Meet Nikki Ackerman

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

Nikki, so happy to have you with us today. You are such a creative person, but have you ever head any sort of creativity block along the way? If so, can you talk to us about how you overcame or beat it?

Creative blocks as an artist are inevitable. Personally, they always sneak up on me when I need to be creative the most- usually when I have a full load of client projects on my desk or when I’m facing a big deadline. I remember struggling with creative blocks even as a child; I have been painting, drawing, creating my entire life and I think these blocks are just a part of the process we have to accept, submit to, and incorporate into the creative process as a whole. I find I always come out of a block on the other side with a fresh perspective. It has taken years of practice to not get too frustrated with a creative block and much trial and error in how to escape from one, but I confidently know how to ride the wave and let it take me to new artistic solutions. Creativity is part of my being and I cannot escape it even when the muse is not on my side- I just have to find it obscure places, often unrelated to my current project at hand. I find it in books, in magazines, on Pinterest, in coffee shops, advertisements, color combinations, food growing in my garden- the list could go on and on; however all of these places have one thing in common, it can be found where I am not expecting it. When I am feeling uninspired, I remove myself from the stale task at hand and immerse myself in a new one. You’d be surprised what inspiration you can pull from a walk around the neighborhood or an afternoon cup of tea.

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

I own artxnikki, a watercolor art + goods company! We sell fine art prints created from my original watercolor paintings as well as a variety of gift and stationery products featuring my art and illustration. We are based in Tallahassee, Florida and hold collegiate licensing with Florida State University, allowing us to create and carry a wide range of FSU themed art and product. Our company themes focus upon nostalgia and celebration with much influence of vintage art and illustration. We recently closed our brick and mortar store due to tornado damage but will be celebrating the grand opening of our next venture in a few weeks: we are opening a mobile boutique! We had a custom made camper created based on the 60’s Shasta camper model. Inside of the camper we created a unique shopping experience that will be curated for each specific event/market we are set up at. We will soon be releasing an FSU Tailgate product collection for fall football season, go Noles!

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Confidence, persistence, and ambition have been very impactful qualities in my journey to becoming an artist and business owner. I’ve been told for as long as I can remember that it’s near impossible to be financially successful as an artist and that the “starving artist” notion is the only truth about the industry. I have known from a young age, down to a cellular level, that I am on this earth to be creating and making art; it is the only thing I am naturally driven to do, and the only thing I am pulled to do on both a personal and a professional level. In college, we were convinced the only successful artist path was to be showing in galleries, applying to shows, spearheading exhibitions- I wanted to challenge this. I am not a natural salesperson, hate being under the spotlight, and knew deep down I could define my own success as an artist in a way that fit my personality and desires. I have been blindly confident (sometimes to a fault) in pursing a career of owning a fine arts based product company. For example, I am doing something entirely new in the collegiate goods world by offering products based solely on my watercolor paintings, bringing a new artistic twist to the typically digital logo central industry. I am not showing in art galleries, by choice, but am still a respected watercolor artist, selling affordable and carefully sourced products. My art is still in the hands of thousands of people but not because I listened to the voices telling me the starving artist way was the only way. Pave your own path, be your own boss, create the dream job instead of expecting there to be one offered to you- I promise it will be more fulfilling at the end of the day.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

I am always looking for small businesses to collaborate and partner with! I have recently been working with some small boutiques and restaurants to create artwork for merchandise that is tailored to their brand. I recently worked with a local indie bookstore and created artwork for shirts, tote bags, book marks, and postcards for their yearly Indie Bookstore Day celebration- it was so fun to combine my love for fellow small business, product development, and reading all in one project! If you’re a small business owner and want unique hand-illustrated/painted artwork for branding or a product collection, I am your girl! You can send us a message with some details on our website contact page: https://artxnikki.com/pages/contact or email us at [email protected]

Contact Info:

• Website: https://artxnikki.com
• Instagram: @artxnikki / @artxnikkistudio
• Other: Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/artxnikki/

  TikTok: @artxnikkistudio