Meet Nikkolas Smith: Artivist / Author / Illustrator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Nikkolas Smith and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nikkolas, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I am grateful I got to work for a big company for a few years because it definitely helped me to understand better what I wanted in creating my own business. Eventually I wanted to tell my own story and create from my unique point of view. My mom growing up up used to tell me one day I will have your own business and that with that came a lot of other skills I had to better myself at, such as organization. Having you own business requires definitely organization, discipline, and commitment.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am an Artivist, a children’s book author and illustrator and a Film Concept Artist. I create different types of Art. But my Artivism is what defines my works best. I create art that speaks to social justice and inspire people to make a positive change in the world. Sometimes it is not easy at all, because what I draw might be painful, but other times it is joyful and hopeful. I wish I didn’t have to create so many artivist pieces related to death like my tributes to George Floyd or Breonna Taylor, but at the same time I know my art can be a therapeutic tool for so many people—it causes people to think and talk about issues that are often very uncomfortable to deal with. I was a Walt Disney Imagineer designing theme parks for 11 years before I decided to become a full time freelance artist. It has been an incredible transition, and above all a constant growth. I have collaborated with big publishers, all major film studios, powerful organizations and I am extremely grateful of the journey I have embarked. I think most of the time, we get caught in asking ourselves too many negative hypothetical questions, instead of focusing on positive affirmations. And I think a great exercise as a freelance is believing in your skills and your craft. My style of art is what I would call unfinished, painterly, semi-abstract. Most of my works are included in my book Sunday Sketch: The Art of Nikkolas.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I live in Koreatown and I love the vibe of this part of Los Angeles. There are so many incredible restaurants of all different cuisines you can think about. I love Simply Pho You for a great Pho, Tarboosh for Middle Eastern food, Slurping’ Ramen, and of course Korean BBQ at King Ho Dong Baekjeong, a good pastry at Paris Baguette. I also love walking around because there are some wonderful Art Deco buildings. One of my favorite spots in LA is definitely the Griffith Observatory, which gives the opportunity to anyone visiting LA to really understand how big the City of Angels is. The view from there is incredible. And once you are there, you can go hike and see the Hollywood sign, which is also a must when visiting.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Definitely my wife Vanessa! When I met her, I didn’t have an online store and she helped me look at the business side of things. Being an Artist means learning how to understand your worth and sometimes artists are not good at that. She is a creative as well and comes from film and I think her being a documentary filmmaker that shoots, edits and produces has taught her all aspects of a production. She applies those principles to my business. She takes care of all my communications, online store, administration, all the necessary documents I need to have organized and I have learned a lot from her. At the same time we both learn everyday, especially because my business has grown a lot in the last year. I think a key is being multitasking and she is great at that.

Website: www.nikkolas.art
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikkolas_smith
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikkolas-smith
Twitter: https://twitter.com/4NIKKOLAS
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nikksmith https://www.facebook.com/4NIKKOLAS
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dt_BR9zaHuw