INTERVIEW: Fear Of Unemployment Made Me Pursue My Talent For Art – Graduate Of Business Admin

Usman Jibrin is the founder and C.E.O of Giftedart Cartoon. He’s also a social media influencer who  keeps fans glued to his social media handles because of his cartoons.

In this interview with THE WHISTLER, he explains what drove him into art and what youths can learn from his experience.

 Excerpts… 

How Did It Start?

I have used my artistic skill to sponsor myself in the university by making portrait art for students and lecturers. After school I decided to make it a career as a cartoonist and illustrator.

Cartooning is a part of art though, for art I started making sketches of most of my childhood cartoon tv shows at age of 5.  I started drawing social and political cartoons when I was in the university. I mostly illustrate the happenings within my school.

I was advised by my friends to go national and international, and that’s how I created my Facebook page at my final year in the university.

Did You Study Art In School?

This is one of the questions I get everyday from fans and random people on my mails. I studied Business  Admin from Bayero University Kano and graduated with a second class upper.

My art journey was basically self taught and observation. Anywhere I see art, I love to ask myself how and what can I use to achieve this?

Then later on the internet started becoming popular, and boom! I use Google to see other people’s art online and got inspired. I was inspired and motivated by Bulama’s cartoons to keep doing cartoons.

Does Bulama Knows He Inspired You? Have You Reached Out To Him?

Yes. He knows. He reached out to me when he saw one of my illustrations on Facebook. And from there he encouraged me to keep doing it.

You Studied Business Administration But You’re Now Cartoonist. Was It Passion Or Unemployment That Pushed You Into It?

I will say, unemployment largely. I had seen how graduates before me faced the challenge of unemployment so I started to think of how I can engage myself. I made up my mind not to put all eggs in one basket. I started building the business right from school so that I will get more familiar with it after graduation.

So, lack of employment pushed me to face what I know how to do best. If my degree can’t get me a job, why not face what I know how to do best?

What Do You Intend To Achieve With Art?

To get a lot of people inspired, making people laugh and feeling happy anytime they remember my art. I want to be remembered like other great artists if I am no more. I also intend to make a lot of money too.

In What Way Do You Intend To Make Money?

I do illustration for publishing companies and NGOs. I also make cartoons for some news website like tsnewsng.com. And I am currently building my animation skills too which can fetch me a lot of money from YouTube and others.

So far I have met some  prominent people, politicians and celebrities such as former vice president Yemi Osibanjo, ex-governor Abdullahi Ganduje, ex-minister Pantami, Adekunle Gold and so many others.

Your Fans Have Been Asking You To Get Married, And In One Of Your Cartoons You Tagged  Yourself ‘Mr Bachelor’.  What’s Your Love Life Like?

You caught me on this (smiles). Most of the ‘Oga Bachelor’ cartoons are my daily reality.

I am single and still wishing that I will mingle with ‘somebody’s’ daughter one day. That doesn’t mean I haven’t been in a relationship before. I have experienced different love lives but they didn’t end well for us.

And if you ask me my dream life partner, my most checked qualities in a lady is her character. Once you are nice and respectful, the other things like beauty and others can then be checked.

Though I am not perfect either, but I wish to have a partner who loves what I do, a partner we can play and plan our lives together.

 I couldn’t find those qualities in the ones I have met. To a point they got jealous about how I spend more time with my fans than them.

What Will You Tell Other Youths Who Might Have Given Up On Their Talents?

They shouldn’t give up, instead they should always re-strategize or replan and keep moving. What helped me most is consistency. They shouldn’t wait for a job to come to them, they can always create one no matter how small it is. They say an idle mind is the devil’s workshop. They can be doing a business and still be searching for a job.