David Zinyama | Putting the Personality Back Into Graphics.

David Zinyama

David Zinyama is an artist with a personality that he isn’t afraid to show in his work. His graphics design portfolio ranges from the creative and innovative to the comical and mildly disturbing. He is an explorative risk taker with a wild imagination who loves pushing the envelope. “I love to break rules, I’m sure all designers do. I would say life inspires me, people, even a book or article in the newspaper or online. I am easily inspired because I am always thinking and observing my surroundings.” It was during his A-levels in Business Studies, Sociology, Economics, English language, English Literature and Philosophy that David decided that graphics design was, in fact, his true calling. “I knew taking the academic route wasn’t for me and I decided to pursue my passion for design, which is something that has become a full time career as well as a business.” He was only 16 years old.

Quirky

With six A-levels to focus on, David didn’t have time for a formal graphics design education; he is self-taught. Yet, his short career spanning over 7 years has taken him from the city of Liverpool in North West England, to a portfolio of international clients and growing fame. He taught himself in true 21st Century style – through YouTube tutorials and reading up on his craft. His consistent practice helped him develop all he learnt into the magic we see today. But that wasn’t the beginning for David, who started as a MySpace era musician. “I used to produce and write my own music. So I would design my own CD covers. But I can say it all kicked off for me when my peers and those around me saw that I had some skill. Although I wasn’t that great, they still approached me. I would offer my services and charge a small fee. The more I designed, the better I got and the more clients I generated. People began taking interest. That was when I decided I would love to take it seriously, so I dropped music.” David took a risk, leaving something he was once passionate about for something in which, by his own admission, he was barely competent. He knew what he had to do to develop his skills and he did it. 

Although his career is only just truly beginning, it hasn’t been without incredible moments. “The invention of the social network Instagram has to have been the most remarkable turning point so far in my life and career. Being able to have the platform to show people what I can do as a digital artist has opened a lot of doors and opportunities for me, especially by growing my international clientele.” This year he was honoured with a TED Talks invitation, although he was unable to attend. “I have had the pleasure of working with the large organizations throughout the UK, as well as breaking through to other countries and getting recognition in the past year. This has expanded my business in so many ways.”

Shark bait

Relationships by David Zinyama

David’s manipulations have made him infamous with some entertainment bloggers. He has been known to Photoshop himself into the pictures of celebrities such as Nicki Minaj, Kim Kardashian and Michelle Obama, usually as their significant other. He believes that people who react adversely to these manipulations have misunderstood the motives behind his pieces. “As a manipulator, I have work that is serious and work that is just for fun. I’m sure the two can be distinguished. People have seen a side of me that they like, be that my original work or a celebrity image I have manipulated just for laughs. So I do not feel it will overshadow my work because I keep the balance between my original work and the work involving celebrities. Even if it does overshadow my work, it is not much of a concern for me because my celebrity manipulations will always lead back to my other work due to the viewer’s curiosity.” 

Bible-Pray by David Zinyama

Pray for Gaza by David Zinyama

But beyond his tongue in cheek manipulations, David has a serious side.  In regards to his social, political and religious consciousness he says that people have different views and perceptions, and he is no exception. “Sometimes in my work I like to show my love for God or put my religious thoughts forwards. At the end of the day it is what makes me who I am.” He believes that including these aspects of himself in his work allows viewers and fans to get to know him more as a person. “Everyone is different and I love to interact with viewers through my visuals. It is also a way of getting to know them as much as they already know me.”

Digital Eye by David Zinyama

 For more information on David Zinyama and his work find him on: 

Instagram: @davidzinyama

Twitter: @davidzinyama

Facebook: www.facebook.com/davidzinyamaofficial

New PHASE | What the job hunt has taught me...

To officially usher in the new, albeit slightly tedious, era of my post-uni life, I made a short-ish list of what I have learnt after a month-ish of job hunting in the great city of Dubai. I can hear people who have been unemployed for longer telling me to shut it already. Nevertheless I want to believe that all the crazy I have been feeling isn't restricted to me alone.

