Today’s Uplifting Message

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In Lagos, Nigeria, a visionary local artist draws students' passion to art and the humanities. This story of hope comes from Olusola David Ayibiowu, a Nigerian artist and The Uplifting Inbox subscriber who believes that students can discover their creative spark through still-life drawings and watercolor paintings.

The Story

In the bustling streets of Lagos, where the pursuit of academic excellence can overshadow artistic expression, one man's vision is adding splashes of color to young lives. Olusola David Ayibiowu, armed with paintbrushes and an unwavering belief in the power of art, is transforming classrooms into creative havens. 

It all kicked off in 2013 when Olusola, chairman of the Creative Arts Solution Foundation, showed up at Gbagada Senior Grammar School with a wild idea. "Every art student deserves a bright future," he declared, setting out to prove it with free workshops on still life drawing, water colors, and oil pastels.  

That first gathering? Just 10 curious students. And there was something like enchantment in that first couple of meetings. And that pretty much went viral, that without much delay, Olusola had the support of the Lagos State Government Ministry of Education behind him. 

“l was motivated by God who inspired me to help and organize art outreach for students.” Olusola explains. "Every art student deserves a bright future as l take action to help and organize art outreach for students to reduce poverty and create employment"

And open up possibilities it did. In the month of November 2023, in Aje Comprehensive Senior High School, 210 students entered the realm of art, with pencils on paper, soaring of ideas, revelation of talents.

But it is not to produce the next Picasso, but the capability to do so that is being developed. Olusola’s workshops are knocking down blinds. Science course students who used to sit idly with their science physics books are now seen with paints smeared up to their elbow. Girls who previously assumed that they were unable to draw are leaving their preconceptions on the floor.

“I have to say that; the transformation is quite remarkable,” Olusola could not hide his joy. This kid comes in hanging his head as if he is unsure he belongs there, but as soon as they are done, they have their chest sticking out, beaming at what they have made – it is like watching these flowers grow at warp speed.

The momentum keeps building. Herbert Macaulay Girls Senior High School and Birrel Avenue Senior High School were admitted into the artistic revolution in March, 2024. Getting back on track, July 2024 saw the transition to paintbrush, with 50 active learners of Lagos City Senior College.

But for Olusola, it's about more than numbers. It's about that moment when a student's face lights up, realizing they've created something uniquely theirs. It's about science whizzes discovering they can be artists too, and shy kids finding their voice through a paintbrush.

"Our vision?" Olusola mused, gazing out at a sea of easels. "To create a platform for positive social change, to promote democratic values through art. These kids? They're not just learning to draw. They're learning to dream bigger, to see the world in new ways."

As the sun sets over Lagos, classrooms once filled with the drone of lectures now buzz with creative energy. Laughter mixes with the scratch of pencils and the swish of brushes. And in the middle of it all stands Olusola, paint-splattered and grinning, watching the next generation of Nigerian artists, thinkers, and dreamers take shape before his eyes.

In a world that can sometimes feel dark, Olusola and his troop of young artists are proving that with a little creativity and a lot of heart, we can paint a brighter future, one brushstroke at a time.

Source
Story provided by Olusola David Ayibiowu
Olusola David Ayibiowu is a contemporary Nigerian artist, writer, author, editor, photographer, and the President/Chairman of Creative Arts Solution Foundation.

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