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

Nikki, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

I grew up in western Massachusetts playing soccer for sixteen years. I had always loved creating, but didn’t have a lot of time as I reached middle and high school when soccer became more competitive and I became a prospect for college athletics. In high school I took art classes, which I loved, and I got to explore more mediums than I ever had access to before. My school didn’t have much in the way of digital art beyond a photography class where we used Photoshop, but I was becoming more and more interested in digital creations during this time.
I tentatively decided that I wanted to major in graphic design, which took my parents some time to adjust to, but they eventually were on board. At the time I had a D1 offer at a school in Boston, but on the way home from a game one weekend my mom and I stopped by a college fair being held nearby. I saw SCAD stationed at one of the booths and went over, I remembered seeing the Savannah College of Art & Design on some lists online for schools with highly regarded programs, but had read that they didn’t have athletics. At the booth I learned this was not the case, and that moment was when I decided. I got in contact with the coach, and committed to the team a few months later.
Once I got there, I learned how tiny my perspective of the creative world had been up to that point. I was surrounded by some of the most talented people I had ever met, who were pros in areas I had never heard of. It was an amazing experience, it showed me how much more was out there, and how to get it. After my first year I switched my major to interactive and game design instead of graphic, because I didn’t even realize it was an option before. During my time at SCAD I felt as though I was playing catchup in most of my classes, everyone already seemed to know how to use the softwares I had never seen before, and my professors generally had a “DIY” mentality when it came to our progress. While this was stressful at times, it taught me how to adapt.
Balancing my class-load and my athletics was overwhelming, but it was such an important lesson to learn. Things are changing all the time, especially when it comes to digital art (AI wasn’t as much of a thing when I graduated in 2021 for example), so being able to learn on the fly is one of the greatest skills I could have acquired. It’s been something that helps me not only in my craft, but in all aspects of my life. Life is art, so don’t be afraid to think critically about how your skillset can make you standout in all aspects of it.

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.

My name is Nikki Abel, I’m from Massachusetts, and I consider myself a jack of all trades. I’ve worked in a variety of fields up to this point, but my passions lie in game design and dog training. I went to school for interactive design and game development, where I found my love for the craft after being a lifetime gamer. I graduated with my Bachelor’s while working at the Humane Society nearby my school and where I adopted my first puppy of my own (my family was born and raised with beagles, but I opted for a funny little pitbull/coonhound mix at the shelter). Once I moved back home with my family in North Carolina where they had relocated to, I began to work as a dog trainer. These were some of the most formative years I’ve had so far in my adult life, and where I learned so much about people (and dogs of course).
I started a small business selling handmade dog accessories, and I continued to practice my design skills through that, as well as freelance work that I do for dog training companies, and others I’ve meet through my journey.
Right now I boast an extensive range of work, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m learning so much through everything I do, be it training dogs, designing games, animating music videos, sewing pet accessories, or simply just meeting people in town. Having all of these different hats to pull from, I find myself able to adapt to whatever comes my way, you’d be surprised how much you can learn about what people like from what dogs like. It cannot be understated the importance of putting yourself out there, you never know what doors open when you do!

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

Life is hard. Everyone can agree on that. My mission is to make it just a little bit more fun, easy, accessible, etc. I struggled when I was young with taking breaks, I still do sometimes, but I’ve learned just how utterly important it is to do so. Nothing can go for long without balance, so any way that I can help to balance something for someone, I take that chance. When I create, I am trying to create something that people can be drawn to. I want my brand identity to be reminiscent of a breath of fresh air.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

“That’s just how it is.” I’ve heard this countless times in the short years I’ve been alive so far. In life, in school, in work, there always seemed to be this unspoken “it” that couldn’t change, but no one could explain to me why. As I gained perspective and spread my wings, I began to break out of the predetermined life that had been laid out for me, and saw just how big the world really is. I learned that things most definitely can change, and in fact they do constantly! The status quo is firmly planted, but it is ALWAYS subject to change. It’s a beautiful thing to learn that we are able to create positive change even with the smallest acts of kindness. Unlearning the “it” of the past opens you up to possibilities for innovation you wouldn’t see from inside the box, letting you grow and change throughout your life; and isn’t that the point?

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @huh.nikki
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikkiabel