Creative Of The Week — Tioluwanimi Adeniji

Creative lifestyle

Stage Voice: Hi, good morning. I am from Stage Voice. Can you please tell us your name?

Tioluwanimi Adeniji: Good morning.

My name is Tioluwanimi Adeniji.

Stage Voice: Nice meeting you, Tioluwanimi.

Can you kindly tell us a little about yourself?

Tioluwanimi Adeniji: My name is Tioluwanimi Adeniji.

You can call me OmoYah (it means Child of Yahweh).

I’m a creative and a multipotentialite. I’m also a filmmaker and a visual storyteller.

Stage Voice: Nice meeting you, Omoyah.

Omoyah, we would love to know ,as a filmmaker and visual storyteller,what type of themes or stories are you drawn to in exploring your work?

Tioluwanimi Adeniji: I enjoy telling authentic stories .stories that explore the diversity of the human connection. I love listening to people, and that shows in the work I do and will continue to do. I want to show the things people don’t often talk about, but that we can all relate to, through my visuals.

Stage Voice: So, have you done any recent project that relates to this? If you have, can you tell us about it?

Tioluwanimi Adeniji: My mini project, which I did earlier this year, was one of my favorite projects to work on. It talked about the experience of apartheid in South Africa and explored the impact it had on Black South Africans on a familial level.

I would definitely do it again if I had the chance.

I’m also working on a couple of music visualizers that are personal to me, and a mini documentary for my YouTube channel.

Stage Voice: Do you have any project that has challenged you significantly?

Tioluwanimi Adeniji: Oh yes,my final year project.

Stage Voice: Hmm, interesting!

Can you please tell us about it?

Tioluwanimi Adeniji: How it challenged me, or the project in general?

Stage Voice: The project in general and how it challenged you.

Tioluwanimi Adeniji: I don’t think I want to talk about it.

Stage Voice: Why?

Tioluwanimi Adeniji: Just not interested, to be honest.

I learned a lot from it, but I’m not sure I want to relive it by talking about it.

Stage Voice: Hmm, okay.

So what was the most challenging part of your final year project rehearsal?

Tioluwanimi Adeniji: I’ve changed my answer, Stage Voice.

Induction is what challenged me.

Stage Voice: Okay, so do you now want to talk about it?

Tioluwanimi Adeniji: Yes, I’ll talk about that one.

Stage Voice: Okay.

Tioluwanimi Adeniji: Induction was a beautiful process for me. I got to work alongside a very great mind, Wabara David, and also the beautiful students of the now Exemplars class. I had never been in charge of creatively directing such a large number of people before, and working with green actors was an interesting challenge. Getting them to understand and say lines with the emotions and intensity that the lines required made me study how to help actors and communicate effectively.

Interpreting the Osao script was also fun, as I had to do a deep dive into Yoruba cosmology, which was unfamiliar terrain. As part of the Osao team, and the induction team in general, I had to learn how to be very collaborative making space for multiple opinions while keeping the vision on track and not letting the team get distracted or derailed.

Watching the end result of the project definitely gave me a lot of joy, and it has given me a number of good friends among the Exemplars class and my fellow coordinators.

Stage Voice: With this experience you’ve had so far, how do you feel being an FYB?

Tioluwanimi Adeniji: I feel great. I’ve learned a lot over the past few years, I’m still learning, and I’m excited for what God has in store for my future.

Stage Voice: How do you balance being a filmmaker with academics?

Tioluwanimi Adeniji: I only started being more intentional about filmmaking recently, and it’s already the end of my academic life, so there’s not much to balance. I’ve always created content for personal use and work, but it never really affected my academics.

Stage Voice: That’s nice!

So do you have any business you do?

Tioluwanimi Adeniji: Yes, I’m a content creator and video editor. That’s what I do for work currently.

Stage Voice: That’s lovely.

So… are you in a relationship?

Tioluwanimi Adeniji: I’m in several.

(Lol, just kidding.)

No, I’m not.

Advice to Upcoming Creatives

Stage Voice: Okay.

Do you have any advice for upcoming creatives like you?

Tioluwanimi Adeniji: Lean into your creative voice, trust your instincts, and stay close to the Creator God.

Oh, and embrace the process. Perfection is a myth. If you commit to taking one step further every day, then you’re making progress and that’s what matters.

Stage Voice: Thank you so much for your kind words of advice.

Do you have anyone you’d like to shout out?

Tioluwanimi Adeniji: Shout out to everyone who has been a friend, a pillar of support, and a part of my journey so far. May our paths cross again for good.

Stage Voice: Thank you so much for your time.

It was nice having you here.

Tioluwanimi Adeniji: Thank you too.

Interviewed and Published by Ogunseye Timothy