We recently connected with Nicole Album and have shared our conversation below.
Nicole, appreciate you joining us today. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?
My parents fostered my artistic nature by exposing me to lots of culture from an early age. They raised me in New Orleans, Louisiana, where museums and theaters became my temples. My parents did not have inherently creative professions. but their encouragement in the arts did have an impact on mine. They contributed to my study of ballet and supported me later when I redirected my interests to the visual arts. I am grateful for those resources and the confidence it gave me.
Nicole, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I am currently an illustrator working for a range of clients in surface design, editorial, and live event markets. My career actually began in the Fashion Industry, before I went back to school for my MFA in Illustration. Presently, I work with a lot of retail and lifestyle driven clients. My work centers around themes of beauty, women, and ritual. I continue to evolve my artistic voice in ways that speak to femininity, nature, and my shadow side. I am proud to work with people and businesses who share my values and respect one another. One of my favorite parts of being an illustrator is that I will never stop learning, and I am fortunate to indulge my creative curiosity whenever possible.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
If you’ve been in business for any time between 2018 and 2024 then you have learned a lot about the word ‘pivot.’ I am no exception. When I took my freelance business full time in 2018 there was plenty of work lined up for me. I had substantial retail clients and a live event business that were booming. I made it through the 2019/2020 holiday season and everything came to a halt, as was the case for many businesses. Bookings stopped, retail slowed, and aside from personal commissions, business looked bleak.
I had previously illustrated only a handful of editorials, when Covid hit. Photographers were (for obvious reasons) not allowed in hospitals. Journalism was forced by the circumstances to use Illustrators for attention-grabbing, headline visuals. It was a silver lining during a dark time. As many in the industry know, editorial is not lucrative (an issue which needs addressing), but during the dry spells of 2020 and 2021 I am so thankful I was trusted with so much of this kind of work. I gained experience, confidence, and a new facet of my business offerings.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
Additionally, if your business can not afford to budget appropriately for creative talent, then is it really a thriving business? This is especially relevant to product driven business that relies on creative talent for the invention of their product. What does it say about your brand/company/etc… if you can not pay a fair wage to a creative, but are showing high profits and brand growth? If the creative talent is valuable to your business, then you should pay accordingly.
Lastly, please hire human talent. If you want depth and community, then do not rely on a two dimensional service to provide that for you. Creatives use their personal experience and that is worth investing in. It will be far more relatable than stock imagery your competitors are using and will prevent homogenous deliverables of all kinds. It is an investment in your product, the creative, and the community surrounding them.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.nicolealbum.com
- Instagram: @nickytickytipsy
Image Credits
Portrait photo: @haroldgrahambutchart Justin Winokur