Daily Inspiration: Meet Ajiri Olobor

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ajiri Olobor.

Hi Ajiri, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Hi! My name is Ajiri and I am a Nigerian-American multidisciplinary creative currently based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. My love for fashion and creating were discovered at a very young age & heavily inspired by my mother and the world around me. As a young child, I spent most of my time digging through my family members’ closets and capturing photos and videos on anything I could find – the family camcorder, my iPod nano, my Nintendo DS – if it had a camera, I was likely doing everything in my power to be able to capture the world around me with it. These passions have both had an extremely strong influence on my current personal style and work and honestly act as the main drivers behind all that I do.

I have always been a firm believer in the idea that humans are multifaceted beings with complex interests that should be explored – as a result, I decided to pursue a degree in Public Health with a minor in Creative Marketing while simultaneously freelancing on an array of creative projects. In the process of doing so, I found that creativity and art are more of an important pathway to mental well-being and overall health than meets the eye. Through combining my academic backgrounds with my deep-rooted passion to create, I have successfully been able to mesh the two worlds of art and health and met so many amazing individuals along the way that have served as major sources of inspiration and support, igniting the work that I do today.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I wouldn’t say that it’s been a smooth road but I don’t think I would change anything given the chance. I believe everything happens for a reason and I would be nowhere close to the person I am today had I not gone through life exactly as I have. Throughout my creative journey, some major things I have struggled with are burnout and imposter syndrome.

I think being in any creative field makes one more susceptible to imposter feelings – the very nature of creative work makes everyone more vulnerable to feeling inadequate. In addition, successes are too often attributed to luck instead of ones skills and talents which discounts any positive feedback, creating a self-perpetuating cycle that can prevent you from fully accepting any achievements. In other words, it’s TOUGH out here! Thankfully, I’ve been able to really lean on my loved ones and fellow community of creatives that I am so fortunate to have. I also think one of the best parts about being in tune with multiple creative mediums lies within the fact that when I find myself feeling uninspired, stuck, or burnt out, I can easily tap into my other gifts and skill sets until inspiration and divine timing strikes and leads me back to the mediums I once had to take a step back from.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I work as a Social Media/Campaign Specialist and Videographer which allows me to delve into the worlds of content creation, social strategy, branding, community building, entertainment, popular culture and all their intersections. My love for fashion and creative storytelling has also allowed me to dabble in the worlds of wardrobe styling and creative direction. I’ve been very fortunate to be able to work with an array of amazing brands like Marc Jacobs, Prada, Steve Madden, Uber, TFB Magazine, etc. My work excites me because it pushes me to think outside of the box and further cultivate my eye for detail to create and portray messages that not only capture attention but evoke feelings that resonate deeply with my audience. Authentic creation is my guiding north star – my number one goal will forever be to intentionally merge my unique lens on the world with my passion to create, while liberating missing, yet vital, pieces in our human experience through all that I put out into the world.

Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
I think it’s so important to talk to and share your passions with everyone – people won’t have the opportunity to help and support you if they don’t know what your passionate about. I also believe that being authentic in all that you do is so vital – it’s the only way to ensure that the longevity of the things that you create and share into the world isn’t something that will haunt you later on in the future.

Remember that your goals and dreams are just waiting for you to wake up – you are the only one who can decide that survival mode, imposter syndrome, etc is over. There is space for everyone so you owe it to yourself to continue to show up for yourself. You don’t want to look back years from now and realize that self-doubt was the only thing holding you back from reaching your fullest potential. You truly cannot become who you want to be without first doing everything in your power to embody that person.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ajiri.o/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajiri-olobor-9b2617237/
• Other: https://linktr.ee/ajiri.o

Image Credits
@cowbutterbaby @mlshootz @ryaaaa_n21 @sadswim @chiemekaoffor @awfullygrim