‘Why I dumped my banking career for painting’

For Queen Erdoo Oryer, the world of painting had yet to witness the finesse of creativity as she hopes to bring to fruition ideas that will rule her space.

Oryer, a Tiv lady from Gwer Local Government Area of Benue State, currently earns a living by painting buildings or edifices of any architectural design.

The graduate of Mass communication told our correspondent in Makurdi that for the love of painting, she dumped her banking career to become a full-fledged painter.

Her inspiration to venture into painting – mostly regarded as an exclusive reserve of the male folk – began when she visited a construction site owned by a woman with one of her friends.

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“I was at a site with my friend who is an engineer and then I saw the lady who owned the site. I became curious to know much about her; that was how we started a conversation and I decided to learn the art of painting.

“Gradually, I started becoming passionate about my new found job, and a few months later, I resigned from the bank. That was how the journey into painting started for me,” Oryer said.

She thinks painting can make her live her dreams and beyond people’s perception, boosts self-esteem for women like her to conquer giant mountains.

The courage to leave the banking industry for her alone was an inspiration to ascend new levels of skill which in the long run would create for her a sense of accomplishment.

She noted that venturing into painting, a kind of job which women rarely do, makes her feel safer to explore creativity in an unending environment of opportunities to grow and become her own boss.

For her, the motivation would forever remain that woman on the construction site who she saw doing great things in areas considered to be male dominated.

She added, “I just saw a beautiful lady doing it (painting). Knowing that in this part of the world where I come from, it’s strange to see ladies do these kinds of jobs, I decided to indulge into it.”

Oryer said she finds satisfaction in painting because for her, it has become a passion she does not regret getting involved in because it’s rewarding.

“God has been faithful! I do not have any regrets doing painting as it’s paying off. I’m not doing anything else for a living. For now, it’s basically my paintings, I would wish to start a painting company soon.

“That will aid me; rather than buying paints elsewhere, I’ll pick it from my company instead. I can tell you that the job is lucrative. Yes, if you meet good prospect.

“I want to see myself in the next 10 years as a painter who owns a big painting house and people will come from different parts of the world to buy and learn from me.

“And I wish to set up a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) where young ladies, especially from my state, will learn and make a living from it,” she posited.

The Mass Communication graduate does not feel intimated by her male colleagues.

“No! I don’t feel intimidated by them, as a matter of fact, they get scared of me. And they always want to meet me again,” she said.

Oryer who looks forward to a brighter future counselled unemployed young people and women waiting for a white-collar job to get a hand work irrespective of their academic qualification, adding, “If you don’t, the government isn’t always in our favour.”