know, video is the next revolution in social media and online publicity. I recently noticed that a 10 minutes live video often get more out reach than a single post on FaceBook (because the website in their attempt to encourage interaction, sends notifications that a live video-event is on).


In due time, after I have saved up, I would get studio (photographic) lights, a more professional stand, microphone and even a camera. But for now, I would make use of what I have (which is more than enough to transmit my messages).


I immediately put it to work and have made my first ever Vlog post. As Brian Tracy would say, small adjustments can make a huge difference (the winning EDGE could literally just be an inch, meaning the difference between the 1st and 2nd in a race could just be am inch defence). Here, a $7 accessory (I bought online) was the difference.

Read More »

How I bought art materials back when I was living in poverty ~ Dusty Northern Bookshops

The greatest period of my artistic journey was when I was at the early stages of learning. I was passionate about making art and as soon as I finished one, I would hang it on the wall and start creating another (because the art I just finished ignited 4 other ideas I could try).

However, back then I didn’t have a job. I was an unemployed teenager and used my pocket-money to finance my passion (diverting money meant for snacks into art supplies). The money was little and my parent was against me making art (by that time) and blamed all my life problems on my pursuit for art (other people were faltering me by calling my works odd, divine and genius, while my dad looked at it and called it demonic). Despite all the challenges, it was the most productive period of my life.


I use to avoid big bookshops. You would think because of their size and popularity, that the prices would be subsidised; that was not the case for me. I would rather search town for that one bookshop where some of the book have dust on them. Once I noticed that majority the shop items have been on the shelf for years without selling, I know I would get the best deal.

Items from those types of shop are cheap not because the owner is desperate, but because, the owner would still be sell them at the rate he bought them 3 to 10 years ago. The prices don’t always reflect the current market price which is high due to steady inflation. Just between 2014 and 2016, the exchange rate of the dollar against the naira has increased almost 100% due to the ‘change’ President Buhari has gifted us with. A times the owner would feel sorry for me like, “poor kid, he just want to make art, look at how straight all the money are, they must be his life saving. If only he knew that most artists live in poverty”. Of course they never said that but there attitude sometimes suggest that is what they are thinking.

That was how I was able to afford art materials in those days. Apart from my ballpoint pen and cardboard papers, I still scavenge for the best deal when searching for art material by patronising the dusty bookshops of Bauchi.

Anyway, I also improvised and made my own brushes and sometimes colours.

Read More »

Nothing to write home about ~ Procrastinating blogging about my art

Today I managed to post something after many months of unplanned sabbatical.

I cannot believe how time has passed. In fact, it is 2 weeks shy of being exactly a year since I last published something on this blog. Part of the reasons was that, I haven’t been motivated to make art. Since there wasn’t any studio creation, there is nothing to write home about (literally speaking).

Had it not been for the social media Art Challenge made by the Artist Roxanne Vise, I wouldn’t have published “The two mediums Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo couldn't master” back in May on Medium. My mind soon reset back to not writing as I was ‘exhausted’ after one post.

I am too experienced to give excuses but let me just say, I was distracted by the rat-race… on second thought, I would like to blame the devil for not making me blog, the devil is totally responsible for my silence and not me. 😕 😈

Thanks for reading through.

Read More »