MIMS is one of those creatives whose journey feels both deeply personal and universally relatable. From launching his first game at 13 to founding Common Studios as a space for intentional design, his path has been shaped by curiosity, self-reflection, and an ever-evolving creative vision. In this conversation, we dive into his story — his early sparks of creativity, the philosophy behind his work, and the challenges of navigating an industry where age can be both an asset and a hurdle. With a sharp mind and an introspective approach, OMIMS shares the moments that defined him, the lessons he’s learned, and the future he envisions for himself and Common Studios.

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How are you doing today? How’s your creative energy feeling lately?

Hey, how's it going? Honestly, this interview has caught me at the beginning of one of those high-motivation spells so we'll see how it goes. Hopefully I don't get too carried away.

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Can you tell us about Common Studios and what it represents to you?

Well, Common Studios is my registered design company. So I guess it encompasses all the values and the mission that I strive to achieve when I design or create in general. Sometimes I compare it to my child because it's the culmination of all my previous efforts.  Then again sometimes I do have to remind myself that while it can feel like I am Common and Common is me, it's only a company.

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What’s the meaning behind the name “Common,” and how does it reflect your vision?

So it's been eight years since I came up with the name and started the company. When I began, I wanted to represent a nagging feeling that surrounded me, one I could never put a pin on. And so how I defined it was a brand for anyone who didn't feel they could be identified by one title.  I feel like the world puts a lot of pressure on us to prove our value, almost as if we have no right to be here. From moments I can remember in primary school, each person had to prove how “special” we were.  Coming of age I realised I hadn't won many awards or medals but I was involved in a lot of different hobbies. So around the time when I started, when I was turning 18, it felt significant to title the brand Common. In the sense that we didn’t need to be special. The projects we created were good enough to speak for themselves. In fact the original name was “The Common People” or something like that, I’m glad I went in a simpler direction. 

Over time the name has evolved to represent intentional design, focusing on understanding experiences that humans have in common in place of topics that divide and separate us. There is still so much for us to relate on while developing our human experience as co-creators. I hope for the name Common Studios to become something like a stamp of authenticity that “decent humans worked on this for the sake of other decent humans”.

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Let’s talk about your roots — where did you grow up, and how did your upbringing shape your perspective as a creative?

I was born and raised in Lagos. We moved houses a few times, from Surulere to Ajah to V.I and eventually Ikoyi. I guess you could say my parents had a plan for their lives. We also traveled for as long as I can remember. I recall trips to South Africa a few times before we ever took an international holiday. My dad, on the other hand, has been a frequent flyer since middle-aged businessmen used Nokias. It was interesting. I could tell we were well-to-do but the true nature of the welfare scale didn’t become apparent to me until I worked at Zikoko Mag in 2019. I remember vividly, driving on the highway on the outskirts of the mainland and watching someone have a shower clearly from the passenger side of my mum's car. I was 18 at the time and honestly it was the first time I really appreciated that there were certain situations I may never have to deal with, as a result of my parents' efforts and God’s Grace on our lives. Life became very complicated from then on. 

We call ourselves creatives, I’ve realised we’re all artists too. Artists, simply put, translate their own experience of the world for others to try to understand. How did my relatively affluent upbringing in a third-world country affect my point of view as a creative? It shocked me for a while after the realisation, then kind of threw me into a saviour-type mentality. Now, I can solidly say, from deep introspection and rationalisation, the world is indeed unfolding as it should. My sole personal interest now is to preserve the way of life of me and mine. Funny enough the mission for Common Studios remains the same since conception. “Walking the journey of Self-Actualisation”.

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What is your earliest memory of creativity? How did that moment impact you?

I almost hurt a nerve in my head trying to think of my first spark of imagination. For someone like me whose creativity stems from curiosity, I’d say that scaring the nurses into thinking I wasn't breathing when I was born was pretty creative. I’ve been full of mischief and inspiration for as long as I can remember. I would retail replica mobile phones, throwing stars and other toys, made of paper, to my classmates in primary school and collect paper as profit. That’s solid entrepreneurship. I was making more profit then. I also recall constructing a functional closet for one of my toys in my spare time, around the same time when I was an exceptional finger painter.
Honestly I believe I had more time to express myself as a kid. The perils of adulthood almost overtook my spark. Somewhat like life distracted me from my life. I was carefully parented, so I wasn’t always fully tapped in with other kids. I was in my own world most of the time. If I could describe the feeling, I’d call it divine inspiration. Imagine what motivates a seven year old to cut up pieces of plywood, screw them together without any plans or drawings and achieve a working closet. Looking back I’m jealous. I still feel the same now, for example, when I dream up a concept or when I’m illustrating in my mind, though the bliss of childhood innocence has faded away. Frankly, now to achieve the same state of being, it feels like I’ve got to fight the whole world first.

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Your journey spans a decade—what motivated you to create your first games in 2014 at such a young age?

This is what I’m saying about divine inspiration. It was pretty straightforward, there was an advert on a plane about a kid who made a game and became a sensation ( “Sticky Weasel”). I’d seen it a couple of times and thought to myself, “that sounds like something I could do”. This was about the time when viral games like Temple Run were all the talk. I was great in I.C.T class, I could draw, I had a computer, what more did the kid need? Apparently a lot more. Whoever made that ad was a brilliant marketer. I initially attempted to make a 3D game about my secondary school. So at 13 I became fairly conversant with Unity 3D, Autodesk, Blender e.t.c. I modelled a set of lockers and realised I’d bitten off more than I could chew. This is when I realised the constraints to creativity. Reality hit, but I wasn’t about to stop. I found this drag-and-drop coding software and got started. By the end of the year, my first game was ready, I signed up as an Apple Developer for the App Store, packaged my game and pushed it (Catch It - Trudge”). The year after, I brushed up my skills and released another (“Jetraider”).

