We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Nicole Miller a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Nicole, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s kick things off with a hypothetical question – if it were up to you, what would you change about the school or education system to better prepare students for a more fulfilling life and career?
This question hits a little close to home for me for a few reasons. Growing up, I always wanted to create. I dreamt of becoming an artist and living out my life making and doing whatever I wanted. I felt I never really had the opportunity to explore that. Creativity was never really something that was pushed in my schooling, and none of my teachers (specifically art teachers) ever helped me evolve or recognize that I could have a career doing what I loved. In elementary schools, the art teachers see so many students a day that I’m not even sure they recognized my potential, or even truly cared. Having been an art teacher for five years, I feel I can say that because I know how draining and difficult it can be.
It wasn’t until I reached high school that I developed a great relationship with my art teacher. But still, everyone in my life assumed I would be going to college and getting a “real job.” College was an expectation and is an expectation for many high school students these days. I think my generation is the first to really go to college. A lot of my peers were the firsts of their families to further their education after high school. It is sort of like a privilege, and it’s almost like an unsaid societal thing that you are looked down upon if you decide not to take advantage of the opportunities that we have these days. I really think schools should put as much emphasis on other options for their students as they do on the college application and decision process.
Nonetheless, I ended up going to college to become an art teacher. Not because I had a passion for teaching, but because it seemed like it was the closest thing I could get to pursuing my creative passion. I literally thought that I had to go to college – so I chose the closest thing to fulfillment. Anyway, I was no fulfilled at all. I spent my entire college years and five-year teaching career very depressed and unhappy. I was frustrated and angry because I got myself “stuck” in this position of student debt and a career I never wanted. I found myself driving to the beach after school days just to paint and decompress. My weekends and summers consisted of running my art business.
When I was teaching, I did my best to offer all students words of encouragement. I wanted them to know that they could make a life doing what they loved no matter what that may look like. I ran clubs and lunch hours for students who wanted extra help with their art. I curated shows for them and just simply tried to elevate those who seemed interested in it. I did everything I could. Five years later, I couldn’t do it anymore. One day, while sketching at my desk, I looked up at my room full of students and I realized I was a fraud. For years, I had been telling kids they can follow their dreams and do whatever they wanted with their lives, while I was doing the exact opposite of that. I wanted to be in my sketchbook, not with these students. The very next day I walked into my principal’s office and quit. That is a true story. And a little over a year later, off of an artist’s salary, I paid off my entire student debt in full.
I feel like my life has truly just started. Had I been more prepared as a student, I may have been able to begin this fulfilling life 10 years ago. Everything happens for a reason, and I wouldn’t change my path if I could, but I do think that students and parents should really let kids explore a little more without the pressure of having to make a split decision. At 17, I feel it’s rare you really know what you want for the rest of your life. I know that I didn’t want to be a teacher, but a decision like that can affect you for years to come. Here I am 10 years later, lucky to be rid of that debt and that chapter of my life, but that choice at 17 very well could have affected me for a lifetime had I let it.
So, I guess to answer your question, I would say for the education system to focus on other paths just as much as they focus on further education. It’s not for everyone – and students should truly realize that they can do whatever they want. It’s one thing to say it, but they need to really know and understand that. I know I wish I did!
Nicole, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Growing up near the Jersey Shore, art and the ocean have always been my sources of therapy. I have drawn and painted waves for as long as I can remember. I was never one for traditional school, and I can recall sketching waves in my notebooks while the teachers lectured about some book they had us read or how to find the square root of Pi. During my teaching career, I would drive to the beach after school to paint and release my stress.
With all of this being said, the ocean has always been my favorite subject to portray. Being on the beach and having friends who surfed, I naturally became interested in painting surfboards. To be honest, I don’t surf… but I believe my love for the ocean and surfing go hand in hand. The upcycled surfboards that I paint help keep those old boards out of landfills and prevent me from having to buy new materials to paint on – so they help the ocean in their own little way as well. I’ve been painting surfboards for about five or six years now, and I’d say I have painted over 100 boards. Starting out, there was a lot of trial and error but I have finally mastered the process of painting on boards, and I have developed my own style in doing so. I have fallen madly in love with creating boards.
One of the main questions I always get from potential clients is if my boards are meant to be surfed on. While I have created many “surf-able” boards, my goal is to create works of art that are respected as fine art, the same way a canvas on a wall is respected. It’s just a different canvas. I believe I have taken the niche of surf art and really elevated it to a different level, and this is what I am really truly proud of. In February of 2022, while living in Key West, Florida, I had my first gallery opening. To see all of my boards hanging in such an elevated environment was really rewarding, and that entire collection of surfboards eventually sold out by May. I want clients to know that you don’t have to surf to have a surfboard of this style hanging in your home. These are pieces of art that celebrate the beauty of the ocean and all within it.
In June, my husband and I moved to San Diego, where I have really submersed myself into my niche of surfboard art. I am really excited to see what the year 2023 will bring. My portfolio of boards can be viewed at artbynicolemiller.com where many FAQs on commissioning a board are answered as well. Aside from surfboard art, I am also an experienced muralist and I create custom artwork of all kinds. These things can also be viewed at artbynicolemiller.com.
Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?
When I was transitioning from being a full-time teacher to a full-time surf artist, I read a book titled “Art Money Business” by Maria Brophy. Maria is the significant other to my favorite artist of all time, Drew Brophy. Drew is maybe the most successful surfboard artist in the world, and he is an idol of mine. Maria wrote this book explaining the basic tactics and mindset that they used to bring Drew’s work to the next level. The stories and lessons apply to all sorts of creatives, not just surfboard artists, and I would highly recommend anyone in the creative business to give it the time of day. I learned so much from this book and I still implement techniques from it into my everyday practice.
Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?
To be honest, I think that one of the hardest things about being a creative is valuing ourselves correctly and getting others to understand what we are worth. When people see the prices of my surfboards, sometimes they roll their eyes or gasp and walk away. There is only a handful of people who truly understand why the prices are what they are. Creating things by hand vs. having them massed produced are very different things. We put in so much time mastering our skills, and so much time creating each piece, and that is what you are paying for. Not to mention the insane cost of materials. I think that non-creatives should try to understand what went into the pieces that they see, because the process is the most valuable part. This does not mean everyone should purchase our items just because we worked hard on them, sometimes there is just a beauty in understanding.
Contact Info:
- Website: artbynicolemiller.com
- Instagram: @artbynicoleemiller
- Facebook: Art By Nicole Miller
- Other: Etsy Shop: etsy.com/shop/artbynmshop
Image Credits
Lindsay Pinto Photography (Key West, FL) Nicole Perfetuo, The Perfet Photo (San Diego, CA)