Meet Nicholas Pelekis

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

Nicholas, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.

That’s a great question, though I’m not sure if I found my purpose—or if my purpose found me.

From as far back as I can remember, I was always creative and drawn to the arts. However, growing up, pursuing art wasn’t met with much encouragement. The prevailing belief was that being an artist meant facing a lifetime of financial struggle and unemployment. People often ask artists, “But what do you really do for a living?” as if art could only ever be a hobby.
To sidestep that stigma, I chose a career in design—a creative field that promised stability and a respectable income. It felt like a good compromise: I could work creatively while avoiding uncomfortable conversations about being “just an artist.”
I advanced through the industry, working at prestigious design studios and eventually becoming a senior art director at an award-winning European advertising agency. While the career was exciting on paper, I felt trapped and creatively unfulfilled on the inside. Something vital was missing.

Seeking a deeper sense of purpose, I resigned and pursued a new challenge. I accepted a teaching role at a university in Asia, thinking it would be a one-year adventure teaching design to university students. That “one year” turned into a transformative decade.

Living so far from home, family, and friends reshaped my perspective on life. For years, I had followed a career path dictated by societal expectations, leaving me feeling empty. After 10 years in North East Asia, I made a bold decision: I returned home and enrolled in a Visual Arts degree.

The next three years were some of the most rewarding of my life. I explored artistic mediums I’d never considered before and finally felt at peace. My passion for art ran so deep that I pursued a Masters in Design & Contemporary Art afterwards.
So, how did I find my purpose? I found it when I stopped living by society’s expectations and started listening to what truly made me happy. Purpose isn’t about what others think you should be—it’s about following what feels right in your heart and makes your soul come alive.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I am a visual artist specializing in painting, and every day feels like a celebration of color and creativity. The joy of stepping into my studio, making a creative mess, and immersing myself in the playful exploration of color never ceases to amaze me. Not many can say their “day job” is this fulfilling.

My work invites viewers to pause, reflect, and connect with the intricate details often overlooked in everyday life. Drawing inspiration from urban and natural environments, I explore the subtle nuances surrounding us. Through my art, I push the boundaries of color, shape, and texture, creating pieces that are as dynamic as they are evocative. My inspiration evolves fluidly, shaped by current events and fleeting moments, reflecting the ever-changing nature of the world.
My paintings are a visual narrative of the world around me, weaving stories of nostalgia and memory through vibrant color and layered composition. By combining the interplay of opacity and translucency, I bring my experiences to life on the canvas, creating a dialogue between the past and the present.

Each artwork begins with a methodical yet intuitive process. I conduct thorough research on color and pair it with freeform mark-making. I create layered compositions rich in texture and depth using highly pigmented acrylics of varying viscosities and unconventional tools — often sourced from hardware stores rather than art shops. Abstract marks form the foundation of each piece, setting the tone for its evolution through layers of opaque paint and translucent washes. This process allows me to fully express my artistic vision and craft pieces that captivate with their complexity.

Currently, I am working on several large-scale paintings for an upcoming solo exhibition in Melbourne, Australia, set for late 2025. This next chapter represents an exciting evolution of my artistic journey, and I look forward to sharing it with the world.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Looking back, I’ve come to realize that everything in life happens for a reason. Every step, every decision, and every experience has served as preparation for where I stand today. If I had to do it all over again, here’s what I’d focus on:

First, stay hungry. Be hungry for knowledge — read as much as possible, seek to learn, and embrace the belief that knowledge is power. But don’t stop there. Be hungry for experiences, too. Say yes to life and be open to everything it has to offer. Not every experience will be positive, but even the difficult moments will teach you something valuable and help you grow.

Second, never settle. Don’t let yourself become complacent. Achieving one milestone doesn’t mean the journey is over. There’s always room to grow, improve, and discover new ways to push forward.

Lastly, stop comparing. In a world dominated by social media, it’s easy to fall into the trap of comparing your life and achievements to others. But when you take a moment to reflect, you’ll realize how unique we all are. Comparison is pointless and a waste of your most precious resource: time. Focus instead on your own path. Your journey is yours alone; how you walk it is entirely up to you.

Everything in life is a stepping stone, and each step — good or bad — will lead you exactly where you’re meant to be.

Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?

Ultimately, it has always been up to me. Somewhere in my late twenties, I realized that I am 100% accountable for my actions, and my decisions are the driving force behind where I stand today. The challenges I’ve faced were often the byproduct of choices I made — or failed to make — years earlier. Embracing this level of accountability has been transformative, allowing me to cultivate the skills and knowledge needed for success. These weren’t handed to me by anyone else; they were created and enabled by me. And that has made all the difference.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicholas.pelekis/