• There is a constant paradox between feeling like you have far too much time and no time at all. One moment the world is your oyster, the next minute your oyster is shrinking. 
• How to use what time I do have in a (kinda) productive way. Perhaps binge watching every anime from One Piece to Hunter x Hunter isn't productive, but then there is all the other stuff...like...things and what not...I have to be real this period of unemployment has been perfect for making concrete future plans and reading and writing books. 
• Not getting overly excited or attached. They emailed back! No they've already filled the vacancy. Another email! No, no, they have no vacancies. Interview time! Nope not what you're looking for. I'd be perfect for that!!! Never get a response. Basically stay calm until everything comes together. 
• Patience. Not my strongest suit, but I'm learning.
• Knowing what you want to know. It's not just about what they ask you but also about what you need to ask them, especially if you have a vision of the kind of place you'd like to work.
• The importance of a back up plan. (To be fair I always knew this one).
• Basic stuff like writing CVs, proposals, cover letters, selling yourself, how to earn money while hunting, saving etc. 
• The frustration of writer's block when it seems like you have all the time in the world to write.
• Early onset laziness and passiveness.
• The sheer flexibility of my body clock.
• The overwhelming feeling of 'freedom'.
• The even more overwhelming feeling of 'adulthood' that reminds you that your current freedom is a myth. 
• The panic and catharsis seesaw.
• The "I shoulda had fun at uni" pep talk on experience and how 2 years and 11 months worth is still not enough...I was really only in uni for 1 year and 6 months minus holidays. I have more work experience than university experience! 

I realise that all sounds rather pessimistic. But when I made this list last night before bed I had to laugh at myself. See the thing is I am strangely at peace. Even though I have moments of panic, they are swiftly followed by a calming of my spirit. Praise God. I have thoroughly enjoyed this brief window of quiet in my otherwise chaotic life, even though there are other things I would love to do at this point. I am thankful. I am happy. I am at peace. 

Faith and Christianity

When it comes to Faith and it's definition Hebrews 11:1 is the go to Bible passage for most Christians: 

"To have Faith is to be sure of the things we hope for, to be certain of the things we cannot see."

I was making notes on this particular chapter recently as I was reading through it. It didn't occur to me then to share what I had written down until I read over it today. It seemed like something everyone would know, until I realised that I only made those notes because even if I knew most of the things I often forgot them. So for those who are prone to forgetfulness like I am, I will leave this here so we can always come back and remember all that Faith is and should be. 

Through our faith we win God's approval: the Bible constantly reminds us that God doesn't bless us because of the works of our hands but because of His infinite grace and mercy. Yet it is by our faith in God that we qualify because we prove our obedience to God. God in His loving kindness never deserts us even when we desert Him, but it is important for us to understand that having faith in Him and trusting Him draws us nearer to Him. In this way we are able to please God because by putting our trust in Him we receive the gift of His righteousness. 

Because of our faith we present a better offering to God: before anyone bites of my head this isn't a prosperity gospel thing. Think of it this way. If you trust someone, you give freely to them. It's natural. In the same way when you put your trust completely in God you give freely to Him of ALL you have. Now of course that depends a lot on what it is that you have! You cannot give someone what you don't already possess. So by giving all you have to God I don't necessarily mean in a monetary way. I also mean an offering of the heart and the soul, a sweet smelling praise and worship, a heart wrenching prayer. Whatever you have, give.

Faith helps us carry out God's plan even when we can't see or understand it: believe it or not a few years ago saying "I surrender Lord" or "Not my will Father but Yours" was one of the most difficult things for me. Letting go of all that control just made me feel weak. I couldn't bring myself to trust God to do the impossible because it still looked impossible to me. Two things changed my mind. Firstly a lot of communicating with God about giving me the strength to let go made me realise that it took strength to let go. Thus releasing control stopped being a sign of weakness. Secondly it is easy to hold on to control when you're in control but when things are completely out of your control holding on becomes kind of stupid. 

