So, I was born with the name Nycole but growing up I was known as Nikki. Today, I go by the name, Nik. I am 22 going on 23 years old in July this year. I was born and raised in Connecticut. Now every time I mention where I'm from, people automatically think I grew up either in a small suburban town surrounded by trees, or in a mansion somewhere. No, I am from Hartford, a.k.a. the hood.
I've gone through many struggles in my life but the hard times is what keeps me on my grind so I can do better for my family.
Ever since the age of 5, dance has been my safe haven. I first started dancing at my church, then I began professionally training at a performing arts center studying ballet, tap, jazz, African, modern, hip-hop, and acting. By the time I was in high school, I was in a dance company and it was during one of our photo shoots where I was discovered by a local designer to model for her clothing line. So I began working with various photographers, designers, stylists and other models locally. That is when I suddenly fell in love with fashion!
After my first year in college at Temple University, I decided to pursue fashion and transferred to the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York City.
Now, you would think that after moving to New York and graduating from one of the top fashion schools in the world, I would have my life all figured out by now... Wrong! I am actually more confused than ever. I've experienced so many different things through internships and working in public relations, showroom/wholesale, licensing, production, retail, wardrobe styling, Fashion Week, etc. I've also never stopped dancing and now I'm working on my own music.
It's like, I want to have a career in all of those fields at once but it's not possible. That is why I just call myself an artist, I am an all-around creative person. I am inspired by the imperfections of the world, shapes, art, sculptures, and anything that is just plain weird.
The way I am living my life right now is just day by day. My future goal is to just be happy and to have a career in something that I am passionate about. If I land a job as a background dancer on a tour for a huge music artist, that's what I'm going to do. If my music career takes off, that's what I'm going to do. If I get hired as a wardrobe stylist for celebrities or fashion magazines, that's what I'll do. If I land a job at a major PR firm, that's what I am going to do.
You get the idea right?
I am still figuring out who I am as a person which is another reason why I just can't make up my mind or stick with one thing at a time. But that's okay, it's better to be a jack-of-all-trades than a one-trick-pony. The fact that I just use the word "pony" means I should probably wrap this up... Well, I'm not that great at giving motivational speeches or words of encouragement so I'm just going to say, "You have to get lost before you find yourself."