We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Nikki IJackson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Nikki, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

I’ve always wanted to be a professional creative, but I was afraid of walking away from the steady income provided by conventional employment. However, March 20th, 2020, the crutch of being afraid to leave my “real job” to make art & fashion full-time was removed. That was the day I lost my job as an activities coordinator for adult day care. Due to the pandemic, recreational services for the vulnerable population we served would be suspend indefinitely, making my job obsolete. Life had kicked me off the rat wheel & gave all the time in the world to pursue my dreams. I was free!… & terrified.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’m a multimedium artist, fashion designer and seamstress. I studied fine art & illustration at Morgan State University. I work in several mediums including ceramics and digital art, but my primary medium is paint. I like to focus on the human face and form, but with the narrative or fantasy quality that gives the observer insight into the subject’s inner being. Clients often commission portraits for occasions like birthdays, weddings, and anniversaries. However, perhaps due to the pandemic, most of my commissions the last few years have been memorial portraits. That wasn’t exactly something I was looking to do, but I’m glad I’ve been able to use my gifts to help bring people a sense of closure and comfort. One commission that stands out to me was from a woman who’s partner lost his dad. They’d just had a baby and he was feeling sad that he didn’t get to have a photo taken with his dad and new son. She reached out to me to paint them all together as a Father’s Day gift for him. I was so filled to see how moved he was upon receiving it. When creating garments, I love incorporating elements of fantasy and historical periods. One of my favorite things to do is reconstruction, where I take existing items, cut them up, and Frankenstein them together into something new. Think Molly Ringwald in Pretty in Pink, but with an ethnic, fantasy, urban esthetic. While I do get the occasional birthday or anniversary clients, most of my garment commissions have been for either wedding or prom gowns. One client that stands out to me as someone I had a positive impact on, was a young lady going to her senior prom. She was very tall and kind of a tomboy. Over the course of our fitting appointments she often expressed discomfort with her body and that she didn’t feel very feminine. The day of her prom, after she’d been dolled up, I had the privilege of zipping her into her gown. She stood in the mirror and looked at herself. She said, “Is that me? I’m so pretty. ” and started to cry. She was always beautiful. But I got to be there to see her realize it. I felt so awesome to know that I helped make that happen. I’ve been doing custom portraits and garments as a side hustle for years, But I took my unemployment due to the pandemic as an opportunity to parlay my side hustle into a career. Because I’ve been leaning on it as a source of income, I’ve primarily been focused on commissions. However, I’m gradually working on my own collections for eventual exhibition and sale.

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

The main lesson I had to unlearn is that “being an artist isn’t a real job”. As a child my creativity was always encouraged, but only as a hobby. I was discouraged from pursuing any type of creative creative career because “there was no financial security in it”. I followed the path that I was told to and have come to realize as an adult, there’s no financial security in anything. It’s all a gamble. In this unstable job market and economy, a livable career in art is achievable as in anything else. I also learned the hard way that corporate culture is not for me. I’d rather be getting by happy doing what I love to do than miserable with a steady check in a job that makes me know that I’m very expendable. I spent most of my adult life doing it “the right way” and all I have to show for it is student loan debt. So, why not go for my dreams while I still have time?

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding thing about being a creative is not just being able to express myself. It’s not just the therapy I get during the creative process. It’s being able to use my gifts to be a blessing to those who are impacted by what I create.

Contact Info:

• Website: In Progress. TBD
• Instagram: DarlingNikkiTheArtist
• Facebook: Darling Nikki The Artist
• Linkedin: Nicole Ione Jackson
• Tiktok: @DarlingNikkiTheArtist

Image Credits
1st & 2nd images by: Perspectives by Tia Additional images by: Nikki Jackson (Artist)