We recently connected with Nathan Vincent and have shared our conversation below.

Nathan, appreciate you joining us today. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?

Dyeing has been my Plan B career goal behind being a Textile Designer (Plan A).

That’s why I took extra classes to get closer preparing for becoming a textile designer.

Otherwise, I would attempt being a garment dyer (I had worked as an intern as a dyer at L.A. Dye & Print).

Nathan, 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 creative works have mainly been based on everything I had learn in colleges, from the time I had spent taking textile classes at a community college, to my internship during my time at CSULB (California State University, Long Beach) as a graduation prerequisite.

Some of the main skills I had learn from professional dyeing include the following techniques: ombre design, tie-dyeing, and creating a custom color dye solution. Garment dyeing since then, had become my Plan B career goal behind being a Textile Designer (Plan A).

I had also chosen to take extra classes in order to help get closer for possibly becoming a textile designer in the future the next time I apply to a career position.

Otherwise, I would continue attempting being a garment dyer. I had worked as an intern as a dyer at L.A. Dye & Print during my schooling at Long Beach.

My focus since the beginning of the pandemic, was to help practice both skills and aim for proficient level on both goals.

I currently work as a bridal stylist (Plan C) at David’s Bridal, and still dyeing garments for people as a hobby.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

What best shapes my resilience was making a decision to give myself jobs skills to practice during the beginning of the untimely pandemic. I had chosen to focus on, what I like to call, the best of the worst case scenarios.

The time I had done a job interview was before the lockdown occurred. I was not able to get the job, but I the interviewee had told me what should had been shown on my portfolio. That way she would have seen my capability in the CAD textile position.

So my focus, immediately, was to start correcting the mistakes of my portfolio during the lockdown. Then my hope was to be ready, or get closer to achieving my goal once the doors had started opening up, according to the lowering virus case rates.

The least I was able to do by the year 20201, was getting a degree in Textile Design, and suddenly, having gotten a job as a bridal stylist by the end of the year..

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

My lesson (for ANY skill) has been making sure, for every textile-related class finished, put your projects in your portfolio as evidence; but also making sure you had written down all the steps you took that help put together THAT project.

That way I will never forget the skill I had just learned. It is what I would call “tracing your steps.”

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.behance.net/nathancolevincent
• Instagram: thetiedyetraveler
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathan-vincent-74b86a142/