I came across “JԐLF!Ԑ” work while browsing Twitter one day, and I ask him to share his story. These are his words:

JԐLF!Ԑ, “I’m just a young guy in a country Nigeria who is early acknowledging what it entails to be a Man and how being responsible is a noble course to being existent in the world I’m an extreme introvert. High in consciousness and aware of my emotions. Only except periods my lover drives me crazy with her unrealistic expectations. I’m always in doors, like always! Indoors. This is sometimes due to fear of taking a walk outside then getting stared at, and most times due to the feeling “mehh, I don’t feel like it. Let me rather read a psychological book to better understand humans”. And maybe you can call me shy or not confident enough to socialize, maybe that could be true but that’s not the case with peoples first impression about me. I spend 80% of my day in my head, Thinking. Thinking of how to become a better version of thy self. Thinking of the future and my dreams. Thinking of people and their choices, their sufferings and my sufferings too. Always having this scorching taste to understand the world so I could least make it a better place for people to be slightly happier. Hmmm. Anyways, my name is Jelfie Art and I’m a Professional Pen Artist.

Sit and listen to this because this might be the weirdest thing you’ve read. I was around my finals in Primary school when I had this friend that always drew a football pitch with players in it. How fast he drew it with ease and the movement and actions he gives to each players on the field just Marveled me beyond anything on earth that time. I always went home feeling so inspired that I tore the middle page of my book to draw. I drew every day. I drew I drew and I drew, but it was utter trash! My drawings never looked anything like his. I remember praying, daydreaming and wishing to the universe that I knew how to draw but sigh. It never came into fruition. So I gave that up. A year later I guess, I got into junior high. We had a Visual Art class and my Teacher asked us to look at anything we liked then draw it. I remember taking out my English textbook and flipping pages until I saw a realistic picture of an eagle. “Cool” I said so I started drawing. And boy oh boy — as I drew it felt like I was photocopying what I was looking at into my paper. ‘What the actual f**k is happening!?’. I finished my drawing and I was just… I was Just… arghh I don’t have the word. My teacher circled round the class checking drawings and when it came my turn he stopped and kept looking at my work. Next thing he announced to the class of me having the best drawing. I have never known joy or felt so important or been so appreciated like that in my life. I went home and had an epiphany. “F**k! I was always trying to draw those football players from imagination. I never got to explore other ways like drawing what I could see. I am an Artist that could only draw from what he sees!”.

Honestly transitioning my Art into making NFTs was all because of my country and it’s people not valuing Art. Because of this core reason I have always reduced my standards to that of the perceived value of my people. Imagine getting laughed at for pricing your talent high? That’s just a glimpse of how bad it is over here But since becoming aware of NFT and seeing how the outside world values Art — that was all it took for me to be a creator in this space. It’s something next level to be in a space were you’re appreciated. It feels like I am where I should be and it feels like home.

To help the world ease it’s suffering. I have a dream of solving one of the world’s biggest problems, Poverty. Or in a more realistic sense create a system that helps the poor become successful if they choose. I see NFTs as my breakthrough to start exploring ideas that could make this possible. First of all, the breakthrough is for myself. I have to be successful and be rigid enough to have gone through life to then know how to make others successful. I know all these isn’t Art focused but it’s just sheer honesty But, in Art (and I always say this) I aim to achieve beauty and perfection in my creative, and I aim to have that reflected into peoples eyes when they see my Art.”