Faith is a prerequisite for miracles: ask any children's book writer; the impossible cannot happen unless you are crazy enough to believe it. Faith MAKES the impossible possible. 

Through faith we can plan ahead: because we believe in the promise of tomorrow, we make plans for tomorrow. You cannot make plans for a time that does not exist.

Faith makes us reject sin by keeping us focused on heaven and it's future rewards, not on the world: saying no is never easy but it becomes much easier when there is hope for a better yes. Faith helps us defy the devil when he tempts us because we know that God has better things in store.

Faith strengthens us by helping us endure persecution: faith strengthens us in many other ways as I explained before but one of the most important ways for me is strength in the time of persecution. Now many will say they haven't faced persecution before and perhaps they are right. However if you think about it, chances are you have. Every time someone has laughed at you or ridiculed you for making time for God, every time someone has pointed out your faith as a reason for a joke, you have faced a degree of persecution. Of course that is NOTHING compared to thousands that are literally slaughtered for their faith in Christ. But how we deal with persecution shouldn't differ according to how serious we deem it. 

Matthew 10: 32-33

"If anyone declares publicly that he belongs to me, I will do the same for him before my Father in heaven. But if anyone rejects me publicly, I will reject him before my Father in heaven." 

What's new Scooby Doo??

So I haven't been here in a while...

It's nice to have something to say at least. Let me catch you up.

Well my deadlines came crashing down on me near the end of last month and usually it would be my fault with the aid of procrastination. But I'm proud/relieved to inform you that this time it wasn't!! It was actually my teacher's fault. But I shan't dwell. All I can say is pray for me because the looming results day terrifies me somewhat.

I practically drifted from my last deadline to a short term job courtesy of a runaway friend. But now that even that is over I've had some time to recoup and rest.

Now I'm sort of half mindedly looking for a new reason for people to pay me this summer and also continuing the never ending journey of self-discovery. If you DIDN'T know I was on this journey I'm somewhat surprised by you...aren't we all on this journey?? Well now you know. I am constantly trying to figure out who I am. And that is mostly because I am a different person every time I check.

I digress...

Although this summer isn't as clear cut or planned out as the last, I actually feel more confident and comforted in some ways. It probably has something to do with all the plans for the future I've been making.

The important thing is that today I am happy and I hope you're happy too. There is a lot going on in the world that should make us all depressed but happiness is a choice. And the more you realise that your happiness is your responsibility and no doesn't depend on the existence of anyone else then the more happy you become. More importantly the more you realise that there is no comparison between God's love and the love humans claim to have the happier you will feel.

God  Bless

PS

What's new with you??

Deadline @ Midnight!!

First of all I want to star,t like I sometimes do, by thanking God for loving me so much despite of the sinner that I am.

Now a quick update:

1. I found a church. I love it. If I could live in it I would!! It is that good. I am happy
2. I got feedback on some of my formatives (or drafts for the normal people in the world) and it was really good news!! So fingers crossed I end this year in a high!!
3. On a more panicky note, I have another draft due by midnight so I need to say a quick ciao and head on because that essay on non-Western journalism in sub-Saharan Africa is not going to write itself!!

See you all soon!!!!

Happy New Year!!

Our generation has done it again!! We survived the end of the world. We are nothing if not persistent viral infections.

Anyway, all that aside I am happy about this New Year. Although we are only 8 days in and these 8 days haven't been complete and utter perfection, it feels dangerously close. I'm just happy for no reason and every reason.

Even as a young girl I didn't take New Year's resolutions seriously; I had a habit of breaking them all by day two. It almost felt like tradition!! This year however I have resolved a few things I plan to take seriously.

