24 Aug Spotlighting Adhnok
It can be both exhilarating and exhausting being a creative with a diverse range of interests and abilities. I recently had the opportunity of speaking with Lagos-based artist Adhnok, whose talents range between design and music but is best known for his work as a video content creator. He shared honest insights on upcoming projects, how he stays motivated, manages his time and much more.
E: Adhnok, what is it that you do?
A: I create experiences, visually and sonically. Calling myself a videographer now feels limiting. I’m a video and audio creator. I only recently began becoming acquainted with music about a year or two ago, so I’m more visually inclined right now. Eventually, I want to become a music producer. I sing, write songs as well as make my own music. I also dabble in A&R and do a bit of sound engineering. It’s been fun incorporating all that I do together.
E: Unlike many of your peers, you have a broad scope of interests ranging from music to design, how do you manage to juggle & hone in on your many talents ? Essentially, how do you manage your time?
A: Prioritizing my goals has helped me so much. Sometimes I don’t realize how much I’m doing until I sit down to think about it or fully carry out an idea I had and see it work. What has helped me manage my time is realizing that I’m the only one that can achieve the goals I set out for myself, so I have to make necessary sacrifices. I spend less time with my friends and more behind a screen.
E: Which of your skill sets did you start out with and did one rope into the other ?
A: I grew up around my brother who made beats and I’d usually map out visuals in my head for the songs he’d play me. So, video editing is the one skill that pulled me into everything. I feel like it’s the most important skill to have in this new world especially with the dawn of TikTok. Communication has changed. You have to learn how to say your mind and “chop it up”.
E: Considering your many talents, would you say learning is something that comes easy to you?
A: No, I’m very stubborn. I don’t enjoy the process of learning, only the end. It’s such a humbling process but necessary.
Bornstar by Deto & Bratzbih , edited by Adhnok
E: Is there anything you’ve always wanted to learn how to do that you just haven’t gotten to yet?
A: I definitely want to learn more about 3D Animation. I’m only familiar with the basics. Currently, I’m learning how to draw cartoons as well.
E: What is your leading source of motivation during your creative process, especially when you feel less motivated, more busy than usual or just distracted by living in Lagos?
A: My motivation while I’m creating is finishing the work. But I also know that editing and creating can give me the life of comfort that I want so that motivated me to keep at it. I’m learning how to structure myself in ways that will let me live that life and the only way to get there is to continue creating, consistently.
E: A lot of the work you do is rather nuanced, especially in Nigeria. Do you ever have a hard time valuing your art or work to clients?
A: I haven’t been doing a good job at billing people because I lacked the self-confidence. I’ve now realized that people don’t know how much time that goes into video editing or understand the process. There’s also no knowledge about these things, even in places you’d expect there to be. After evaluating all that it takes, I started valuing my work accordingly. I know what I have to offer. As I’ve grown, I’ve also garnered my own audience that I know clients will value.
“You don’t go to fuel station and price fuel and videos are your fuel for anything in this creative world, so pay for your petrol.”
E:You’re young and out here working in these Lagos streets. Do you think you’ve hacked having a work-life balance ?
A: Work-life balance for me? Currently it’s not present. Work is life. To be honest, even if I wasn’t working, I don’t think I’d be out that much. I’m quite the home body. Growing up my mum used always tell us to “get inside”. Even during Christmas, we’d blow banga only till like 7pm, when the fun is about to start.
E: The second half of the year is in full swing, are there any projects you’re focusing your energy on before the year ends ?
A: I took on four music videos in 3 months. Yeah, It wasn’t easy. But it made me realize that I wanted to work on things I was interested in and not just that of others. So now, I want to focus on the things I was to do with my company, Gawke Productions like skits, tutorials and other YouTube content. I also plan on getting into artist branding.
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