Today our focus is on WoshDraw

Joshua is a Business Graduate who started his career in Graphic Design doing logos and posters (mostly for events in Abuja). Proficient at illustrating, he then moved to make digital art under a previous pseudonym.

In December 2018, a few weeks after graduating from university, he posted his first comic under his current pseudonym WoshDraws, and from an early run of initial virality, went on to build an audience, and since then has gone on to attempt expanding his creative expertise, venturing into 2d  and 3d Animation. His ultimate goal casts a wide net along with his interests, from Creating a Design and Ad agency, to becoming the next Disney, to one day going to space and then becoming President of Nigeria. Joshua, self admittedly can sometimes be unrealistic when it comes to making goals . Inspired by Philosophy, his values and world view are influenced Stoicism, Bushido, Kaizen, Existentialism, Jungian psychology and Christianity.

Joshua has served a large client base including high profile artists like Davido, Dj Spinall.

In December 2020, he collaborated on and released a comic book with Justin Ug and plans on releasing his first set of independent products 2021, his conscious attempt at setting realistic goals.

How would you best describe your creative process?

Its between taking a systematic approach or just following instincts, the instinctual is more fun since it just feels natural, bt sometimes there’s work to be done whether you’re feeling creative or not, which is where the systematic kicks In, for me its like the difference between writing a novel and writing a research paper.

Most frequently received (advice related) question?

How do I grow my account? & How do I start making Digital Art and Animations.

Top 3 tools/resources you use to create

XP Pen tablet and FireAlpaca for drawing, and Pinterest for references.

What is your daily routine like?

After waking up and doing the needful (brushing bathing), I journal and timeblock my tasks for the day, usually 2 hour sprints with an hour break in between each sprint. On some days, shorter breaks in between sprints or more sprints. A good day is like 10 hour sprints, but I can’t come and kill myself, so some days its 7-8 hours. The evening break is usually longer, like 2 hours so I go on a walk.

What made you develop an interest in illustration?

I’ve been drawing since I was a child, then I fell off a bit after secondary school and came back on digitally towards the end of uni and professionally after.

Is there a specific moment that made you realize you'd probably want to do this for a long time?

One moment that comes to mind was in secondary school, I used to make comics in my sketchbook and there was a character that went “Ghost Mode” like the Phyno song, and me and some of my classmates went on a long ass discussion on character possibilities, I remember thinking hmm this is nice could do this lol.

Do you do this full time or you work as well?

I've been doing this full-time for about a year and half now, currently on contract for a start-up.

Any frustrating experiences with clients you'd like to share with us?

GUY! GUYY!! GUYYY!!! So many! All I can say is create a solid terms of service .

Thoughts on self education/learning?

I think its inevitable, because if you aren’t growing, then you’re dying. For me creativity comes from ability to mix and match ideas in new and.novel ways. You can’t match ideas you’ve never had, so you need to learn new information and gather more knowledge to close the gap. The more you know the more creative you can be.

Source(s) of inspiration?

I have a lot! Scattered across different platforms and different media, I get a lot of inspiration from Anime, Manga, 90’s Cartoons, Classical Disney, Instagram artists, Takashi Murakami, History etc its somewhat scattered, but I think it makes sense small.

I see you're inspired by Stoicism and Existentialism as well. How did that happen?

 I’ve suffered lol.

Most creative time of the day for you?

The later hours, I think my best ideas are the ones that are compelling enough to rob me of sleep. You know! When you’re about to crash and an idea so good pops in your head that writing it down for later isn’t enough.

Who is one person you'd really love to work with?

You 👀👉🏾👈🏾,  Adidas too, I’ve been slanting towards learning Product and Industrial design lately, there’s so much going on in that space.

What do you think is the best pathway to financial stability as a creative?

I'm better at giving advice to others on this than doing so myself, but i’d say leverage more on products and attention rather than your services. You can only do so much, create products, create intellectual property.

How did the lockdown affect your creativity? and if there were any setbacks how did you overcome it?

I was pretty occupied during the lockdown period, so I was always working on a project, the time flew by. However, my output did suffer (comic wise). I don’t think it has recovered since then idk, maybe it was the lockdown, maybe it was the workload. At least I didn’t have to do physical meetings.

Any plans for the future?

