Aisha Ife - On The Creative Side Of Life
Interviewed by Ifeoluwa A
The spotlight is on Aisha Ife, a product and portrait photographer, a business owner and sometimes, an illustrator. She owns littartbyai, a journal brand. In this interview, she talked about her creative work and running a business.
I: What is a typical day for you?
AI: Depending on my schedule, I’m mostly either shooting or editing pictures. I also research for other shoots and then work on journal orders. It’s not about the number of activities in a day but how much time each one takes to complete or reach a significant point. This year, I’ve been trying to read every day to de-stress, but it has not been going too well because I have been occupied. Work is never done.
I: Between photography, running a business and illustrating, which do you enjoy the most?
AI: None, in particular. I don’t have favourites. However, I am fully a photographer, and my business is on the side.
I: Fair enough. Which one did you start first?
AI: My art has always been there. It has just taken different forms over time. At some point, I used to draw just about anything.
I: Did your childhood influence your interests or any of the things you do today?
AI: My dad is quite arty-crafty. So, I grew up watching him do some calligraphy and hand-made cards. I can’t say whether or not that fed my interests, but I’ve been drawing for as long as I can remember. Though, it’s possible that my crafts side and enjoying using my hands to make different things came from him.
With photography, I’ve always loved pictures, especially the old school ones that just captured people in the moment, without so much fuss about poses, props or anything else. I bet seeing so many of such pictures growing up is something that largely influences my photography. I like simple images.
For business, I have almost always sold something. When I was younger, I used to sell biscuits for no other reason than that I liked to. I’d buy about a dozen from a shop on our street and then sell them. I ate a good number of those biscuits, but that’s beside the point. I just liked the idea of selling something. I also had a tray of sweets in my mum’s shop where she’d sell them and give me the money later. At some point, I made cards for people too.
I: This is quite interesting. How did you start your journal business, and why did you decide to do that?
AI: It started in my first year at the university as a way to make some extra money. In the beginning, I only got the notebooks, and the fabrics, and then outsourced the wrapping. Over time, I realised I could make them myself, and I did until I graduated.
As the business grew and more free time, I found someone to make the books for me from scratch. I didn’t like the notebooks I used to buy because I had no control over what they wrote on them and how some looked. I also found a name for the brand and opened an Instagram account for advertising. Apart from deciding how the pages of the journals looked, making them from scratch allowed me to make a wide variety and expand the product line. I only had to think of the designs, and then I started curating them in collections to somehow tie them together. Each fabric is part of a collection with a story.
I: How did you choose your brand name?
AI: Littart is a blend of two words — littafi (book in the Hausa language) and art.
I: Let’s talk a bit about running a business in Nigeria.
AI: It’s pure stress. With the way the country is right now and the ever-increasing prices of materials since they are all imported, inflation has done a number on the business; even the artisans charge more from time to time. Factoring in all this makes it somewhat tough to structure the prices. It can be such a mess at times because it’s difficult to explain to customers, and restocking is quite a hassle. The line between breaking even and making a loss is now thin. There’s always the risk of spending little profit from the sale of one batch on the production of another. Sometimes, I even contemplate shutting down the business when the stress becomes too much but so far, so good.
I: What do you do when you’re not taking pictures or making journals?
AI: I like to read, especially African Fiction because they are relatable. I read other genres from time to time though.
I: Considering your journey so far, is there anything you think/wish you could have done differently?
AI: Honestly, no. I like where I am. It took me a long time to accept it, but I’m good now. Being a nerd, I used to beat myself up a lot about the grade I graduated with, but I recently stopped doing that. At some point, I wanted to be a designer since I was good at it and used to be sad about not getting any of the roles I applied to, but if I did, I won’t be here now. I don’t particularly like that it is some form of trauma. That has led me here, but everything that happened has brought me to where I am, and I couldn’t be happier.
I: Fantastic! What are the toughest decisions you’ve had to make?
AI: What would be deciding to leave something I was familiar with, without a backup plan. I studied civil engineering. As a child, all I wanted to be was a civil engineer, but I fell out of love with it along the way. When I decided to leave it, I had no plan. I was already taking pictures but as a hobby. I didn’t even consider making it a career at the time.
I: What inspires you and keeps you going?
AI: It’s the fact that I know I can learn anything. It would only take time. Whenever I feel inadequate in a certain area or I don’t get something, I don’t beat myself up or allow myself to wallow in self-pity. I try to figure out what it would take (time and other investments) to learn that thing and go for it. I hate lies, and I’m brutally honest with myself and others. I also believe luck plays a huge factor in being good at something, and it’s not only about hard work.
I: What are your plans for the future? Does anything worry you about the future?
AI: Losing my loved ones to death is one of the things that scare me the most about life. I’m afraid to do life without them, and I sincerely hope that doesn’t happen anytime soon.
My main plan is to keep looking for ways to get better, personally and with my work. Being happy and truly living my life is my number one goal in life. I want every step I take and every choice I make to align with that goal.