Meet Patience Ojionuka

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Patience Ojionuka. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Patience, thank you so much for joining us today and appreciate you talking about a sensitive topic. It’s unfortunately relevant to so many in the community as layoffs have been on the rise recently, and so we’d appreciate hearing your story and how you overcame being let go?

So maybe my example won’t be the greatest because it was probably what some would call divine timing. Just a month before I got laid off, I got accepted into a PhD program, which was something I had been trying to do for years. I spent weeks mulling over how I was going to balance keeping my job which would’ve helped supplement my income during the program. Then not too long later was laid off altogether. It completely removed the agony of having to make a decision myself, ahah! Looking back, it was truly, truly for the best

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I’m a Houston raised, NYC-based photographer; I specialize in fashion, portraiture, and event photography! I’ve gotten to work on a lot of fun projects for Wall Street Journal, Allure Mag, Teen Vogue, Self Magazine, Who What Wear, and Vanguard Magazine. For personal projects I take inspiration from my formal background in clinical psychology and Black feminist thought, shooting on both digital and film, as well as creating content about doctoral student life, psychology, and editorial photography! Hoping to launch a YouTube soon for deeper long-form discussion so stay tuned! 🧠💕📚🤓✨

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

1.) Dealing with rejection/building grit
By nature of being a human being that is alive in this universe, you will experience rejection. That’s just it. But the point is not to NOT experienec rejection or failure, but to get better at moving past it and making the most of it. It’s a learned skill! I think people who are able to do that inevitably have more longevity in their journey.

2.) dedication to improving craft
Practice with intention! I don’t think we need to “practice to make perfect”, but should certainly practice with intention. Whether it’s art or other types of skills, practicing with a particular goal in mind help you narrow the scope of what you’re working on, and that allows you to really conquer anything.

3.) play!

Nobody plays anymore! What’s up with that? You should play just as much as you work, whatever the work is. For me, that look like investing deeply in other hobbies, tapping into my community, doing something silly just for the edification of my spirit.

Alright, so before we go we want to ask you to take a moment to reflect and share what you think you would do if you somehow knew you only had a decade of life left?

Ohhhhh yes. Entering a doctoral program has been particularly challenging (like duh!). The work itself is not difficult per se, but the volume of work alone is enough to qualify and 1.5-2 jobs, and clinical psych programs only get more challenging as they go along (add in full course load, on top of a case load of psychotherapy clients, on top of doing your own research, yeesh). I knew what I was signing up for, but was also determined to not stop doing the things I love–singing a cappella, doing photography, making content, weight lifting, the list goes on. Well reader, I’m doing all of those things and it’s hard! With a capital H! I say this to say the challenge is balance. I fear it’s the curse of being Type A?!

Contact Info:

Image Credits

All images shot by Patience Ojionuka.

Suggest a Story: BoldJourney is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems,
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
Productivity
Where do you get your work ethic from?

We’ve all heard the phrase “work hard, play hard,” but where does our work ethic

Productivity
Tactics & Strategies for Keeping Your Creativity Strong

With the rapid improvements in AI, it’s more important than ever to keep your creativity

Productivity
From Burnout to Balance: The Role of Self-Care

Burning out is one of the primary risks you face as you work towards your