Life & Work with Miracle Ogbuji

Today we’d like to introduce you to Miracle Ogbuji. 

Hi Miracle, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself
My name is Miracle Ogbuji, the second of a family of four. I grew up in a home where my parents laid so much emphasis on us having top-notch professional careers, the first child a lawyer, the second (me) a doctor, the third, an engineer, and the last an accountant. And we all grew up following that trail. 

But I loved art so much, and my attention was always there. I grew up sketching a lot, and selling some of my art in class and to my peers (much to my parents’ despair). But it was something I loved so I continued. A few years later after high school, I stumbled on Adobe Photoshop and my eyes opened to a new whole of art (graphics design). I spent the next few months studying it. I read every article, watched every YouTube tutorial I could lay my hands on, and tried everything. I even developed insomnia due to all the sleepless nights I spent researching about graphics design. 

Graphics design turned into my new hobby (I had a full-time job then). I spent every spare time I had creating anything I saw online, trying different ideas and it was so much fun. I honestly didn’t think I would do this full-time. About two years into this, I already had a few clients mostly recommended by friends and I did a lot of free jobs or with very little commissions, I was just too happy to be designing. But the full-time jobs failed and I decided to take the bold step of being a full-time freelancer, it was a bit rough at first but after I made like times three of my previous salary in a month, I was encouraged to pursue this. 

And now three years in, I haven’t had any reason to find a full-time job again, I’ve created opportunities for myself, I’ve spent even more time working on improving myself than ever because I believe that it’s bad for business and for personal development if you remain the same way you were last six months or even last month. Recently toward the end of 2021, I decided to find a niche in graphics design. I focused more on the art of logo and brand designing. This is because it gave me great joy being able to help a brand build its identity. I actually believe I still have a long way to go and a lot of improvements to do and I’ll continue to improve on that. 

I also have a great love in teaching others, I’ve always wanted to find a way to give back to the great internet community that gave me a lot, and I started putting out reels to showcase my design processes and I want to continue doing this to the best of my ability. I love what I do, and it’s my greatest inspiration because it was first my hobby before it became my job. 

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It definitely hasn’t been smooth. One of the first struggles I faced was lack of self-confidence, I saw a lot of designs and watch a lot of great designers but it was a long time before I really believed I could be that good, but I overcame that. 

I also struggled with getting clients (which I’m sure every creative has faced). It wasn’t easy, but I’m glad for friends and family that gave me my first few connections that turned into more connections even before I became consistent on social media and started getting clients there. 

I also had other little challenges like dealing with terrible clients, being able to afford the best gadgets for my work, having control over my working hours, developing better working ethics and so on. But I’m glad I found a way to overcome all these, and I can say these struggles have shaped me into the better designer and human that I am today. 

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a Graphics Designer and I specialize in Logo Designs. 

I am most proud of being able to help brand develop long-lasting identities for themselves. I’m also proud of being able to assist my family in my own way. 

I honestly haven’t really thought about what set’s me apart from others because I’m sure so many people do what I do, but I believe what makes a bit different is that I see myself as an amateur no matter how professional I am. This feeling helps me have the enthusiasm I had when I started and this enthusiasm helps me want to improve the more. 

We’d love to hear about how you think about risk-taking?
I don’t think there anything wrong with risk-taking. I believe everyone should be able to do what makes them happy and satisfied. If that involves being in your comfort zone, then good. If it involves taking risks, then good, as far as it brings you happiness. 

Personally, I’ve taken quite a few risks. But I think the most challenging one was when I quit my full-time job to focus on designing as a full-time career. The first few days was stressful. I was broke, tired, bored, and confused, still I have no regrets. That risk was the best decision I ever made towards my career. 

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/classiqmims/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/classiqmims