Versatility is useless without mastery – Ariyiike Dimples

Photo: Media personality and actress, Ariyiike Owolagba, popularly known as Ariyiike Dimples

Media personality and actress, Ariyiike Owolagba, popularly known as Ariyiike Dimples, has said versatility can be an advantage for entertainers, but stressed that having multiple talents should not come at the expense of mastery.

Speaking in an interview with Saturday Beats, Dimples said entertainers should embrace their different abilities while remaining intentional about developing excellence in their chosen fields.

“I think versatility is an advantage when it is anchored by identity. The danger is not being good at many things. The danger is being so busy proving that you can do everything that you never become excellent at the things you are actually called to do.

“For me, presenting, acting and content creation may look like separate things from the outside, but they all come from the same foundation—storytelling and communication. Whether I’m presenting a programme, playing a character or creating Risky, I’m using my ability to connect with people and tell stories.”

“I also don’t believe we should force entertainers into boxes simply because the industry is more comfortable when people are easy to categorise. Sometimes, the different things you have learnt over the years eventually come together to create something that is uniquely yours.

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“That said, versatility must never become an excuse for mediocrity. I still believe you have to choose where you want to go deep. You can have multiple gifts, but you must be intentional about which ones you are going to master.”

Reflecting on her journey in Nollywood, Dimples said one of the hardest lessons she had learnt was that relevance should not be confused with visibility.

“One of the hardest lessons is understanding that relevance is not the same thing as visibility. You can be everywhere and still not be building something meaningful.

“I have learnt that you have to know who you are, what you stand for and what you want your career to represent. The industry changes constantly, trends come and go, and there will always be pressure to keep up.

“But if you are not careful, you can become so focused on being seen that you lose sight of why you started.”