Do you know Jide Odukoya? He just won wedding photographer of the year. He is a celebrity photographer and has thousands of followers on instagram. Dino malaye is even following him. Jide does photography.
It pains my heart when I pass by plaza and still hear photographers saying, 'come let me cut you one na'. For how much? 150? Photography has passed that level now. All professions infact have passed that level of being looked down. Gone are the days when people used to make memes like "When your Dad sent you to study Medicine and you come back as a DJ". Such memes are no longer funny because a DJ who knows how to package and present himself can actually earn higher than an average Doctor. Check what DJ exclusive charges for one event and compare with a Doctor's salary for a year.
The fact is, people from all professions have risen up and left mediocrity behind and have tushed up themselves to become relevant. It gladens my heart when I see photographers in Uyo flying drones and taking beautiful aerial photographs at weddings and receiving a good pay at the end of the day. Others are there cutting for 150.
It gladens my heart when I see carpenters, moving one step ahead to call themselves furniture designers, setting up a beautiful showroom with a.c and everything and displaying their furniture there. Rich and responsible men come in and do business with them and they end up earning even higher than graduates. That's the spirit of entrepreneurship. Their colleagues are somewhere else wearing rags and flip flops and being called 'kabinta' and receiving ten ten Naira. The list is endless. Rise above 'etuk etuk' syndrome. "Nke open etuk shop, ndep etuk mkpó nsin, nnyam nyung nkut etuk se ndia, mma ndó etuk anwan". May the God of mercy forgive you and take that curse away from you.
The God of Love created you to be great and not to be 'etuk'. Whatever your field is, rise above mediocrity. Are you a tailor? People have moved one step ahead and called themselves 'fashion designers', they publicize themselves and get a contract with rich people. Ooh! People that style Rihanna, do you think they have two heads? Don't you know they are TAILORS like you?
Rise above mediocrity or else when you see me on the road, hide your face.
