Meet Nikki Davis

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

Nikki, we’ve been so fortunate to work with so many incredible folks and one common thread we have seen is that those who have built amazing lives for themselves are also often the folks who are most generous. Where do you think your generosity comes from?

I consider myself very fortunate because of the amazing people who have supported me throughout my professional career and creative journey. I couldn’t credit my success to ONLY myself. While I work very hard to do well in all that I do, I’m incredibly grateful for the individuals who have taken their time to listen, teach, and encourage me through my development as a creative. It’s because of these generous mentors and peers that I’m inspired to extend that same patience and generosity to others.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I grew up in a very small town (population less than 500). We didn’t have art classes available, but I was always finding ways to exercise my creativity. It was when I took my first Yearbook class that I learned about “graphic design” as a career path. While my lack of experience made for an intimidating experience my first semester of college as a declared art major, it didn’t take long for me to feel reassured that this was the career path I wanted to keep pursuing. The excitement soon replaced my fear, and I fell in love with multiple mediums along the way.

Of all the art electives I took while pursing my degree, photography especially struck a chord with me. After I graduated and had accepted my first full-time junior designer job, I also started my freelance photography business to pursue on the weekends. Both endeavors have been successful for me, so much so that I’ve had to step away from photography for the time being to recover from burnout. It’s been a rocky lesson for me to manage my time and energy better so that I don’t lose my creative spark from overworking. I’m learning as I go!

My graphic design career began as an intern/junior graphic designer at a local advertising agency where I was eventually promoted to art director. I worked for that company for 4 years before moving on to my next adventure where I worked for a print & marketing company. I was able to learn so much about the art of print in my 5 years there, but I’ve found myself back in the agency world again. I really enjoy the versatility of small agencies and the opportunities that come with it!

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Patience… I tend to struggle with “not being good” at things, even if it’s a brand new skill I want to acquire. The beginning phases of learning a new skill can be frustrating and clumsy. I think I’ve had to learn (the hard way) that developing a skill takes consistency and PATIENCE. The more patient I am with myself, the kinder I am to myself as well. And I can guaranteed I’ve experienced much better results when I practice patience and kindness with myself. It also helps when applied to peers and colleagues too.

I also think having a healthy self-awareness is very helpful. When I was a younger professional, I felt a sense of shame for my ignorance or lack of knowing. But that’s a necessary step in the process of learning and growing as a creative. I no longer feel shame for not having a particular skill or knowledge of a subject because that means it’s a prime opportunity for growth. No one is expected to be an expert in every category of life, and that’s why I love working in collaborative team environments. If I’m aware of a blind spot in my skill arsenal, I can reach out to another individual I know with that skillset to either help or teach me.

And lastly, I think honesty is crucial. This stems from my own personal struggles with burnout. While I do encourage honesty with others, what I’m really referencing here is honesty with YOURSELF. I’ve had to learn to frequently self-assess my workload and bandwidth because I was not honest with myself for years on end. It lead to constant cycles of burnout, my last being my worst burnout yet. I believe it’s so, so important to check in with yourself regularly. I encourage everyone to make tough decisions when it means protecting your creative energy, even if it may disappoint others.

Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?

I love, love, love “Steal Like An Artist” by Austin Kleon. I don’t consider myself an avid reader because my ADHD mind likes to wander when I read, but this book was a very quick and entertaining read. Even at my grown adult age, I still prefer visuals along with the text, and this book had a great balance of both.

One of my favorite points in this book is relieving yourself from the pressure of being “original” because nothing in life is truly original. He uses genetics as an example here: we are made up of both our mother and father genetically, but we still are unique in our own way. We aren’t “original” per se but a sum of influences.

I worry my summarization of this book won’t do it justice, so I highly encourage it as a must-read to all creatives!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://dribbble.com/nikgholson
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikgholsonphoto/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikki-davis-a56736105/