A Peek Into the Life Of… Artist – Martins Akande

We made a call for BellaNaija readers to be a part of a new exciting feature series called, ‘A Peek Into The Life Of‘ which the Team has been working on. {Click here if you missed it} We’ve been very excited by the feedback we’ve received and we’re happy with the submissions we’ve been receiving. It feels so good to get to know our readers better – what they do. So far, we’ve had four interestingly diverse features. ‘Deyemi Okanlawon, Chinedu Anarado , Jennifer Akporehe , Tosan Iwere,  Adetomi Imoteda Aladeokomo, ‘Tito Balogun and Taiwo ‘Taiyel’ Lawanson.

The incredible talent exhibited by Martins Akande is mind blowing! It is for this reason, that we just have to take a peek into the life behind Teenezmartinez Arts.

Job title
Accountant and Artist.

Core responsibilities
Establish an artistic vision.
Selecting projects that truly represents my creative goals.
Committing to the vision and Style of approach.
Execution.

How long have you been at this job?
As the Founder of Teenezmartinez Arts, I have been on this job forever.

Highlights of your job
Listed in Art in America 2015 ( Art In America is the most comprehensive Art reference print publication in existence).

Downsides of your job
Some of us were born with natural talent that eventually led us to establish careers. Years spent in perfecting the skills or furthering education and some only to end up in searching for jobs for a steady paycheck from another form of work where passion isn’t involve.

Inconsistent Income
“Starving artist” this term was made popular due to the financial reputation most individuals in this career have maintained. Most cases only the successful artists are able to support themselves through the sale of their work alone. Many secure a part-time job or turn to teaching art full time for a steadier income.

Irregular Scheduling
Those attempting to make a living solely off the sale of their art have to put in a lot of time and effort to attract potential buyers and to build a reputation. They must work around showcases, presentations and openings in galleries, museums or other establishments they hope to display their work in. Multimedia artists who similarly work from home often endure 50-hour weeks to keep up with client demand and maintain their creative and dependable reputations.

If you weren’t doing this, what would you be doing?
Probably be working for someone.

On a scale of 1-10, how would you grade your skill set at this job?
Hahaha…I say 10.

I’m living my career dream. Yes? No?
Certainly yes.

Whoa! BN Readers, ever wondered what the average day of an artist is like? Let’s dive in!

Let’s say I wake up 4am, first thing first I say a little prayer and afterwards shower time. Mornings are good for me, this is the best time for me to work on my projects. I work till 11am and sometimes till 12noon before I proceed with breakfast, then take a little break to relax the head. During this time I watch documentaries or update my social media page with recent Art stages, Instagram most of the time.

At about 1:30pm or 2pm I go back to work and continue the usual again till 4pm. It’s pretty much a quiet and “boring” as well as an interesting cycle at the same time.
I’m thinking of spicing my life up a little, but yeah that’s about my average day.