We recently connected with Annabela Nikolov and have shared our conversation below.

Annabela, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

My parents were immigrants from a country called Bulgaria. They came to the states with barely a dollar to their name. I’ve always said they were my biggest role models and it’s true! They’re to me the definition of started from the bottom and worked their way to the top. My father worked and worked and was able to start his own successful company and my mother worked and worked until she got the job she wanted as well. Thanks to them and their sacrifices, my little brother and I were able to live a comfortable life and learn from them and their actions. I think that’s where my brother and I get our work ethic, we don’t give up easily and we continue to persevere. Me with my art, and my brother with his wrestling. My parents won’t admit this, but they’re both very good artists and I believe I got my talent and creativity from them. I am truly blessed and will continue to learn from them as long as I can.

Annabela, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Annabela Nikolov, my family is from Bulgaria and I’ve always felt that a lot of my family members have always had an artistic gene in them, I feel now it’s been passed down to me. I’ve been painting and exploring different kinds of art techniques for as long as I can remember. My style has grown through the years and I can safely say the only thing that’s continued to stay the same is my love for colors. The way I see the world is probably the way you’d see it through a camera filter. I feel as if my paintings are an expression of how I see the world or how my imagination works. I recently had my first art exhibit and it was truly one of the best things I’ve ever experienced. Seeing new and more people be exposed to my paintings and seeing how happy they were was exactly what I wanted. They even called my corner the “joyful corner” and that’s exactly what I was aiming for! I currently don’t provide any services as of the moment, I mainly paint for family and friends but I hope that soon, one day I’ll be able to open some kind of online shop and make custom orders for others, the possibilities are endless! I’d say I’m most proud of the support I’ve received from others that makes me want to continue doing something that brings me so much joy!!

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I believe that for anyone in this industry that the most rewarding aspect is seeing your clients so happy with the art they’ve received from you. And it’s absolutely true! Creating something for others, even if it isn’t something typically you specialize in, it can be a challenge but in the process you learn something new and get to see the smile on someone’s face and that’s the most rewarding thing of all!

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

When it comes to art I feel the main thing I had to unlearn is that not all your paintings/drawings etc. has to be absolutely perfect. I myself can be a little bit of a perfectionist at times but I remind myself that sometimes things can’t be contained by a shape or a line. In highschool I took a few years of art classes and my art teacher, Ms.Smelser truly taught me so much, I really can’t thank her enough. To this day I still use some of the techniques she has taught me!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://Annabela.Nicole
• Other: Email:annabelanik@gmail.com

Image Credits

Me and my mother Diyana Nikolov