What does it mean to be an artist?

A question I ask myself nearly everyday

This year I accidentally became an artist. If you told me 2 years ago that when I fill out forms at the dentist I would write my occupation as “artist” I would have laughed you out of the room. But somehow, here we are! 

When I quit my full time job to pursue art, it took me two months to even start calling myself an artist. People would ask me what I did for work and I would say “I’m an artist apparently?” As if it was a question I did not know the answer to myself. 

Fumbling my way towards confidence has been a common thread in my career. And I like it that way. It keeps me on my toes, always curious, always learning.

Last week I didn’t paint anything for the first time in a year. And I felt the difference in my mood. Art is now so ingrained in my weekly routine that I feel a bit lost and more stressed without it. I started watercoloring regularly during Covid when I was going through some health troubles and I found it therapeutic. I did lots of abstract, random pieces (pictured below, Feb 2021). Now, I’m somehow paid to do the thing that relaxes me most. 

It is so soothing to be able to put paintbrush to paper and create something. Getting to share a sample of the inside of my brain with the world on a regular basis is pretty wild though. 

When I stopped creating last week, something started. A fear that I would run out of creativity or ideas for art. So far, this hasn’t happened. I have a detailed Trello board organized with all my ideas. You can take the girl out of a startup but you can’t take the ops skills out of her. I usually just scroll through that or my Pinterest and something comes together enough to get the ball rolling. I also just think that the act of continuously creating, no matter the quality, is helpful for me to avoid those fears.

While I paused last week, I reflected on what I want to focus on this year. This past year was straight up magic. Opportunities came my way and I said yes to nearly all of them when they feel aligned. This year I want to continue that, as well as make space to dream about what kind of art I want to create when I’m not doing client work.

I started last year finding technical concepts in climate (graphs, charts, etc) and recreating them with my own hand painted watercolors. I ended the year painting a map of feelings related to climate action and climate themed menorahs. I’m curious to see the evolution of my art this year. I want to focus less on recreation and more on creation. 

Something that I always want to be mindful of with social media is only sharing the good. I want to make space for all the feels. I’m going to try to integrate a bit of both things that are exciting but also the real real behind what’s going on the excitement. 

Things I’m grateful for:

• This whole dang year. It was one of the most transformative years of my life. 

• Seeing my parents over the holidays. Even though they were both sick over break, I’m grateful I live close enough to be able to see them 

• Seeing one of my best friends Dulma who was visiting NY this week! Dulma is the inspiration behind me doing my 100 day challenge 

Things I’m looking forward to

• Going to SF and LA next week! If you live there and want to meet up just respond to this email. I’m putting together some friends to get together

• Hosting an IRL watercolor workshop in NYC with Maia Kiley, a licensed psychotherapist + certified ecotherapist in NYC on Jan 25th! The theme is Dreaming a Regenerative Future

  

• Sharing some of the projects I’m working on with clients right now! I love my clients so much

Things I’m stressed about

• Twitter, no surprise there haha. Feeling a bit more chill about it right now though

• Scared I’ll get sick before my trip to LA + SF. This trip means a lot to me because I haven’t been back to the west coast since before COVID

• Drawing hands and humans. This is something I want to get better at this year and one of my client projects requires people in it. Trying to find my ~style~ for people is tricky

Ok that’s all for this week! I’m new to this newsletter situation so lmk what you think, what you want more or less of. I’m all ears friends! If you feel inspired to comment with things you’re grateful, looking forward to, or stressed about- feel free as well.

I also just launched a paid subscription to the newsletter which is a way of being able to support me making more climate art. You’ll get secret discounts to my merch shop, surprise digital downloads, and bonus emails. Basically you’ll know that you’re helping make it possible for me to continue making fun climate art!

Happy New Year!

Nicole