Meet Nicole Vreeland

We recently connected with Nicole Vreeland and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Nicole, thanks for sitting with us today to chat about topics that are relevant to so many. One of those topics is communication skills, because we live in an age where our ability to communicate effectively can be like a superpower. Can you share how you developed your ability to communicate well?

My education in effective communication began before I fully understood what that even meant. When I was a kid, my father led formal weekly family discussions delving into everything from deep listening to conflict resolution. What at the time felt like a chore planted the seeds of a lifelong fascination with human connection, people’s journeys, and discovering what lies beneath words.
That early foundation created a natural love of storytelling—a desire not only to understand others but also to give voice to experiences through both writing and visual art. Over time, this evolved into a personal mission to communicate clearly while remaining open to others so they can share who they are safely, honestly, and without shame. This “directive” also provided the bonus of giving myself permission to be unabashedly curious and free to exploring creatively without limitations.
The commitment to connect with others and myself deepened as I faced hardships, healed, and became more engaged with my inner voice. Beyond building bridges —whether through similarities or across differences— communication is an act of creation and exploration. It’s something that requires trust and courage to step into risk even when full of doubt. Some of my earliest lessons in engaging meaningfully (and in finding courage) came not from words, but from the repeated exposure to uncomfortable feelings associated with being vulnerable. Those moments taught me that fear and action can coexist. That lesson shaped my empathy and compassion, fostering understanding and building my confidence to reach out to others and embrace new ideas. Along the way, my purpose coalesced into creating meaningful art and spaces where people feel seen and heard.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

My love of creating and art has been present for as long as I can remember. Countless hours spent drawing and writing as a child paved the way for years of storytelling and creative exploration. While formal education has always been important to me, much of what I’ve learned has been self-taught. Beyond writing and drawing, I’ve tried my hand at many things including painting, woodworking, lapidary, hot glass beadmaking, jewelry making, ceramics, and photography. While my primary career was as a fitness professional (teaching, training, and leadership), I always had artistic side gigs and even spent a few years making and selling wire/metal jewelry and ceramics.
Ceramics was one subject that I chose to learn about through classes at my local community college. Through relationships forged in class, I found myself in a highly rewarding position as an instructional aide in the art department. Being immersed in all of that talent and creativity fed my hunger to learn more, and other types of art classes followed, including 3D modeling. That first class changed everything! I discovered a new passion.
In a terrifying leap of faith, I quit working as a fitness professional and enrolled in art school. I just graduated with a BFA with a focus on Game Arts. I specialize in modeling, texturing, lighting, and rendering immersive environments with narratives that carry emotional and narrative weight. My work blends traditional artistic techniques with programs like Maya, Unreal Engine, and Substance Painter, allowing me to shape spaces that feel both imaginative and grounded.
What excites me most about this work is the intersection of world-building and emotional resonance. I believe environments are more than backgrounds, serving as characters in their own right. They’re capable of shaping how people feel, connect, and move through a story. Whether it’s a diner on a forgotten moon full of defunct rebellious robots or a viewing room in a submarine occupied by a lonely figure, I’m drawn to spaces that evoke examination and reflection.
At the heart of everything I do is a desire to create places—digital or emotional—where people are invited to become curious, explore, and connect. Whether through my environments, writing, or through using other artistic mediums, I aim to make work that feels alive, intentional, soul-filled, and fun.
The next step in my journey is to find work. While I think it would be a lot of fun to create for TV, movies, or video games, there are many industries that are now using 3D Modeling. Ultimately, my goal is to use my skills to contribute in a positive way, perhaps through working on games focused on mental health or neurodiversity, modeling environments for museums that allow patrons to learn and engage with exhibits online, or maybe even continuing my education so I can model prosthetics. I’m excited for whatever comes next.

