Fikirte Ayana's journey from selling corn to becoming a model and finally pursuing her passion for painting is an inspiring story of resilience and determination. Her path to becoming an artist was not typical. Adversities on the job led her to an opportunity to model at Art School due to her natural beauty and modesty for over 25 years. However, a tragic car accident left her with facial disfigurement and severe injuries, which she finally recovered from over long period of treatment. After recovery, Fikirte resumed her modeling, but felt changed. She developed a strong desire to express her innermost feelings through art and shared her artistic aspirations with the art teachers; revealing that she had been secretly painting. The teachers were amazed with the collection of the paintings she created.