We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Nik Saulnier. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Nik below.

Hi Nik, thanks for joining us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

I have been a photographer for a little over 10 years, and it is only recently that I feel my craft has truly grown. Prior to 2020, I had done many of the things you would expect one to do when growing a business or craft; go to college, attend workshops, speak with other professionals in the industry, invest in better “tools of the trade”, and so on. With all of these new technical skills, tools, and insights, I should have found success. However, from the moment I tried to apply everything I had been taught, all I found was a never-ending of sea of monotony, compromise, and unfulfillment.

It wasn’t until 2020, when everything turned upside down and inside out, that I looked back to when I first fell in love with art and photography. Being an artist has always been my dream, but finding photography finally gave me a specific focus. I would take pictures of EVERYTHING; spending hours setting up the perfect scene or going on ‘photo adventures’ with friends.
In high school, I took my very first photoshop class and, to say my heart and brain exploded at the endless potential I then saw in photography, feels like an understatement. Every photo I took could become anything I could imagine; I would play endlessly with my images. I carried that playful, creative, enthusiasm into my professional work and I unfortunately and quickly learned that, for most, it was seen as too much. I had outright been told as much. It was then that I did my best to be a “professionally safe” photographer; sticking to the rules of the craft that I had been taught.

Looking back, I felt that same sting again. However, I also felt that overwhelming playful, creative joy too. Seeing as the world felt like it was ending… what was the harm in trying to just… play again? It started with one friend allowing me the full permission to just PLAY, and now, I have a little over a thousand humans who see my work and have never once told me “it is too much”. I have found so much more love, exploration, and fulfillment in what I do now than I ever did in my years as a “professionally safe” photographer, and a younger me can finally say that they became the artist they always wanted to be.

In summary, while I cannot discount the hours and money spent learning useful and foundational skills, I genuinely believe that some of the most valuable things can be learned and found in PLAY. Someone once told me “There are no obstacles, only points of creativity”. While I have been given my fair share of obstacles, some that truly feel impossible to overcome, I always play with creative and seemingly ‘out of the ordinary’ ways to continue forward. To any aspiring artists out there, never lose the sense of wonder you first felt when you discovered your chosen craft, and never stop PLAYING.

Nik, 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?

At my core, I am a child who never took their head out of the clouds. Professionally I am a Queer, Nonbinary Photographer, Digital Artist, and an Aerial Hoop Instructor and Performer. Personally… I still can’t believe I do all of those things for a living!

I am notorious for my inability to tell a simple and to-the-point story, so I will spare you the overwhelming amount of details I would share to get to this important moment in my life; when I started “Nikkita Nouveau”.

The definition of nouveau is commonly “newly arrived or developed” or “new or different”. ‘Nikkita Nouveau’, to put it simply, is my freedom of artistic expression; the arrival of a new me. Being a photographer for 10+ years, I found that my creativity was constantly put to the side in order to remain “palatable”. It wasn’t until 2020, that I decided it was time to finally let myself be the artist I always wanted to be; weird, vibrant, and maybe not everyone’s cup of tea.

My goal with Nikkita Nouveau can be summarized perfectly by the following quote from the amazing photographer and artist, and one of the most influential humans in my artist journey, Jerry Uelsmann: “Ultimately, my hope is to amaze myself. The anticipation of discovering new possibilities becomes my greatest joy.”

My work is me; my love for all things nerdy and fantastical, my work as an Aerial Hoop Instructor and Performer, my deep adoration for the magical humans in my life, and so much more. The people featured in my work are friends, dancers, aerialists, circus performers, artists, and occasionally, my two kitties. I have also had the privilege and honor to work with many individuals from the LGBTQ+ community. I owe so much of my inspiration and growth to every incredible human who has stepped in front of my camera and trusted me to create something wonderful and magical.

Currently, you can find my work at nikkitanouveau.com or @nikkitanouveau on Instagram. I also sell prints and other creative oddities at any local Utah art markets I can sign up for.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

Firstly, art-work is REAL work, despite what many may say or think. Unlike many jobs that have an HR department, a marketing team, etc, as an artist, you are everything and you do it all. Worst of all, my boss is terrible and almost never lets me take time off… my boss is also me. “Do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life” is the most inaccurate quote I have ever heard. As an artist and someone who is doing something they truly love with all of their heart, I am working and ‘at work’ every minute of every day. However, I would not change a thing. Sure, some days are much harder than others, but the immense joy and fulfillment I feel at the end of it all, is completely worth it.

Secondly, doing what you love is surprisingly challenging in a way you may not think about. When you make your job all about what you love, it is intrinsically connected to your self worth. Pouring so much of yourself into something that is then put out there to be consumed can be a very vulnerable and emotionally taxing thing. Every comment or lack of may feel personal. Imposter syndrome can run amok when you do receive any amount of praise or adoration. A lot of “Self Work” is required to have success and longevity in your work and that kind of work… well, it can take a really long time. This can obviously be present in any type of work, but with creative work being an “extension of self”, it is almost a given.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

The endless inspiration of the humans around me and my deep desire to get to know myself better.

Contact Info:

• Website: nikkitanouveau.com
• Instagram: @NikkitaNouveau
• Other: nikkitanouveau@gmail.com

Image Credits
Personal Photo: Photography by Jenuary Webb. All Featured Artwork by Nikkita Saulnier. Models Featured: Morgana Sinclair, Ashley Hesleph-Sandoval, Tishina Caldwell, Opal Essense, Madazon Can-Can, Mandi Johnson, Michelle Sorensen, Nikkita Saulnier, Andrea French Glissmeyer, Carol Okumura, Lulu Piula, Celeste Winters.