We recently connected with Nina Miller and have shared our conversation below.

Nina, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I first realized I wanted to pursue a creative path professionally in middle school/high school, though my love for art began much earlier. Since childhood, art classes were always the highlight of my day—this was a space where I felt both calm and energized. I was naturally drawn to color, painting, and drawing, and creating art quickly became a place where I felt most myself. After-school art classes nurtured that early curiosity and connected me with peers who shared the same passion. As I got older, my commitment deepened: I began applying to art shows, developing a portfolio, and preparing to take my work more seriously.

This all led me to Boston University’s College of Fine Arts in 2016, where I earned my BFA in Painting and Sculpture with a minor in Art History. My four years immersed in that environment affirmed what I had intuitively known for years—that art wasn’t just something I loved, but something I wanted to pursue as a lifelong, professional practice.

Nina, 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?

I’m a visual artist, originally from Long Beach, New York, and currently based in Salt Lake City, Utah. I am an interdisciplinary artist, working primarily in abstraction– from oil painting, to sculpture, and printmaking . My work explores the layered relationship between memory, emotion, and the impact of a place– using color, gesture, and texture to build spaces that feel both familiar and dreamlike. With a BFA in Sculpture, Painting, and Art History from Boston University/ Venice, Italy, I combine intuitive mark-making with a deep appreciation for art history, and the natural world. I create original paintings, unique prints, and collaborative commissions for people seeking art with visual richness and tactility. What sets my work apart is its layered physicality and the blend of instinct and intention. I want my art to offer viewers a moment of connection, reflection, or stillness — something meaningful they can return to again and again.

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

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is the chance to enter a state of pure presence — a flow where intuition and the subconscious guide my hand. It’s a return to that childlike space of wonder and play, free from the need to control or have all the answers. In a world that often demands certainty, art reminds me of the beauty of impermanence and the freedom to begin again. It keeps me attentive to the subtle colors, emotions, and moments that make us human. Creating feels like a way to honor that humanness and leave a quiet trace of it behind.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

I think one of the best ways society can support artists is by truly valuing the role creativity plays in our everyday lives. That means investing in accessible arts education, supporting public spaces where art can be seen and experienced by all, and making it easier for artists to sustain their practice through grants, affordable studio spaces, and community resources.
Artists need time, space, community, and trust to create! When society shows that it believes in the importance of creative work — not just as a luxury, but as something essential to our human experience — it helps build a thriving ecosystem where artists feel supported, seen, and able to keep contributing to the world.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://ninamillerart.com
• Instagram: ninamillart

Image Credits

Nathan Gentry
Claire Wiley