We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Nicole Niteka. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Nicole below.

Hi Nicole, thanks for joining us today. Let’s jump right into how you came up with the idea?

Picture this: It’s the dead of winter in NYC – I’m about less than a year post-grad, and working a 12-hour training shift for a restaurant job that hired me on the spot (that should’ve been red flag #1). By the time I got back from that first shift at midnight, I was exhausted, emotional, and defeated. You would’ve thought my first instinct would’ve been to get some sleep before my second shift the next day, right? NOPE. Not me. Instead, I open my laptop and start making a plan. A business plan of sorts. But that truly wasn’t my intention. I was just desperate to figure out a way to spend my days knowing I was contributing to something greater than me – and in a world where you need money to do, well, anything, that meant starting a business.

So, flashback to a few months prior, November 2023. I’m sitting in my childhood home in Fargo, North Dakota (more on that later) and trying my very best to sit with the discomfort of not knowing what the future held. After calling every friend who would pick up, blowing up the group chat, journaling, crying, ranting, all of it, I decided to make a list. I titled it “What Do I Want My Life to Look Like?”. Very quickly, I realized how ‘off’ that title felt. It wasn’t true. I didn’t care what my life looked like. I cared about what it felt like. So the yellow notepad got a few more scribbles and the list got a new name: “What Do I Want My Life to FEEL Like?”.

The list was short. I wanted flexible hours, the ability to work for myself but not always alone, etc. Those things were nice, sure, but when I got to the root of my desires I realized what I truly craved. I wanted to be fulfilled creatively so that I could connect with others. You know that saying, “you can’t pour from an empty cup”? I just wanted my cup to be full so I could adequately fill others’. I wanted to feel calm, joyous, and secure – and I wanted to be able to pass that down. And that’s how Niteka Creative, my freelance photography business, came to be. I quit the restaurant job very soon after.

There was no logic behind my leap of faith. Just courage, commitment, and radical self-belief (fun fact: those are my three guiding words). I knew nothing could feel worse than the position I had been in, so I just went for it. Some call it naivety – I think it’s just optimism.

Nicole, 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?

Originally from Fargo, North Dakota, Nicole Niteka is a writer, director, actor, and self-taught digital photographer. She is a proud first-generation American with a passion for sharing stories of humanity in various formats. Her curiosity for behind camera work stems from wanting to embolden others through her lens, ensuring that each individual client and collaborator feels empowered by their unique background and perspective. She was first introduced to camera work in college, when specializing her major to Acting for Film and TV. She quickly found herself being more drawn to working behind the camera instead of in front.

Nicole currently freelances as a photographer, photo assistant, and production assistant.​ Outside of photography, Nicole holds a degree in Drama from New York University. She is currently set to direct her first short-film in early 2026, and is developing a feature film loosely based on her upbringing in North Dakota.

Her work can been seen in Playbill, Deadline, and Essence Magazine.

www.nitekacreative.com

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I originally went to school for musical theatre (and eventually acting). In 2022, I was diagnosed with a vocal injury, extremely severe nodules. I had to get surgery and was left unable to speak for about 3 weeks, which genuinely was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do in my life (for context: I have a hard time not speaking for about 30 seconds LOL).

The stillness brought a lot of grief – about who I was as a performer, whether or not I had the capacity to sing, and to be honest, if I even really wanted to do it. It also brought a lot of revelation. The silence forced me to revisit learning how to express myself through writing. It was the catalyst to writing my first few pilots, and eventually my feature. I used to think of the vocal injury as a pivot or setback, but now I think it was exactly what I needed. I just didn’t know it at the time.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The people and the lessons. Every single job introduces me to someone new and teaches me something I never knew before. I think that’s why I love balancing my freelance photography work with assisting in bigger productions. My photography is oftentimes personal and intimate: just me, one other person, their playlist, and good conversation. Whereas working on a commercial for example is the sum of all its parts. We’ll be wrapping up a project and I’ll always think to myself “there’s no way anyone could’ve done this alone”. It makes me emotional every time.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.nitekacreative.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nitekacreative/#

Image Credits

Red Backdrop: Korrin Dering
Orange Backdrop: James Jin
Gallery photo (white skirt): Migiani Piciato
Rest: Provided by Nicole Niteka