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Winning a “25 under 25” award at 15 is remarkable. How did that moment influence your path to where you are today?

It is remarkable. I shocked myself with that one. At the same time, it was jarring. Like a double-edged sword, it gave me a lot of confidence, loads of validation. Very quickly it became too much. I think it made me cold and rather skeptical. There was a rapid rush of realitiy from that moment on that shook my teenage experience. Comparable to being a child celebrity. For a while it felt like I’d asked the world to see me as a star and I’d have to uphold that. I think the harshest reality at the time was accepting that my story made for a decent write-up but that didn’t mean that the website I had won the award for would be successful nor that I would begin a career and start earning at the time.

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For Common Studios, what’s the core philosophy behind your designs and creative projects?

I alluded to it earlier, “Walking the Journey of Self-Actualisation”. Which is described by Manslow in his hierarchy of needs as a person's motivation to fulfil their true potential as a human being. I recognise a lot of human progression coming from this communal desire to achieve our true potential. Historically, we sometimes do better than others. The communal development we desire can only be a mass reflection of our individual journeys. Therefore I believe the closer we each are to finding and achieving our true potential, the better it would be for humanity as a whole. Every worthwhile venture starts from a “Why?”, this is ours. Whether it’s inspiring our audience to be bold through the FREETOROAM campaign or encouraging intentional self-reflection in our Elevated Exploration campaign. 

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Can you share one of your proudest moments working with your brand? What made it stand out?

I often forget to appreciate achievements in the moments and find myself coming back to events years later. Being said, I always recognise immense joy when working with a team. Majority of the progression of Common Studios has been an individual effort. I’ll be careful in saying that because it in no way means people aren’t enthusiastic to offer assistance but I believe in reciprocating with fair value. If I can't pay, I likely won’t ask. 

So at this point I’d say the FREETOROAM campaign. It meant a lot to me, the team that worked on it and everyone that watched it. It was real. It was a milestone for me as a creative director, evolving from printing my first set of stickers. It was also a milestone for the studio. This was our most in depth production. Months of preparation, 22 hours on set in 1 day. Honestly it was electric, a display of young homegrown talent. Furthermore, the reach was insane. I planned to promote the post with a paid ad, but in the end I didn't have to. It got over 300,000 views in total, organically. While we were filming I was probably thinking about what would come next, but in hindsight, I’d never forget that campaign. For a whole year after, I’d meet people who didn’t know me personally but had seen the video and heard of Common Studios.

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Your journey started young; what challenges did you face being so young in an industry dominated by older professionals?

I tend to forget that I’m a few years behind. I have to remember to give myself grace. It took a while to realise that it was genuine care when people asked why I was rushing so hard. The greatest struggle was internal, dealing with imposter syndrome. I guess there've been occasions where my time was taken advantage of, otherwise, I’d say it’s all been a brilliant learning experience. 

When I made Qontent, I was thrown into the real world of marketing. It was a challenge explaining the value I felt I had created. I tend to be drawn to challenges. A few of the responses were nasty, most people didn’t respond, but I guess some could see through my efforts. They’d indulge my conversation and motivate me. Until today this is the basis for the majority of creative contacts I have. 

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What inspires your work now, and has that changed since 2017?

I’ve floated between creating out of ambition, creating out of passion and freelancing to pay bills. At some point, I began seeking out the value in heritage. What is it about certain creations, brands especially, that leaves a lasting impact centuries down the line. Whether its luxury brands like LV, national legends like Bob Marley, Fela Kuti or designs like the iPhone. There’s a level of intentionality with creation that can impact a worldwide shake. I wouldn’t boil it down to just going viral, as it may seem in our era. Right now that’s it really. I’m creating out of deep intention.

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If you could describe the last five years of your life in one word, what would it be and why?

Provocative. That’s the first word that came to mind. A lot has happened since 2020. Five years ago I was a covid student. I’ve just moved out of my parents' house last year. It feels like I’m getting old but there’s still so much ahead. So provocative, because it’s been a lot of learning though it’s extremely motivating and it’s all for the best. 

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Outside of work, what brings you joy and keeps you grounded?

This one’s rather simple. Family life, my relationship with God, lifelong friends and growing my lawn.

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Are there any books, movies, or music that you find yourself coming back to for inspiration?

This is always a tough one. I’ve recently described myself as a neophile, always looking for something novel, though there’s projects I remember experiencing for the first time that were definitely monumental. Like the first time I watched “The Giver” or heard “It’s on again” at the end of that Spider-Man movie. There’s certain times when you experience art and it seems almost like it was made for you. Like your life is a movie in those few moments. I live for that.

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Are there any exciting projects or collaborations coming up that you can share with us?

Yes actually. I’ve been developing the West-African clothing business model since I moved to Ghana. Last year, the Elevated Exploration collection was sourced, designed, shot and sewn in Ghana. Full production. I hope to develop that model under a new brand name. With themes specific to our varying target markets. Oh, and on a more frequent scale. Quarterly to start with.

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What’s one dream collaboration you haven’t done yet but would love to?

NIYIOKEOWO. I crave to work with someone as systemic as him. I think his name first popped up around the time Nike did that campaign in Nigeria. I would love if someone gave us a year to work on a project. 

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What legacy do you want to leave with Common Studios and your creative journey overall?

I think it’s key to solidify the idea that worthwhile innovation happens in West Africa. Not necessarily for export or international consumption, but for our own heritage. We can create our own lives. I want us to feel that. “Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery”.