That’s something I’d like to tell my younger self. Do it for yourself.
Najihah Najlaa
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This week’s episode is about Najihah Najlaa, a Malaysian photographer, videographer, editor, and educator. Najihah is an Adobe Certified Expert. This certification gives her the authority to teach people how to use different Adobe programs. She passionately educates photographers around the world and helps them enhance their skills.
We talk about:
- The process of becoming an Adobe Certified Expert
- How Najihah juggles everything in her very busy life
- Advice for photographers who want to create online courses
& much more!
Najihah shares a lot of valuable information related to editing and photography in this episode. She has an amazing work ethic and a very inspiring love for creativity. If you need a boost of motivation, you should definitely listen to this episode!
Here is a preview of our conversation with Najihah Najlaa.
Q: What does it mean to be an Adobe Certified Expert?
Najihah Najlaa: It means that I have a certification and proficiency in using Adobe software. Adobe has more than 20 applications and programs. I would say that I’m proficient in most of them like Photoshop, Lightroom, InDesign, Illustrator, Premiere Pro After Effects, and a bit of Dimension for 3D stuff. I use those applications a lot in my daily work, and I also do work for clients and work on my own projects. These are the applications that I use a lot daily.
To become an Adobe Certified Expert, you have to go through a couple of trainings and sit for the exams. You have the passing rate and failure rate. If you fail, you have to do the exam again.
The exam is a crucial part. Once you pass the exam, Adobe will notify you and send you the physical and digital certifications. You’ll receive them within 2-3 weeks. You’ll also get a digital badge.
Q: What advice would you give to photographers who want to create their own online courses?
Najihah Najlaa: Producing an online course is not easy. It’s a long process because you have to put in hundreds of hours into structuring the syllabus, getting the content, and also producing it. You might get tired. You will get exhausted in the midst of that chaos, but one thing that I want to say is don’t give up.
Also, make sure that people aren’t going to just see your work. They want to learn something from you. You’re holding this responsibility to let people understand something. Take a break. Have grit.
Q: What do you enjoy the most about being a creator?
Najihah Najlaa: The fact that your creation is yours and it’s only going to be yours. You create those things. Even if you’re working for a client, you are the creator of that project. You produced it.
Whenever I get exhausted or get too overwhelmed doing a client’s project, I tell myself that it’s my creation and my piece. It’s always going to be my work. That’s what makes me feel better. I feel like I have control over what I’m doing. It depends on me. So it’s almost like without me, it would not be produced. I hold that space where I’m responsible for those things.
Links
Website
Photography Portfolio
Adobe Max Event 2022
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