Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Nicole Miazgowicz. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Nicole, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How do you think about vacations as a business owner? Do you take them and if so, how? If you don’t, why not?

I am an avid vacationer! Taking vacations, whether that is visiting out-of-state family and friends, going overseas, or shorter trips has always been an aspect of my life I’ve placed priority on no matter my financial or work situation. I’m lucky to have a bit of freedom in my schedule by splitting my time between freelance work and a part-time day job that is very flexible in letting me take time off. I don’t have paid time-off with either job, so I do have to create a balance of when and how long I can vacation at any given time. For me, that often looks like working extra hours on the weeks around a vacation to make up for time and income lost. If I’m really busy and need to bring my work with me, I’ll build in some coffee shop/work time – it can be really fun and inspiring to do that in a new city!

As an artist, I also find vacations are a perfect time to take a ton of pictures and gather reference photos. This is a huge part of drawing and when I can, it feels much better to work from my own photos. If I’m feeling stressed about taking time off from work, remembering this really helps me feel like I’m still doing something for my self-growth in my business. While traveling, you could also draw in a sketchbook, visit local businesses that are in the same realm as yours, go to museums, attend workshops…..these activities directly translate to your business through educating yourself, building your skill-set, and making connections, all while having fun and taking a break from your day to day.

If you’re held back by finances, other obligations, or are just really afraid to step away, a good tip is to broaden your view of what a vacation is. Maybe you take one day off and drive to a new town 3 hours away and explore for the day. Something that simple can add SO much value and energy to the rest of your week or month. While I love going far away and taking multi-day trips, some of my best memories and inspiration come from those day trips.

I personally know a lot of business owners (especially those who are the sole person in their business or have less than 3 employees) have a really hard time letting themselves take off or step away. My mindset is that stepping away is a crucial step in gathering inspiration, gaining rest and a wider perspective, and having the freedom to just be really present and daydream. Because these things don’t directly translate to money, I think we often undervalue their importance in the creative process. That goes for any creative avenue – making art, building a business, social justice work, etc. However, it’s really hard to be inspired, rest up, and daydream when you are stuck in the drudgery of day to day operations – and those are precisely the things that often move us forward as artists and entrepreneurs!

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 freelance illustrator and artist based in Detroit, MI. I have a theater background, which really shaped how I think about storytelling and collaboration—working with clients is a very similar process to being in rehearsals and building toward a performance, which is probably why I’m so drawn to freelance illustration. I draw a lot of inspiration from my love of literature and my travels as well.

I often aim to create a sense of softness and beauty within the gloomy and nostalgic—that’s the overall vibe of my work. This comes from a desire to explore the contrasting themes present in my source material—whether it’s a book, a script, a poem, or my own experiences—and connect them in a way that feels visually and emotionally harmonious.

In the freelance realm, I currently do a lot of beverage labels and e-book covers, and I’m hoping to move more into print covers, illustrated novels, and theater-related work. I’m a traditional artist who primarily works in dry media, and that’s a niche I love being part of. It can be challenging—it’s not super trendy, and it doesn’t always have the “finished” look of painting or digital art—but there’s something I really love about the simplicity and softness of a graphite or charcoal piece.

I recently won a Communication Arts Award of Excellence and a Society of Illustrators Gold Award in Advertising for a charcoal drawing, and I’m really proud of that.

I’m always excited to connect with people who value thoughtful, story-driven art—whether it’s for a collaboration, commission, or just a shared love of illustration.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I went to school for theater (with an art minor), so I don’t have extensive art training. Most of my journey has been self-taught and lacking in community with other visual artists. However, In 2020, I found out about Visual Arts Passage, an online mentorship program that is taught by leading artists in their respective fields. I took part in it for over a year and it drastically improved my working style, helped me learn more about my unique perspective, and gave me the confidence and community I was lacking before. Since then, I’ve learned about so many other programs like this and I do really wish I had known about them earlier in my creative journey. Even if you did go to art school, they are so helpful for bridging the gap between a traditional art college education and the industry!

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

Real-life interactions. Almost everything I’ve gotten so far have been from that. My biggest example of how that has worked for me all stems from a monthly art series I attended back in 2019. I met the organizer, got on his email list, and took advantage of an open call asking for more artists to talk at the monthly art series. I did the talk, someone in the audience liked my work and recommended me to their friends who were opening a vineyard and needed labels. Because of his email list, I also found out about a local bookstore that does gallery shows and asked them if I could do one and am now part of their community. The art series organizer also owns a small publishing house and I jumped on his open call for illustrators to do e-book covers. It’s all been a series of jumping on opportunities when I see them and appreciating the people who are letting you know about those opportunities. It’s really a mix of luck, having strong work to back you up (the most important part!), being easy to collaborate with, and staying open to the opportunities that come your way.

For the digital realm – in my experience, putting more energy into a newsletters and thoughtful, polished emails with your portfolio attached is much more effective than relying on social media when it comes to receiving real opportunities.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.nicolemiazgowicz.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicolemiaz_art
• Facebook: www.instagram.com/lostferngoods
• Other: Newsletter Sign-Up: https://nicolemiazgowicz.com/newsletter

Image Credits

Black and White Artist Photo: Ben Allen
Color Artist Photo: Scott Millington