Preferably to work In multiple countries, lmao japa dey do my body.

You can follow Wosh on Twitter and Instagram if you want to see his weekly comic strips. You can also check out his comic archive and free wallpapers here.

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Today our focus is on Dj Lolu

Lolu’s relationship with producing is best described by the term, sonic storytelling. His beats reflect very strong narrative elements taking the listeners on a journey through the soundscapes he meticulously creates. So far the artist’s discography features talents like 234Jaydaa, adé, Na-Ku and most recently, Mafeni. When collaborating Lolu strives to achieve a sound that fuses the sounds of the artists involved, challenging them to experiment with their boundaries and limits. Lolu is currently in the process developing an EP that he hopes to drop next year.

How would you best describe your creative process?

Structed chaos, trial & error and vibes.

Most frequently received (advice related) question?

When I Dj I often get asked “how did you even know these songs would flow well together” however as a producer its normally “when did you start and how did you learn so quickly?”

Top 3 tools/resources you use to create

My laptop, FL studio/Logic and My blue headphones.

What made you develop an interest in DJing?

Music is honestly one of the most important pillars in my life and serves as an escape. I had a few friends at the time who were dj’ing when I was in my first year. I used to go with my friend (Dj Honcho) to his gigs and just chill in the booth watching the crowd go insane for his transitions. I felt like it was something I could do, and the fact that I could potentially combine the songs I loved together and get paid?? Yeah, sign me up. The process of learning how to DJ was good for my mental health which further fuelled my interest.

How did that interest lead to producing?

Kondé Oko (R.I.P YCG) no he’s not dead. He just changed his name]. He’s the reason I got into producing honestly. We met in my first year of uni and he was part of my DJ journey. I used to do some episodes on his podcast (808s & coffee breaks) and after the sessions he’d just open FL and start making beats. I used to be very confused cause the software just looked dauting. He always said to me that I’d make a good producer because I “DJ like a producer” (I didn’t know what that meant at the time) but the more he said it, the more I started to believe It. Then boom lockdown happened and I found myself making almost 3 beats a day for 6 months.

Is there a specific moment that made you realize you'd probably want to do this for a long time?

The reception October got when I dropped it was immense (considering we did little promo). Seeing the song on playlists, people’s stories, people using it for their reels felt amazing. Having people buy into my idea and my vision is what made me realise that I want to do this for a long time. Trill Xoe, Daviestherocket and adé helped bring my vision to life.

I love your mixes. What's the thought process for making a mix like?

Thank you, I get excited when people say they enjoy my work.  I usually have a song I’d like to start with and what I want to finish with and then I freestyle the rest. When I start making the mix I have it in mind that it will either be one take or 20.

How do you balance everything with OurPOV? Also can you give us a lil insight about it?

Ourpov is a platform to tell stories through experiences. I started the platform about 2 years ago to get more people involved in the mental health conversation. Over time I’ve had parents mention how helpful and insightful the platform was in bettering their understanding. It’s sometimes difficult to plan and gather people to share their stories. The world is a mess right now and sometimes people don’t want to (or know how to) express.

Thoughts on self-education/learning?

Self-learning>>>. When I was learning how to DJ and produce, I’d literally spend 10+ hours a day on YouTube just watching people make beats. I watch a lot of boiler room sets to get inspiration or ideas. I love what I do though, so it drives me to just learn and keep getting better.

Source(s) of inspiration?

I inspire myself but I also gain a lot of inspiration from my environment. Music, the shows I watch, my girl, my friends, I could go on and on.

Most creative time of the day for you?

Early hours of the morning say 2am.

Who is one person you'd really love to work with?

Amaarae.

What do you think is the best pathway to financial stability as a creative?

Working horizontally rather than vertically to collectively make it out the hood.

How did the lockdown affect your creativity? and if there were any setbacks how did you overcome it?

Feeling burnt out or having a creative block also occurs once in a while. I’ve learnt to not force things in those periods or things just get progressively worse. So, for anyone going through that right now, stop and go do something else for a couple of days.

The first lockdown was more of my awakening. I finally had the time to start producing and learning about the craft. I’m grateful for the people around me who took their time to help me at the start of the journey. Fortunately, and unfortunately, I lost a lot of beats on two occasions while I was starting out. It was a blow mentally because I could feel myself improving and making sense of the things I was learning. Honestly the belief I have in myself and the fact that my friends constantly reminded me that those beats are not the best I can do, helped me bounce back and become even more focused on the goal.

