Meet Nicole Miller | Surf Artist (Art By Nicole Miller)

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

Hi Nicole, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
It’s interesting because as I had mentioned before, being a full-time artist was always something that I have envisioned myself doing, but I took an odd path to get here. Ever since I was a child, I had this weird fire that burned inside of me when it came to creating. When I was just a toddler, my parents gave me a small desk that we put in the corner of my bedroom. I would get lost in the hours as I sat there making anything and everything I could with any materials I came across. Most kids spent their time playing with toys or watching cartoons, but I would just make stuff. And this is how I was for my entire life.

It wasn’t until high school that I really began to share and explore my artistic talents. With the pressure of deciding what “real career” I wanted to pursue, I started looking into degrees that would allow me to continue to be creative. The option of not going to college never crossed my mind. There were a few reasons for this; one being that I really wanted to get away from home and have that freedom… but the main reason was all of the voices around me putting the pressure on me about going to college. It wasn’t that people told me I had to go to college, it was just assumed that I was going. This included my parents, my teachers, guidance counselors, and all of my friends that were going to college. Based on what everyone else was saying and doing, it just never crossed my mind that I’d be able to build a life for myself without that further education. I know it seems silly, but at 17 years old you don’t really have the ability to think like that on your own. It’s scary. I’ve noticed that most people that I went to school with aren’t even using the degree that they went for. It’s crazy that we have to make decisions like that at such a young age.

I really looked up to my high school art teacher, so at 17 I decided that I would go to college to be an art teacher as well. College was a roller coaster for me. I thought about dropping out every single year. Something never felt right or natural about what I was doing, and I had a really rough four years. I did get a job right out of college, though, as a middle school art teacher in Florence, NJ. I would spend every second that I had outside of school creating work that made me happy. I would drive to the beach after school and paint just to clear my mind.I devoted my summers to my art as well. I had been selling my artwork since I was about 16, but I started seriously selling my work during my first year of teaching in 2017, which is when I made my business official.

In August of 2019, the love of my life proposed to me and asked me to move to Key West, FL with him (he is in the military). I resigned from the middle school I was teaching at and moved to the Keys with him that summer. With mounds of student debt, a wedding coming up and a car to pay off, I wasn’t quite ready to give up the stability of teaching yet. I started off as a permanent sub while I waited for an opportunity as an art teacher, and then COVID-19 hit hard. I was denied unemployment and had to figure out a way to make money. That’s when I dove deep into my art business. I got a real taste of what it would be like to survive solely based on my art.

In August 2020 I was offered a full-time art teaching position at a school in Key West, and with the financial burden I had at the time, I decided to take the offer. But the momentum I had built with my art business during the heat of COVID didn’t slow down. I got married in October that year and by February 2021 I had decided I couldn’t balance it all anymore. I chose to quit teaching for good. This was the best decision I had ever made in my life. I realized during the pandemic that if I give myself the time, I could build something really great with the passion and drive that I had inside of me. Just like when I was a little girl and I had endless time at my desk in my bedroom. It only took a year and a half after becoming a full-time artist to pay off my student debt, my car debt and my wedding. I was overall more successful in this time than the entire four years I had spent teaching.

This June, my husband was relocated to San Diego, CA, where I continue to grow and build my business.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I truly believe that as an artist or a small business owner, it is not your talent that will be the success of your brand. Being authentically you is what will ultimately help you succeed! Just a few days ago a gallery owner told me that my art was just okay. I wasn’t even offended or upset by it. I know that I am not the most perfect artist out there and that my techniques might be a little odd or not “normal” or “right.” He told me that I should take advice from another skilled artist he had in his gallery, but I told him I’m happy to be who I am and that people don’t love my art because it is textbook perfect. I am always willing to grow, but I don’t want to grow in any other direction but where I am meant to grow. It’s important not to compare yourself to others, which is especially hard with social media these days. I’ve been in that hard place of comparing my art to other skilled ocean and surf artists, but at the end of the day people love my art because it is unique to me and my personality shines through. So, that would be my greatest word of advice! To stay strong and authentically yourself! That is how we succeed as artists.

I also think that taking risks is really important when it comes to building a small business. Every day we face hard decisions that could potentially make or break us. I’ve had to take risks as small as spending $100 on a vendor booth in hopes I make my money back, to things as big as agreeing to do a live interview on Fox 5 News with virtually no knowledge about what I’d be asked. At the end of the day, these risks are what build us and what present us with more opportunity. I spent money on a vendor booth and made no money at the event, but met my largest client to date that day. The biggest risk I ever took was walking into the principal’s office at the school I worked at, and quitting to be a full-time artist. That huge risk has granted me my biggest reward: the time and energy to build the business and the life I have always wanted.

It’s hard for me to think about an “end goal.” If you were to talk to me two years ago, I never would have thought I’d be where I am now. I honestly think that the sky’s the limit, and as long as I continue to grow and change as an artist and remain true to myself, I’ll be doing exactly what I’m supposed to be doing. Obviously being successful financially is really cool, but for me I’ve realized there’s a lot more to this. I’m happier than I’ve ever been before, and if I can continue to make choices that keep it that way then I think I can set a really good example for my future family. I want my kids to see what I didn’t see as a scared 17-year old. If they want to go to college I will support them 100%, but I think it’s really cool that both of their parents will have set some pretty awesome examples of what you can do with your life without college (my husband is in the military), if that’s not what they want.

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.
We just moved to San Diego, California from Key West, FL so it’s been a huge change! We don’t know much about the area yet, but so far we’ve really just loved going to the beaches here (you can’t really go wrong choosing one-they’re all beautiful!) and we’ve done a few awesome hikes. Torrey Pines is my favorite coastal hike so far. And, of course we are Italians from New Jersey so we had to try some food in Little Italy! It’s so refreshing to know we can get some good Italian food around here!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Lost Boy Creations – a surf shop in key west ! Owner: Matt

Website: artbynicolemiller@gmail.com

Instagram: @artbynicoleemiller

Facebook: Art By Nicole Miller

Image Credits
Lindsay Pinto Photography Nicole Perfetuo (theperfetphoto) Jesica N Mesa Photography