Nakaddu overcame fear to follow her passion

Some say it is a male dominated world, but 28-year-old painter, illustrator and writer Hilda Nakaddu Kironde is out to defy the status quo.
“As a child, I always sat next to my father and watched him draw and sculpt. I also followed my mother when she went to her classes to teach art. I enjoyed drawing and shading so much that I disliked tracing pictures from text books,” she shares about her beginning.
During her primary years, Nakaddu was always assigned to beautify the classroom environment. “I always used manila cards and mosaic wall hangings. When my friends had birthdays, they paid me to have the blackboard designed,” she says.
It is a little wonder that when it was time to go to university, course selection was no hustle and she did a bachelor’s degree in Industrial and Fine Art at Makerere University.

Writing and painting
Nakaddu has always been fascinated by many colours and drawing.
“Since childhood, I have continuously tried various ways to approach multiple colour themes, even in fashion, but I got fulfilment when doing children’s work,” she reveals.
She has taught children between three and six years and attests that it is such a thrilling experience.
“The way they see and understand their surroundings and company is amazing. They are also fascinated by so many things. Besides that, they are adventurous, cheerful, forgiving, attracted to many things and what they desire gave me courage to write short rhymes and stories with an African approach.”

Starting out
While it was rough, it was also rather interesting. “My first project was with Apple Kids Kindergarten, however, I under quoted myself. I am forever thankful that the client was very understanding that they helped me cover the losses I made.”
When starting to paint, she trembled, felt so embarrassed and held back when she looked at herself in the mirror dressed in an overall.
“I asked myself so many questions; ‘Hilda do you really want to do this? How will people perceive you?” Then I affirmed myself, “Who knows me anyway? I know I can do this.”

With all these questions and the wall that stared at her, she was greatly discouraged and her day was one bad one that she narrated everything to her mother on reaching home.
“She squinted her eyes saying, ‘You can do this, just paint and make the walls beautiful and educative,” she says.
Those few words made Nakaddu wake up early the next day and she went to the site.

“It felt so easy. I could hear comments from the passers-by; some were good while others nagged. But I minded my business, only attending to those that were interested in knowing more about my services. And that’s how I was able to build myself in the painting field. I had to accept who I was, what I love to do and let go of my fear of crowds. That brought me more ideas, more clients and more walls,” she says.

Challenges
The painting profession is predominantly male and that has seen Nakaddu’s services being turned down because some people believe she cannot do the work. Others, on the other hand, think she cannot do the job believing that she is fragile.
That aside, the weather is a major factor in her field, so when it rains she cannot execute her job. Another challenge Nakaddu faces is clients demanding more than she can produce.
“I need to produce high quality work because that is one way of marketing myself. However, sometimes clients would want you to do it in a hurry, which is not good,” she says, adding that despite clients needing their work, payment is rather slow or not forthcoming at all. “It is so demoralising.”

There is no victory without travail, and Nakaddu has not let the challenges derail her. She is fighting on to let her star shine.
“I have got some accessories and equipment that are helpful when regarding weather and my health. I also ensure that I have secured contract before beginning any project which helps with payment procedures,” Nakaddu says.
She is also looking out for raw talent from university that has interest to learn and work.

Brand name
Toon Paintress and it is driven from cartoons. She loves watching cartoons and some of her ideas are got when watching them. “While none of these words are found in the dictionary, I prefer it that way as it also describes me and what I do so well”.

Future prospects.

I hope to handle many projects as well as mentor fresh minds that will be interested in art. I also desire to change the literature content for children through the way I develop new rhymes and short stories.”