resh out of school Thufayl was never really interested in a conventional 9-5 job nor did he want to further his studies.
Fortunately, he was never short of dreaming big and grew up in a micro family business which afforded him the opportunity to gain experience in design.
The experience then allowed him to connect with people of different skill levels and ultimately equipped him with communication and business skills he would use to continue the dream and legacy of one day starting his own company.
In 2018 that dream became a reality in the form of his company known as “Liquid Media”. Here they developed brand strategies, graphic advert web development and everything marketing related for some of South Africa’s most prominent brands. “As much as I was super grateful for all the blessings that came, I still felt my inner being missing something which didn’t fully make me light up and that was video” recounts Thufayl.
It was something about the art of capturing moments in time which not only lit him up inside but also having the ability to turn them into meaningful moments which would resonate with others. This is what made him fall in love with the art of filmmaking and allowed him to develop a dynamic, unique perspective which opened doors with brands across South Africa that really relate to his specific style and vision.
While the inner desire to produce these pieces of art created opportunities for him, Thufayl admits that “in total honesty social media platforms provided the opportunity to be seen at very minimal fees.”
This allowed him to maximise his opportunity and experience the satisfaction of having his work receive comments, likes, shares while also being featured on @filmmkrs, a large prominent Instagram page within the filmmaking community followed by millions. This gave him every bit of confidence and ignited a flame within him that he never knew he had.
The impact being so big that it made him want to go bigger and better on every single project he received. “Having people appreciate your art is an unexplainable feeling which just pushes you to do more and believe in yourself,” says Thufayl.
As an individual who doesn’t sell his lifestyle but his work, Thufayl has his own dreams as a filmmaker and uses social media as a mere tool which can fund the long term goals he has set out for himself. This tool-while not being the focus of his journey has however proven to impact his mental health due to its demanding nature.
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No matter how passionate I can be or how creative I feel, the numbers next to your name sadly carries more weight in today’s world rather than the actual quality of what you as an artist can deliver”
And it is this insatiable and erratic nature of social media due to its algorithms that led him experiencing depression and lack of confidence. Nevertheless, Thufayl chooses every day to not be mediocre and stay true in believing that quality is always better than quantity. Something which will ultimately allow him to achieve his dream of his work being showcased on the big screen.
“All praise to god, the journey is a long one ahead, but it has been a rollercoaster of amazing moments, meeting beautiful people and most importantly being able to live everyday doing what I love and what completes me.”
Being authentic and true to one’s self is something Thufayl lives by. He doesn’t share much about his personal life on his platform and thus leaves little room for negativity or online hate. He believes that criticism is not a bad thing as everyone has their predisposed opinions about you and that one should have an open mind and take the good from every bit of advice that’s thrown at you with a smile and move on.
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Letting someone get into your mind is the weakest thing one can do”
He feels that it makes people afraid to break the rules when it comes to their creativity but reiterates that every piece of art created by an artist is unique and one should remember that it’s always ‘you vs you’. “Adapting this mindset has really helped me deal with the depression and dark side of social media,” he says.
“You become what you consume. My advice is to follow people who inspire you positively,” Thufayl expressed when asked if there were any tips he would give aspiring artists or individuals trying to navigate the social media space. He further commented that to develop a unique approach to your art, never fall prey to the comparison game. Because, if you have the power to be different there’s nothing to compare. Due to this he strongly suggests individuals broaden their reach as each platform has its own community, some being to witness your art while others being there to educate you.
“Practice makes progress, and progress creates opportunities, opportunities ignite the flame, the flame keeps you at the point of being the best you can be.”