We were lucky to catch up with Nicole Maican recently and have shared our conversation below.

Nicole, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?

Never! I came from a corporate retail visual background. I loved it at the time, but I have never been so fulfilled as I am now. Having my own resin artisan business, where I am able to travel around to different community events, and talk to people about art, it is absolutely amazing! Talking to random people about art, idea generating, and problem solving, is not only helpful but inspirational! It also led to me to taking a position as a teaching artist working in Elementary schools in my community. I love being able to share how to create art, using techniques and artistry tools, to create whatever they can imagine using things around them! I do not believe in a “regular job” I could get the experience and knowledge I can get by working by speaking with so many people of so many different ages and so many backgrounds!
Its inspiring!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Hello! I am a resin artist from California!
I worked as a visual manager for Anthropologie for over a decade! I loved managing and merchandising the product, but the art instillations were exciting and inspirational to create! This is where I grew my love for taking risks at using new and different materials in innovative ways.

I am now running my own resin artisan business by selling my art at festival and community events! I also love gardening, and wanted to work my love of plants into my art. I book-press and dehydrate flowers and leaves and pour them into resin. I make wall hangings, trinket dishes, monogram coasters and resin wall art with my flowers. I love preserving nature to create bohemian home decor pieces.

I also currently teaching elementary school art, kindergarten through 8th grade! Some of my favorite mediums to teach are oil pastels, color theory, watercolor techniques, paper construction along with cardboard construction, and clay just to name a few!

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

I don’t worry about the size of my audience on social media. I look at social media as a networking tool and a place to show my work, a portfolio. I believe the true connections you make in life comes from getting out and meeting people in the streets. Social media is a facade. Looking peoples in the eyes, talking about art and what moves us as humans is much more important and meaningful.
My advice, have a presence on social media but don’t live on there. Build your communities in person.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

Don’t wait for society to support art. Make it, create it, find others around you to collaborate with to make it happen. If you don’t know where to start look for local community events, artist groups, or art councils around you and get involved. Most artists I meet are pretty introverted and can be social awkward, just know you are in good company and take a risk! Creatives and artists should be the ones building those ecosystems since we can see outside the box as rebels and idea generate like no other because we don’t stay in the lines.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.NicoleMaican.com
• Instagram: @MaicanBacon; @Nicole.Maican
• Linkedin: @NicoleMacian
• Twitter: @NicoleMaican
• Youtube: @NicoleMaican
• Other: TikTok: @NicoleMaican

Image Credits
Nicole Maican