Temilola Ogunyemi is a skilled Nigerian artist based in Lagos. She attended the well known girls secondary school - Queens College in Yaba, Lagos before proceeding to study English Language and Literature/Letters at the University of Lagos in 2005 - 2009.
To build a profession for herself in line with her Bachelor's degree, she decided to attend the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria Training School in 2011 where she was awarded a Certificate in Basic Journalism. Temilola went back to her Alma mater for a Post Graduate Diploma in Mass Communication/Media Studies in 2013 - 2015. She also attended the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations in 2014 - 2016, where she had a Diploma in Public Relations.
Temilola has over 5 years of experience in Customer Service and Call Centre Management in the Telecommunication and E-commerce industry. She worked with Globacom Nigeria as a Customer Care Representative (Prepaid Desk), Customer Care Representative (Sim Registration Desk), and Customer Service Specialist (Escalation Desk/CRM Analyst) before moving to Jumia Market formerly known as Kaymu Nigeria in February 2015 as a Customer Service Representative/Order Management.
She is currently a Non-Key Account Manager/Category Specialist at Jumia Market where she is basically responsible for the management of sales and creating long-term relationships with the portfolio of assigned sellers.
I discovered I was very good at drawing when I was in secondary school. My friends/classmates would queue up for me to assist them with their fine arts and biology drawings. My art teacher once used my exam script for an exhibition in school then. It was the first time I signed off on a job. My mother was also a fine arts teacher, I figured my passion for drawing was hereditary. After my secondary school, I stopped drawing for no particular reason. Sometime in January 2016, I became motivated to draw again after I saw an artwork that was given as a gift to a friend of mine. I also got words encouragement from my family.
The major challenge as an artist in Nigeria is that we still see art as a luxury and not a necessity. So I have restructured my prices to accommodate every client’s ‘pocket’. Second, art tools are not readily available and the ones here are quite pricey. But I get assistance with techniques and tools from a friend of mine who is a professional artist and has a lot more experience.
Working and Drawing is very tedious, but I enjoy both my career as a non-key account manager and my passion for drawing. It sometimes feels like I work 24 hours a day between waking up at 6am and closing at 6pm and then heading home to draw and meet up with clients’ deadlines.
First thing is if you have a dream, don’t wait for the right time to start because there is never a right time. I remember I started with 3 pencils at N250 each and I gradually started buying my tools (still buying them). So everyone out there with a plan should start now, break it into smaller plans that would ultimately lead to the big plan. Also find other people in the field you want to go into and learn from them. At every attempt I tell myself I will get better with time. When I feel discouraged I talk to my mentor and refocus. A lot of patience and focus is also an important part of starting out a business.
I want to be the best at what I do. My plan is to keep studying, practicing and one day my works would be hanging on every 8 out of 10 people’s walls.
Email: ogunyemitemilola@yahoo.com
To build a profession for herself in line with her Bachelor's degree, she decided to attend the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria Training School in 2011 where she was awarded a Certificate in Basic Journalism. Temilola went back to her Alma mater for a Post Graduate Diploma in Mass Communication/Media Studies in 2013 - 2015. She also attended the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations in 2014 - 2016, where she had a Diploma in Public Relations.
Temilola has over 5 years of experience in Customer Service and Call Centre Management in the Telecommunication and E-commerce industry. She worked with Globacom Nigeria as a Customer Care Representative (Prepaid Desk), Customer Care Representative (Sim Registration Desk), and Customer Service Specialist (Escalation Desk/CRM Analyst) before moving to Jumia Market formerly known as Kaymu Nigeria in February 2015 as a Customer Service Representative/Order Management.
She is currently a Non-Key Account Manager/Category Specialist at Jumia Market where she is basically responsible for the management of sales and creating long-term relationships with the portfolio of assigned sellers.
The beginning of her Artistry
I discovered I was very good at drawing when I was in secondary school. My friends/classmates would queue up for me to assist them with their fine arts and biology drawings. My art teacher once used my exam script for an exhibition in school then. It was the first time I signed off on a job. My mother was also a fine arts teacher, I figured my passion for drawing was hereditary. After my secondary school, I stopped drawing for no particular reason. Sometime in January 2016, I became motivated to draw again after I saw an artwork that was given as a gift to a friend of mine. I also got words encouragement from my family.
Challenges
The major challenge as an artist in Nigeria is that we still see art as a luxury and not a necessity. So I have restructured my prices to accommodate every client’s ‘pocket’. Second, art tools are not readily available and the ones here are quite pricey. But I get assistance with techniques and tools from a friend of mine who is a professional artist and has a lot more experience.
Being a full-time employee and an artist
Working and Drawing is very tedious, but I enjoy both my career as a non-key account manager and my passion for drawing. It sometimes feels like I work 24 hours a day between waking up at 6am and closing at 6pm and then heading home to draw and meet up with clients’ deadlines.
Advice for aspiring entrepreneurs
First thing is if you have a dream, don’t wait for the right time to start because there is never a right time. I remember I started with 3 pencils at N250 each and I gradually started buying my tools (still buying them). So everyone out there with a plan should start now, break it into smaller plans that would ultimately lead to the big plan. Also find other people in the field you want to go into and learn from them. At every attempt I tell myself I will get better with time. When I feel discouraged I talk to my mentor and refocus. A lot of patience and focus is also an important part of starting out a business.
Future plans
I want to be the best at what I do. My plan is to keep studying, practicing and one day my works would be hanging on every 8 out of 10 people’s walls.
Email: ogunyemitemilola@yahoo.com
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