You recently put out a two song pack titled "Awakening" can you tell us more about it?

It's a new year and Awakening is a new phase for me. In the making of this project, I tapped into a different side of my art. The first song Lord's Prayer was created at a point when I was experiencing burnout and could not create. Fortunately I was able to make music with my friends The4th, Kondé oko and cashmanny and the lyrics of the featured artists reflect how i felt at the time: bringing yourself out of a dark place and the role of friends in doing this.

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Today's Interview is with Na-ku

Growing up in Lagos, Nigeria, Na-Ku started making music as part of a duo under the name Inver$e, in 2016. He started making music as a solo act in 2018 with his first single “Love Like This”. Aged 20, he is currently in his final year of studies at the University of Essex, in Colchester, England. Currently, he's working on his “Bad Mood” trilogy. He wishes to release the sequel to the first “Bad Mood” in the first quarter of 2021. He also wishes to release the final EP in the final quarter of the same year. During his hiatus, Na-Ku took up producing and now hopes to be heavily involved in the production of his music. He hopes to be recognised as one of the best currently making music.

How would you best describe your creative process?

My process goes either one of two ways, either I make myself record, like doin any other task, or it’s spontaneous. The spontaneity is divided into two as well, it’s either a build up of spontaneous energy or a (huge) burst of energy. If I’m recording, cuz I don’t normally time myself I’d say it takes a night, usually. If I’m writing, it could take at least a night or at most a couple weeks dependin on how I’m feelin. I write before I record if my intention isn’t to record a demo.

Most frequently received (advice related) question?

Funny enough, no one asks me for advice bout anything. I don’t know if I should be insulted, thinkin bout it now, but, yeah, no one asks me shit.

Top 3 tools/resources you use to create

Apple Music, Soundcloud, and my whole set up. Out of my set up tho, my booth. Apple Music cuz I like listenin to my fav songs/verses/hooks to really get into writing/recording. Soundcloud for the ones that aren’t on streaming platforms. My booth cuz I be makin music in my room (I stay in a student accom) so I need my vocals to be as crisp as possible.

Thoughts on self education/learning?

At this point isn’t this normal? Speakin personally, most of the things that I have knowledge on, I learnt on my own. Regardless of if it’s something I’m interested in or not. Even with higher education, which I hate, more time I be teachin myself. It’s great tho, learning skills, then workin on and ultimately perfecting them to the best of your ability.** **

Source(s) of inspiration?

Bro, me being the way I am, almost anything I like inspires me. Music, anime, movies, musicians, passionate people. Anything I fuck with inspires me, shit like anime theme songs. It might sound silly but it’s true, and it’s great.

Most creative time of the day for you?

Night time, jus cuz that’s when I be getting work done cuz usually I be puttin shit off till late.

Who is one person you'd really love to work with but you haven't ?

Santi/Cruel Santino, I know his government too but if I say it I’d be overdoin it. It’s A LOT of people I wanna work with, man, but he’s number one.

What are your thoughts on empathy?

At first I thought this was a weird question but I realised a lot of people don’t know how empathy works. I don’t know if people think this is a skill everyone should have but I don’t think so. For a lot of people don’t have/live the same or similar experiences, how can you then understand what you’ve never experienced?

What do you believe is the best pathway to financial stability as a creative?

I personally believe it’s having a great team, when you have that, you and your pockets are only goin up and stayin there.

How did the lockdown affect your creativity? and if there were any setbacks how did you overcome it?

During lockdown, I was away from my place so I couldn’t record anything, that was a real pain. Still wantin to make music I bought FL studio and started learning music production. I’m still learning the ropes, can’t lie, but I’ve made a couple of things that I can’t wait to put out. I’m grateful for the time that lockdown provided me with, ain’t nothin really like bettering yourself and your craft.

Any plans for the future? (What should we expect for 2021)

Workin on ending my trilogy. I’ve planned a lot of other releases too, hopefully everything falls into place.

You can follow Na-Ku on Instagram and Twitter. You can also check out his music on Spotify and Apple Music.

