Creator Spotlight: Meet Arowojolu Oladimeji, an astute designer who has been running a successful business for 7 years.

When we see successful businesses, we are quick to admire their achievements and aspire to achieve the same feats that business owners have. We often forget that every successful, thriving business you see today was once a small, struggling venture. The owner’s perseverance was what made it stand out.

Arowojolu Oladimeji is an illustrator, digital artist, and art director. He has been on this path for seven years, not only working but also learning and improving his skills. We talked about his craft and business, which is well worth reading.

Who is Arowojolu Oladimeji?

Arowojolu Oladimeji is first and foremost a child of eight siblings, then a visual designer, music and art enthusiast. An Anime weeb and, more importantly, a student of life.

What does your role as a digital artist entail?

I don’t want to say I’m a jack of all trades, but the most consistent aspect of my job is that there’s always an illustration/illustrator because that’s my genuine passion. So, as a digital artist, I create illustrations for brands and designs, as well as animation, which is my newfound love. So, overall, it’s creating art and illustrations that the client and the public can relate to.

Tell me about your early days as a digital artist

Tough, not that it isn’t still tough, because my eyes have seen shege. It was difficult back then because I didn’t belong to any art community, barely knew the craft and I was broke. So, the only tutorial I could find was on YouTube, and watching a tutorial is like magic because you have no idea what they’re doing and then they’re done. You find yourself wasting hours on a four-minute tutorial. Also, one YouTuber may say do this, while another may say you should never do what another YouTuber has just told you is important. So it was an emotional rollercoaster, but thank God, I now have one handle on the wheel, and I think I know what I’m doing a little better.

Which of your projects do you consider mind-blowing?

The entire project I finished a few hours before the deadline in the middle of the night before falling asleep and waking up to something else. But for real now, I believe that every recent work is always better than the previous one, making it difficult to choose which is mind-blowing, but I’m confident that the most recent job is mind-blowing until I create another one.

You have been designing for 7 years. Do you consider this a business?

It’s something I enjoy doing that pays most of my bills and allows me to flex, so I guess you could call it a business.

How have you managed this business for so long?

Well, I would advise not to squeeze too tightly, rather letting things run their course in most cases, with friendly customer service and guaranteed customer satisfaction. My primary strategy is referral and collaborating with friends and working as a freelance illustrator for studios. Great principles AND referrals always go a long way.

What is your perspective on money as a creative business owner?

As a creative, I believe that money should always be viewed as an investment back into the business until it becomes a multibillion-dollar corporation. My design money paid for all of my laptops, display tablets, iPad, phones, and course payments. Others may see it as wasteful spending, but these are important aspects of growth, and because the design space is constantly growing, it is necessary to keep up.

So, how do you make use of Fidia?

Well, I use Fidia as an online portfolio, a place to save recent designs/works, and a resource for prospective employers to check my previous work.

Which Fidia feature is your favourite and why?

The donation feature is one of my favourites, because who doesn’t need money? I also enjoy the features of my website because they allow me to build a portfolio with all of my work rather than having it scattered all over the internet in bits. So, I can keep all of my work in one place.

Any last words for those interested in becoming a digital artist or owning a creative business like yours?

Well, my advice is to not underestimate the power of the community because they share helpful tips and guides, so find a community where you fit in and learn everything! It might just take some time.🫶🏽