1. I've resolved to be me, regardless of what ANYONE (family, friends or otherwise. in fact anyone short of God or His mouthpiece) has to say about it.
2. I've resolved to be closer to God no matter how hard the year makes it for me.
3. I've resolved to take a closer look at my future and make more solid plans regarding a number of things, i.e. what I want to do, where I want to do it et al.
4. I've resolved to stay out of all manners of conflict.
5. I've resolved to cut off all negative energy from my life in the forms of people or things/activities that have proven to be without benefit.
6. And finally I've resolved to be happy and thankful through all of it.

all these have put quite  a smile on my face and i publicise them thus as a point of reference, so whenever I feel like my year isn't going as I think it should I can come back here.

Oh and I started reading The Songs of Songs or The Songs of Solomon from the Bible recently, and all I have to say is wow!! Poetry at it's very best. 

PS

I was in Nigeria for 2 weeks recently so when I sort myself out I should have pictures and stories to share. 

Stay Tuned!!

I think you are owed an update

For anyone who actually was interested in this blog, I am sorry I didn't nurture it as much as I should have.

But today feels like a good day to let you know how life has been.

2010 was a tough year for me and 2011 started much in the same way. I more or less dropped out of Cardiff uni under the pretense of a gap year. I want to say I didn't achieve anything in that year but that would be a lie...a lot that was broken in my life got fixed to the glory of God. So 2011 went from bad to awesome pretty quickly. That isn't to say the journey wasn't difficult, because it was. By the end of 2011 I had revisited the motherland, Nigeria, for the 1st time in 6 years. And most importantly I was back in uni...only this time I'm in Dubai!

All honesty, it's over rated but I'm loving life...one can't complain...much. Now I'm coming towards the end of my first year and it is all very exciting. In the past few months I taking a step closer to overcoming stage fright, won a creative writing competition (my 1st ever might I add) and made some really amazing friends.

So glory be to God.

Becoming Aware of God

Twice now I have become fully aware of God’s many mercies upon my life. He accepts me.

The fact that He even permits me into His presence after I have defiled and blasphemed against:

1.       Him

2.       His temple

3.       His word…

I have redirected my blessings to satisfy self and flesh.

I never understood the mind-set of true believers. They always seemed so hurt and genuinely moved by sin, ignorance, blasphemy and other evils of the world. Then I saw the true blessings of God and I began to understand Your word. I started to see how our sins hurt You, Father! I realised that sin not only destroyed us and our relationship with You, but they hurt You so much because Your children, Your creation, are totally ignorant of Your existence and Your true love for them. We don’t even believe in the sacrifice that You have made. We live in the world that You have made for us! Yet we can’t acknowledge Your existence. You have given so much. You have sacrificed so much. But what have we given to You? How do we repay You for all that You do? How do we acknowledge and reverence You? Wait…do we even acknowledge or reverence You? Our excuse is that the world is imperfect; we are imperfect, yes. Through sin we are…but through Christ, God sees perfection in us.

We do not understand that Your mercies departed from us. If we were truly deserted by You Lord, WE WOULD BE NOTHING. My imagination [as excitable as it gets and as blessed as I am with it] cannot even begin to fathom how empty, pointless, irrelevant, deserted our lives would be. Words cannot express that image.

                                WE WOULD BE NOTHING

                                WE WOULD BE DESERT LAND

                                WE WOULD BE HELL PERSONIFIED…

Because the absence of God is Hell.

All that I am is You Lord

                                I just truly understood what that means. You increase my knowledge and thirst for You and I appreciate You for that Lord.

I have missed you all so much....

I shouldn't do this to you guys...but I was stuck in a bad rut over the last few months and the last thing I wanted to do was vent my anger out on the world :)

However things are looking up :D God has smiled on me :)

First of all my godmother, who was previously near death and in hospital, is recovering now and back home, so praise God for that.

Also I am working with these two fabulous gentlemen from the states called Caliph and Tunde :D I think I may have mentioned them before...does the name Upper Echelon ring any bells??

Anyways keep a look out I have a few things coming soon I'll give you a taster later today :D

Also I'm planning to get baptized (FINALLY) I will also return with a lot more info about that.

There are a few other irrelevant snippets of info which I will be throwing in your general direction shortly :)