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Today our focus is on one of my favourite producers Kondé Oko

Kondé Oko's roots are as expansive as his skillset, having had an interest in the arts from his most formative years. Starting with writing, the 22 year-old creative has broadened his horizons to include music, graphic design, photography, videography, and any other lane his hands fancy. After he moved back to Lagos to switch schools, he fell in with a group of likeminded souls including rising producer KD, San Bravura, and the future founders of Alte Studios. Over the last 4 years, he’s put out a whopping 15 projects, a testament to his dedication to his craft. Currently, Kondé Oko is on an indefinite hiatus after dropping his 15th project, ‘Good Enough?’.

So you formerly went by YCG before the name change. What lead to this change and how does it affect your music moving forward ?

YCG was an experiment in a lot of ways, trying to figure out my boundaries and limits as an artist. The last 4/5 years have really just been me trying things to see if I can do them. Now I find myself wanting to make art instead of satisfying creative curiosity, so I can’t have the history of YCG on me because I don’t want the comparisons of then and now. So I decided to get a fresh start with a new name.

What did YCG stand for? Any interesting story behind it?

It stands for YungClappedGod, basically just reclaiming a word people used to describe me when I was younger. There’s really no other meaning or thought to it, which is part of why I changed it.

How would you best describe your creative process?

It’s definitely changed over time. The more control I gain over my inputs, the smarter I’m able to work. All the aspects in music are related, if you know where the connections are. But I think the underlying idea has always been to create work I think is cool.

What made you develop an interest in music?

No lie, I heard 'A Milli' for the first time when I was 9 years old and decided I wanted to learn how to do that. I’d always enjoyed music, but it wasn’t till I heard that song that I wanted to try it out for myself. Fast forward about 6 or 7 years, I’m back in Lagos and going to this school and minus 2 or 3, all my friends here are into music as well. My interest is definitely partially because it makes me feel connected to them, because I really did start making music with my best friends.

Is there a specific moment that made you realize you'd probably want to make music for a long time?

 I don’t think there was a specific moment as opposed to a general shift in how I saw music. The more I learn, the more attached to it I become. And even beyond that, music’s always presented itself as the best way for me to get my thoughts out. I feel like I’m a very violent person internally and music offered a way to rage without hurting anybody. It’s become a habit, not a thing I do.

Top 3 tools/resources you use to create

 Laptop, microphone, audio interface.

From your overview we see that you're into other things like graphic design, photography and videography. How do you manage to juggle all these without burning out?

Trial and error, for the most part. Around 2017/2018, I had to reorder my hierarchy because I felt a burnout coming on. I also don’t do commissions for anybody, so while I’m not monetizing (and I don’t think everything should be monetized), I’m able to pick and choose what lanes I want to focus on at my own pace and schedule. Moving forward, the goal’s to combine different lanes into single expressions.

What are your thoughts on self education/learning?

It’s the foundation of everything I do. I’ve always seen expertise as a binary between time and money, the less you have of one the more of the other you need. And I never had the money to pay other creatives for beats, mixes, covers, none of that. So obviously I had to invest the time into figuring all of that out for myself. Collaboration is great and should never be ignored but the more you know how to do for yourself, the more freedom you’ll have. And I think that’s my philosophy on life as a whole.

Source(s) of inspiration?

Most of my friends are creatives in some way, and watching them execute in their craft constantly pushes me to improve.

Most creative time of the day for you?

It used to be from about midnight to 7am, but I quickly realized that wasn’t sustainable longterm so I’m rarely awake during my “peak” hours

What advice will you like to give to anyone currently juggling multiple creative ventures?

Figure out what your hierarchy is. Creatives will often let the work they do define what they are. And the more hats you wear, the harder it becomes to dress appropriately for any one event. If you want to be multidisciplinary, figure out what your collection of skills makes you. Greater than the sum of your parts and all that.

What do you think is the best pathway to financial stability as a creative?

Ownership of platform. Takes longer to establish, but the more you own the more you can leverage. Applies to everything from pricing to deal negotiation.

How did the lockdown affect your creativity and if there were any setbacks how did you overcome it?

I’m probably an outlier, but lockdown was probably one of the best things to happen to me creatively. Most of my creative process happens solo anyway, so I found myself with nothing but time and ideas. School was arguably the worst part of my lockdown because I stopped caring about it almost immediately.

