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

Hi Nikki Carmela, thanks for joining us today. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

Working full time as a creative is a constant challenge, but also extremely rewarding. There are pro’s and con’s of course, but mainly you need have thick skin and be as level headed as one can be. Maintaining mental agility is key. In my younger years, i had tried many avenues of making an income, such as, desk job, waitress, store employee etc. None of these filled my soul and began to cripple me mentally and emotionally. I will always thank my dad for being the one that first told me “You are too creative to sit behind a desk, go pursue your passions.” That was the push I needed to truly follow my dreams. I feel as though fear of the unknown and rejection can often hold people back from truly reaching their “next”. But hey, if it were easy than everyone would do it. I never shy away from a challenge especially when it comes to reaching my goals and overall growth as a human being. This is also true with my career as a multi demential artist and running a production company.

Nikki Carmela, 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?

For those who have not read about me before, My name is Nikki Carmela. I am a Co-Founder of Eternal Film Productions and a multifaceted artist renowned for my works in directing, special effects makeup artistry, and overall storytelling. Born with synesthesia, I’ve always possesses a unique ability to see colors and shapes associated with sound and music, influencing my artistic expression in profound ways. My synesthetic experiences infuse my work with a depth of emotion and symbolism including my directorial debut in the short film titled “Come Back” as well as 10+ years of makeup artistry/ creature creations.

My journey as an artist has taken me from Musical Theatre, to Special Effects and Beauty, to Directing and to cultivating a full service multimedia production company with my life partner Alexander Thomas. Together we combine our shared knowledge of the film industry, creative visions and skills, along with over all love and passion for the arts to bring forth unique imagery unlike anything that is currently out there.

The overall goal in life and within Eternal Film Productions is to inspire and leave an everlasting impact on all those who experience it.

How’d you meet your business partner?

When I first met Alexander, he was unlike anyone I had ever met before. His mind was captivating and our conversations were mesmerizing from the start. I had never met another individual whose mind was so similar to mine, yet provoked such intense mental stimulation within my core. It felt as if the magnet of my soul was being drawn to his. (come to find out that we shared the same birthday as well as similar childhood stories and experiences). What started off as a strong friendship and work partnership then developed into the greatest love I never knew existed.

We understand each other at level that I cannot even begin to put into words, and also challenge each other constantly to grow and learn. Thus compelling us to embark on the journey of building our own company together, Eternal Film Productions. We write together, Produce together and Direct together. I view this as our super power. Although maintaining the balance of a work partnership along with a romantic partnership can have its challenges, this only makes us stronger as individuals and as a unit.

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

For me, the most rewarding aspect of being an artist or creative is the journey, the process, and the final result. There is something so incredible fulfilling of seeing an idea through till the end. Every project is like your own child in that way. Starting with an idea, figuring out how you will execute that idea with the knowledge you already obtain in addition to what resources you may need to outsource and how to obtain those. Developing on that vision and challenging yourself to make it the best it can possibly be. Within filmmaking specifically: how will the camera language tell the story? What feelings are you trying to express? How does the lighting and sound illustrate this? Personally I love the psychology and pre planning thats involved before the actual production is ready to shoot. Planning each scene in full detail, the look and feel of each shot, movement etc.

Then once on set, having all of your hard work being brought to life by your cast and crew is exhilarating. From a directorial stand point, team building and leading is essential. You must provide your cast and crew with the proper information within conveying the story and trusting in the artists to understand and bring that to life. Having an overall understanding of each department is key.

The editing process is its own journey and just as rewarding. Reviewing the footage you got on set and piecing together how the story will be conveyed can be stressful, time consuming but overall worth the efforts. Once that first edit is done, you may think to yourself “this is trash i hate it” until you find the perfect balance and are pleased with the end result. Its a journey, and takes a lot on an individual both physically and mentally, but there is no way to express the absolute joy and fulfillment a finished project provides.

Contact Info:

• Website: eternalfilmproductions.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/nikkicarmela
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eternalfilmproductions
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikki-carmela-peters-298274267/
• Other: instagram.com/eternalfilmproductions