We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Nigel Darius. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Nigel below.
Nigel, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?
As many artists know, our work becomes an extension of who we are. I think it’s safe to say that many creatives don’t pick their own path, they stumble into it by natural causes or become drawn to a particular field after discovering what exists within them.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I’m a 29-year-old creative from Atlanta, GA. I spend most of my days writing, ideating, and creating. That could look like writing scripts for commercials, being on camera to help tell a story, or on a stage teaching at a conference.
The work I do is awfully broad but very focused. As a creative director, I’ve worked with clients like McDonald’s, Chick-fil-A, and REI to name a few. Outside of my time on (or off) camera, I’m often at my desk or a coffee shop trying to bring big ideas to life.
Over the past 3 years, I’ve published 2 books, and I’m currently working on a handful of others, too.
As much as I’ve established myself and built out my portfolio I really do believe that the next decade of my life is going to be very special. All previous work has been wonderful, but I truly do believe that I’ve barely scratched the surface of what I’m capable of creatively & entrepreneurially.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
I’ve been told no a lot.
When asking for growth opportunities at old jobs. When applying for grants. When asking individuals to be my mentor. When adjusting my content to meet the ask of the algorithm. When sending cold emails with great intentions. When investing my money into projects that I believe in. When I’ve depended on others for assistance.
I’ve learned that “no” is natural, and often when it comes to someone else believing in you and using their resources to take a risk on you, no is typically their first response.
However, the beauty is this is that I’ve never lost my belief. Belief in my work, belief in my craft. Belief in myself. I’ve learned that I have to see it & pursue it even when others aren’t willing to give it a second look.
If we let other people determine our level of resilience based on how they engage with us we’ll fall flat on everything we’re fighting for.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
Being an artist or creative is a legitimate blessing.
To think that you were created with the privilege to express and create, naturally (in great excess) is nothing less than a gift.
Contact Info:
- Website: nigeldarius.com
- Instagram: @nigeldarius
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nigel-wallace-626468101/
Image Credits
Photography by Dillon Coke @_dmcoke