Any plans for the future? (What should we expect for 2021)

Expect absolutely nothing. 2021 is for restructuring and consolidating everything I’ve been building up this point. Maybe 2022 though.

Our maiden interview is with Kemka Ajoku

Kemka is a portrait and fashion photographer who centres his work around the documentation of black lives. Despite being born and raised in London, England; it was until he went to his native country of Nigeria for his Bachelor’s degree where he discovered his love of photography. His work has been featured on i-D, Nataal Media, Indie Magazine, Booooom and Puss Magazine to name a few.

How would you best describe your creative process?

My creative process, in simple terms, is really the translation of thoughts and visions into tangible images. Depending on what I want to make, that can vary from compiling moodboards to making playlists, anything I can use to channel my emotions at the time. Sometimes, despite not as often anymore, I pull up to the shoot with no prior creative preparation, allowing the idea to come on set. It’s worked for me every time.

Most frequently received (advice related) question?

Funny enough, I don’t receive a lot of questions concerning my work, I mainly have people asking me about the gear I use, and maybe my post-production process.

Top 3 tools/resources you use to create

Camera, film roll, Adobe Lightroom.

What made you develop an interest in photography?

Taking photos was something I did all my life, just never seriously. My first camera was a 5 megapixel digital camera with 2 AA batteries from Christmas when I was 9. Family holidays, parties, Sunday mornings, I was always the one behind the camera. Looking at photography as an art form started for me when I was in secondary school, on school trips to Wales, Austria and France, circa 2012-2014. I was given an iPod touch 5th gen as a birthday present, and that was my first time taking photos of my surroundings, mainly landscapes and still life.

In my third year of uni, still actively shooting landscapes as a hobby, I came across two good friends and mentors of mine, Chuka Nwobi and Femi Johnson. They went through the photos I posted on VSCO and encouraged me to pursue photography, especially portraiture. So I made that my new year’s resolution for 2018 and since then I haven't stopped shooting.

Is there a specific moment that made you realize you'd probably want to do this for a long time?

The first time someone (who I didn’t know beforehand) approached me at a party to compliment my work. I left that encounter feeling really blessed that my work was being received positively further than I thought it was. That day I decided that it’d be something I’d take seriously.

Is there some sort of physical/mental prep you do before a photoshoot? (besides the normal stuff)

Affirmations and a short prayer. Depending on the shoot, it’s very easy for fear and doubt to creep in and ultimately affect the shooting process. So I briefly take a short prayer and remind myself that I am that guy.

What are your thoughts on self education/learning?

I feel its the most effective way to learn a creative craft. Experiencing all the lessons you’ve learnt not only sticks with you longer, but also distinguishes your work when compared to others in the same field. I have a lot of respect for those who are self-taught.

Source(s) of inspiration?

Music and nature. I feel like music is one of the most precious art forms, with possibly the easiest access to feelings and emotions amongst consumers. Nature for me is also something I find inspiring, the power of any life form really captivates me, the way it interacts with its surroundings and changes over time and seasons, with minimal effort.

Most creative time of the day for you?

Definitely night time, that’s when I create the ideas. I can work during the day, but when everyone is asleep   and you’re alone with your mind, that’s when I’m in 5th gear.

Who is one person you'd really love to work with?

Wales Bonner. Her ethos towards making her clothing line is one that really captivates me, as we both share a passion of documenting Black British culture of both past and present. I’d really love to work alongside her at some point.

What do you think is the best pathway to financial stability as a creative?

A solid team, and understanding an of the logistics of the industry is very key. A lot of young creatives tend to be cheated and used by those at the top, which can be very discouraging when your creative field is what puts food on the table.

How did the lockdown affect your creativity and if there were any setbacks how did you overcome it?

During the lockdown I wasn’t able to shoot, at all. This at first affected me negatively, resulting in a number of breakdowns and mental wear-outs. But this allowed me to revise my intention behind storytelling and my mission statement as a photographer. Spending time to focus on this has changed how my creative process, allowing me to be a lot more intentional with my work going forward.

Any plans for the future? (What should we expect for 2021)

2021, expect new things from me I shied away from previously.  Taking everything in full force from today onwards, not just in the new year.

You can follow Kemka's work on Instagram and his Website.

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