Hey Everyone,
I noticed that the span of African creatives has increased, the numbers would definitely go up if only people weren’t scared of the uncertainty of following their passions due to the environment they find themselves in or their skin tones. On this platform, I would be featuring different creatives to tell the story behind the journey
Today’s Feature is ‘Ronke Raji’
•RONKE’S JOURNEY•
The journey of being an African creative has been a rough one, one that hasn’t entirely finished but at the same time is a hard story to tell. There is a lot of stability that is required in being African especially after graduating.
I graduated with a B.A in Psychology and I had thought that this was what I wanted to do, but I couldn’t place my finger on why it didn’t feel right.
After college, I got a full-time job and for a while I was comfortable and I got a sharp wake up call after I lost the job. In my mind, my next plan of action was to get another job in the same field (just because my main fear was instability/ people thinking I was unserious).
Just like that God had used the situation to help me to figure out (with the help of mentors/ friends) that this was a time to do something I was actually passionate about. For about two months I lived day to day surviving on the photography/ makeup gigs I got.
After college, I got a full-time job and for a while I was comfortable and I got a sharp wake up call after I lost the job. In my mind, my next plan of action was to get another job in the same field (just because my main fear was instability/ people thinking I was unserious).
Just like that God had used the situation to help me to figure out (with the help of mentors/ friends) that this was a time to do something I was actually passionate about. For about two months I lived day to day surviving on the photography/ makeup gigs I got.
But I had a plan that I needed certain things to fall into place before I went ahead. One of those things for me was getting my foot in the door with makeup artistry, I got an interview at both Sephora and Mac.
Now, a couple of months later, I just last week got accepted into Mac and though the story hasn’t ended I know that my future is bright.
Now, currently, I am doing part-time freelance makeup artistry, and part-time at MAC. I also make YouTube videos, take beautiful photo’s and work with natural hair brands from time to time.
It’s not a very smooth journey and I know there would be more to come but for now, I can truly say that I’m successful, not because of the money I make but because of the happiness I feel.
So I urge you, your passionate about something? Make moves, it may not be stable but at the end of the day it’s about what you can make of yourself, most importantly the biggest lesson I have learned this far is to trust God because if not for God this couldn’t have been possible. Be creative, leave a legacy, and don’t forget to pray!
• Valerie Here
I hope we all find this story really inspiring. Exams start on Tuesday so wish me success. And don’t forget you could do anything all you need to do is believe, have faith, work, and trust in God.
Your comments keep me going….feel free to drop them.
Have an amazing week
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