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

Hi Nadine, thanks for joining us today. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

I’m often asked what I do, how I make money, what’s it like having a business etc. When I started down the road of entrepreneurship, 10 years ago, the goal was to make some extra money and be more creative. I painted murals, drew pet portraits, sold and designed a line of interior products, vendered at local markets, painted, and created graphics for apparel, shot and directed campaigns and whatever other projects I could get involved in. I realized that eventually, I could leave my full-time job as a photographer at Lululemon to pursue an exciting freelance career. Instead of doing the same thing every day with the same people and product, I discovered that I could make each day completely different and still match or exceed what I was making financially.

To this day, I believe it’s important to learn as many skills as you can so you can become a diverse designer and artist. My experience working in different departments, with different people and in different countries has strengthened my ability to create with versatility, successfully problem-solve and pivot when needed. It’s also so important to have goals and a direction of where you want to go and to enrol the people around you by sharing what it is that you want to accomplish. You will be so surprised how many people will want to support you along the way.

Today, I have the privilege of running my studio in Toronto, where I work and create. I support many businesses with branding identity and development, textile design creation for apparel and photography ranging from campaigns to portraits. My team has grown to include three additional creatives and we open the space up for rentals and classes. I recently lost my mother to cancer, and I owe a lot of my success to her guidance and ability to empower my independence.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I have always been a creative person. From the age of 5, there was a camera around my neck, I thrifted clothes to redesign, did hair and make-up, took art classes and visited galleries. My dad was an art professor in Toronto at OCAD for over 30 years and my mother was also a primary teacher specializing in the arts. I will say I had a wonderful introduction to all forms of creation and art history from a young age. While some families would go to Disney, we would travel to see the Monet or Picasso shows.

I studied Fashion Communication at Ryerson University in Toronto, currently known as TMU (Toronto Metropolitan University). This was an intensive 4-year program focused on garment construction, history, photography, Adobe Creative Suite, web development, business and marketing. I held an internship at FLARE Magazine in the Art Department, worked in the showroom at Diesel assisting merchandisers with purchasing the latest denim trends and supported the university with event photography and graphics for their on-campus clothing store. On the weekends I sold Juicy Couture tracksuits at a local boutique and in the evenings I worked in restaurants. I said yes to a lot of opportunities and was fortunate enough to land a job with Joe Fresh after graduating. I made $100 a day, designing all of the seasonal products for Loblaws. I thought I had won the lottery when I saw my designs covering napkins, toys, apparel and random Canada Day placemats and glassware. Then I got the call to relocate and design for this yoga company called Lululemon. I hopped on the plane and moved to Vancouver for 10 years.

People work with me because of my ability to listen and bring their creative vision to life. Most of the time I am trying to reveal their personality and identity through branding, photography, apparel and design. I am an artist who can work in many different styles. I am most known for my textile design and colour choices. I have created print and patterns for companies such as but not limited to Canada Goose, Adidas, Nike, Spanx, Dynamite, Tecovas and Lululemon. I’m almost like a ghost designer. I don’t get individual credit for these collaborations but I help with this unique skillset where it’s needed.

I am also super passionate about building community and including others to be more creative. I manage and run Toronto Studio 202. This large loft is starting to become a hub for pottery classes, art workshops, life drawing, yoga and breathwork groups. Having a space like this has been one of my goals for the past 10 years and I’m thrilled to be able to have a space like this.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

On December 23, 2022, I lost my mother to a very aggressive battle with lung cancer. Within 72 hours of her diagnosis, she passed. Since then, I have become the part-time caregiver of my dad. He navigates life with Alzheimer’s and diabetes but still loves to create. Every chance he gets, he joins me in the studio where he paints, while I take my meetings and work with my clients. In 2023 we created over 50 paintings and are prepping for a show this Spring to raise money and awareness for the disease.

He reminds me to be present, patient, vulnerable and have fun. Taking care of him while keeping my business running has been the most challenging task. I’m very grateful for my clients, friends and husband Derek who support me.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

I love creating beautiful products and seeing them come to life in the wild. I can see a t-shirt I’ve designed at the gym on three different people and it never looks the same. The personal style that people bring to their clothing is always so exciting. I also love the confidence that art can provide. Whether it’s a garment that fits well, a cool pillow that ties a room together, a painting hung on a wall that provides a pop of colour, a presentation that secures the sales or a mural that people walk by every day. Being creative is rewarding work because you are making people feel something.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://nadinenevitt.com
• Instagram: @nadine.nevitt
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nadinenevittandco/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nadine-nevitt-67308a26/
• Other: @toronto.studio.202 https://www.torontostudio202.com

Image Credits
DSCF1480 – Kyle Tait 200830_Nadine_Mural_Fest_658 – Kezia Nathe 190120_Inquest_588- Kezia Nathe Studio202_Paint_Dad-27 – Derek Marsham