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, three qualities that have stood out as the most impactful in my journey are curiosity, perseverance, and an inexhaustible drive for growth, knowledge, and connection. Curiosity was the spark that lit everything, pushing me to ask questions, seek out answers, and see challenges as invitations to learn. It wasn’t just about finding information, but about staying open to discovery and delighting in the unknown. Perseverance was the steadying force that kept me moving when the answers weren’t easy to find or when I was facing the sometimes tedious repetition required to build foundational skills. It taught me to keep going, to adapt and reframe setbacks as opportunities, and to trust that every experience educates and can help me take a step forward.
The need to learn and grow is a restless, electric energy that refuses to settle. It’s not necessarily about wanting more but about recognizing there’s always another layer to uncover, another idea to explore, another facet of myself and others to meet. This drive has been both a challenge and a gift, compelling me to remain unsatisfied with what I know, and needing to dive deeper and expand further.
My advice for anyone at the start of their journey? Let your curiosity lead you into new spaces without shame. Embrace perseverance as a practice, not a punishment. And honor that quest for growth as a sacred part of who you are that keeps you alive, expanding, and open to all the wonder still waiting to be found. Equally important is incorporating downtime where you can relax, play, and fully engage with others and yourself.

We’ve all got limited resources, time, energy, focus etc – so if you had to choose between going all in on your strengths or working on areas where you aren’t as strong, what would you choose?

I’ve spent a lot of time pondering if it’s actually better to focus primarily on building strengths as opposed to spending time working on weaknesses. There’s a strong argument for going all in on natural gifts; it’s certainly easier and can help a person more quickly stand out as an expert in their field. Following strengths seems like an intelligent path to success, one I sometimes wish I could follow.
I’ve always been driven by curiosity—about people, how things connect, and how seemingly unrelated ideas end up informing and influencing each other. Whether good or bad, that fascination with the world makes it almost impossible for me to focus only on strengths. Even knowing I would likely be “better” or more of an expert if I specialized, there’s a pull to explore beyond that comfort zone. I’ve come to realize that more than just a personality trait or a need to learn and understand, reaching beyond strengths is part of how I understand growth.
Working on weaknesses is where I learn the most about myself. It’s often an uncomfortable process that can result in overwhelm and fear, both of failure and of what it means to succeed in areas that don’t feel natural. The cycle of uncertainty and doubt is real. However, those moments of discomfort also create space for deeper empathy, new insights, and connections I couldn’t have predicted. Every time I push into an area I’m not naturally strong in, I discover something that loops back to strengthen what I already know or do well. Like an ouroboros, everything feeds everything else (sometimes in ways I don’t even recognize until much later).
Honestly, I’ve always felt weird about wanting to be “seen” or recognized for my art. Advocating for myself has never come easily. I’m great at championing others and seeing their gifts, but turning that same lens inward or saying, “This is what I can do,” has been one of the hardest things to face. When I was a fitness professional, I was the expert in the room, but the focus was always on someone else’s journey. Teaching or leading a group wasn’t a big deal because it wasn’t about me. Art is different. Proactively sharing creative work feels akin to standing center stage under a spotlight, naked.
Stepping into this world as an artist has been incredibly intimidating, especially because 3D modeling is something I’ve only been doing for about five years. It’s a constant cycle of learning, doubt, and the fear of not being “enough” yet, particularly when seeing the work of so many incredibly talented artists. I have to remind myself that nothing in my life has ever happened exactly how I thought or planned. Why should this be any different? I bring more than just 3D modeling skills; I bring the willingness to sit in discomfort, to learn constantly, and to keep moving even when I’m scared.
I don’t think there’s an answer that’s correct for everyone. I think it’s about figuring out which path feels most authentic. In my case, it’s about learning to navigate the tension of using my strengths as a foundation while stretching beyond them. It’s not always easy (it can even be momentarily demoralizing), and sometimes it means accepting that I might never be an “expert” in the traditional sense. But that’s okay. The real growth—the real magic—happens in the in-between, in the places where strengths and weaknesses meet and shape each other.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.artstation.com/artbynikkiv
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artbynikkiv
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/artbynikkiv/
• Other: Adobe Portfolio: https://nicolevreeland.myportfolio.com/

  Carrd site with links and contact info: https://artbynikkiv.carrd.co