From Ksh2.4M Salary to Selling Her Shoes for Food

Stories have been told of how life can change in the blink of an eye. However, the most important aspect in life is how fast you rise when you fall.

For Barbara Minishi, a renowned filmmaker, artist and fashion photographer, life took a toll on her as she saw her fortunes dwindle up to a point where she had to live by necessitation. 

In an interview with The Standard on Wednesday, January 22, Minishi, 39, detailed how she fought her way back to the top after going through a tumultuous period in her life.

 "You have to be aware of the narrative that runs your life and sometimes, be willing to go back to zero to rewrite it,” says photographer Barbara Minishi.

"In 2016, I was forced to do just that, when it struck me that I couldn’t sustain the life I was living anymore. More importantly, I didn’t have to. I had nothing to prove to anyone," Minishi asserted.

Breaking into the limelight in the 2000s, the art director worked with top magazine covers, fashion shoots, films and notable people like former presidential aspirant Martha Karua, Capital FM presenter Fareed Khimani and Pinky Ghelani. She was also featured in International media documentaries as she scaled her way to the top.

However, for her, she faltered and did not make the right choices in investments and sponsorships, typical of some Kenyan artists.

"I had a similar experience with another great project, the Red Dress Project, where I got to work with Martha Karua, but even that didn’t reach the heights I had envisioned. The project was covered in a documentary by Al Jazeera, but I had to stop it mid-stream because funds ran out.

"Between 2009 – 2013, I had made a very comfortable life as a photographer, having done projects with budgets of up to Ksh1.5 million. On average, I was bringing in approximately Ksh200,000 a month (Ksh2.4 million annually). 

"But after 2013, particularly when Media 24 (South Africa) wrapped up, things changed and work dried up. By 2016, I was struggling. I moved out of my four-bedroom house and sold everything. In 2017, I almost sold my camera equipment. It was bad at that time, I remember selling off my shoes to buy food," Minishi recalled.

She went on to advise artists and anyone else in a venture to embrace networking, investing and seeking sponsors.

"The good times are about owning your craft and accolades. I used to stay in the shadow behind my camera because I thought it was a modest thing to do. 

"But then I missed out on making some great connections and networks, yet I had access to all these people. So step up and don’t shy away. If you are great at what you do, you are great. Own it," she advised. 

Minishi further asserted that she managed to uplift herself and life was taking a better turn. 

"Yes. I feel such an overwhelming sense of joy, contentment and satisfaction. Not because everything is perfect, but because I am in my element. I get to engage with the world, connect with people, embody my talents and use them. I am in my truth, and I am blessed to be in this space," she affirmed.  

On Friday, November 15, while on Citizen TV, comedian Eric Omondi also reiterated the importance of making the right choices in investment. Omondi recalled a moment in life when he almost spent Ksh1 million on purchasing a Mercedes Benz, but was advised against it by comedian Daniel 'Churchill' Ndambuki.

"If someone makes a breakthrough, they become more famous and forget to save and make poor decisions. At a point, it retaliates on them," Eric asserted.