THEY ALWAYS COME IN HANDY

There are times when the hardship of life makes us creative 😂. If life has ever shown you what Nigerians like to call shege and you are forced to learn from it until it becomes a source of income then you truly understand the meaning of suffering. Sometimes it's not just about hunger or lack. When suffering becomes a state of mind that resonates with you (affecting your mental health) to the point you look around and the only thing your mind can phantom is how to see the next day. When you have been in this position for a very long time, you will discover that suffering has become so used to you that you now creatively manage it, finding inspiration in a bid to save your life.

Image by mdjaff on Freepik

Learning the act of graphic design was one of my most challenging experiences. First I would trek 8-9 km 6 days a week just to get to the office I was learning. Countless times I did that on an empty stomach. My dad was furious with me then because I bluntly refused a banking job he went out of his way to get for me. I told him I wanted to learn a skill and knowing the cost of that with our financial condition at that time I couldn't refuse the opportunity to learn it for free. I had to endure living that way and below my mates for 1 year and 10 months until I had issues with my boss that made me painfully give up the idea of becoming a pro graphics designer with him.

But at that point, I had already learned the skill and to date, I'm grateful I decided to learn it. I've had countless freelance Jobs that saw me through school and brought me to the point where I am currently. There have been countless times when I was dead broke and had gone days without food, I might just post an old design I made, and someone orders for a design. The joy in those moments was inexpressible, it was a breath of fresh air seeing the skill I suffered to learn ending my suffering. I do not regret forgoing the bank Job my father worked out for me because I knew it wasn't just about the money, two opportunities were staring me in the face, one would end my suffering temporarily, and the other would take time, but if I continue to build myself, it will make me for life.

Image by mdjaff on Freepik

One of the major criteria that got me the job I'm doing today is my graphics design skills which stood me out during the interview, not that I'm a pro, I'm still below that level, but I'm better than most intermediate graphics designers because of the strong design foundation I had. It wasn't easy learning that skill, my boss then gave up on me countless times, and a time came when I even gave up on myself, but I'm happy in all these I chose to stay and hold on as long as I could, until I couldn't anymore. One day I even had an epistle with a chronic ulcer, it was then my boss knew my place and the sacrifices I made every day to show up for work, but it's all over now, I can only look back and smile and see the man I have become and remembering my journey so far.

THIS IS MY RESPONSE TO HIVE GHANA PROMPT FOR THE WEEK.