Boost for creative industry as Funke Akindele empowers aspiring women creatives

Determined to provide a platform to support the growth of aspiring women in the creative industry, Funke Akindele, Nollywood actress and filmmaker, has hosted the Creative Blueprint Masterclass in Lagos.

The programme, which is an activity to celebrate women’s month, aims to provide actionable strategies for women looking to turn their passions in filmmaking, entrepreneurship, art, fashion and all forms of creative ideas into impactful careers by learning from the best and connecting with like-minded women.

Speaking at the Masterclass with the theme ‘The Creative Blueprint’, Akindele said the first step to achieving success in the creative industry is to have a purpose which drives other aspects of growth.

“As a creative person aspiring to be successful, you need to know that if you have a purpose, you should know your time will come. Another thing is to know that at some point in your journey in the creative industry, you will face pain, challenges, and struggles,” she said.

The award-winning movie producer said that it is also important that aspiring female creatives understand that in the industry, the pains would come, adding that such a period of pain could either make or mar them.

Drawing from her experience in the industry, Akindele pointed out that she used such a period of pain to build herself into what she is today.

“In the course of all my initial struggles, I accepted all the constructive criticism. I read all the comments from the blogs. I pick the truth out of the lot and use it to my advantage,” she said.

She further urged the creatives to learn to multiply the impact of whatever positive thing they are doing, as this will yield monetary reward, adding that they don’t need to chase money, but should rather focus on creating, developing, and building themselves because this will surely bring the money.

“Your struggles should not define you. It is how you rise from your struggles that should define you. Just remember where you are coming from and continue to work hard in your business,” Akindele added.

In her presentation ‘The Business of Music: Turning creativity into profit, Aituaje Iruobe, popularly known as Waje, said that talent was not enough to make creatives successful in the entertainment industry.

Iruobe said that to be successful in music or any creative venture, there is a need for artists to invest in themselves and not sell themselves cheaply, while urging aspiring musicians to always engage the services of intellectual property lawyers before signing any contract.

On her part, Ifedayo Durosinmi-Etti, in her presentation on ‘Growing Wealth in the Creative Economy’ said the creative industry contributes billions to the global economy, yet many creatives struggle with inconsistent income.

Durosinmi-Etti pointed out that creative battle with inconsistent Cash Flow, poor monetisation strategies, lack of Investment Knowledge, Lifestyle Inflation and no dangerous retirement plan.

To overcome these challenges, she urges creatives to make smart investments in areas such as stocks, Bonds, real estate investment, fixed deposit and mutual fund, which is a professionally managed investment fund that pools money from many investors to purchase securities.

According to Durosinmi-Etti, to achieve a sustainable income stream and turn creativity into wealth, creatives must have multiple streams of Income, Passive Income Strategies, Smart Pricing & Value Perception and must leverage digital Platforms to grow their wealth.