Life and Work with Nicki Nysven

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicki Nysven.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Nicki. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Hi, I live here in quaint Paso Robles. I’ve always loved to draw and paint but didn’t realize this passion would turn into a purpose until recently. I have two children who have Lyme disease and co-infections and our family has been deeply affected. Life sucks ass sometimes, but it’s all about how you choose to handle it and I had to change my mindset. I turned to art as a form of self-therapy.

My daughter has been sick with chronic Lyme disease for most of her life and the last 4 years it has taken her childhood from her. My son contracted a co-infection of Lyme and his life changed dramatically. Both are thankfully in “remission” but now, they will need to heal and repair the damage the infections have caused physically and mentally. It took me a while into our journey with these medical challenges to figure out that if I didn’t change my mindset I would either fall into a deep depression or lose my mind. Watching your children go through these challenges makes you feel so helpless and ask, “Why us, why my kids?” I had to dig deep to figure out how to remain strong for my family to fight for helping my kids get well.

Instead of focusing on negatives, I needed to find positives. I started turning the negatives into positives. One was knowing that I can’t control what tomorrow will bring but I can control how I handle it. A way to do that for me was to paint. One day, I decided to post some of my paintings on Instagram. Instagram is my positive place to post what makes me happy and art makes me happy.

People started to express interest in my art and share how they really liked it. A lot of people asked to buy my paintings. More and more friends and others asked me to paint for them and it was a lot of fun. With the increasing interest, I decided to get a logo, apply for a city business license and see what would happen organically. I did all that and now “Nicki Lenore” is officially a business.

Each piece I create is carefully thought out and made from my heart. Most importantly, I am enjoying it. I guess you can say that in a way, art has saved me and I didn’t realize that until now, as I write this bio.

Family, friends and many other incredible people have been a huge support along the way. I have met many wonderful women through social media on my journey that have been such an amazing support of me, my art business, and my Lyme awareness. I am so incredibly grateful to have built friendships with a lot of them as well. Social media truly has been such a positive for me and I am enjoying every minute of it to connect, inspire, bring awareness and share my passion… my art. Just recently I have had the opportunity to be a panelist speaker for an event in LA for the second time to share my story to inspire creative women entrepreneurs and I also had the privilege to contribute to the swag bags. Now here I am being featured in a magazine, whaaaat??!! Another huge positive out of all the negatives.

Lyme disease started this journey which was dark at times, but my art was a positive force in my life that shed light on the negativity. So, here I am, writing this in awe that my paintings have a purpose now in so many ways. Our Lyme journey isn’t over, but at least this is a HUGE positive that’s come out of a HUGE negative.

I’m incredibly grateful to be able to turn my passion into a purpose and that helps others through the process of spreading Lyme Disease Awareness.

Toward that end, I’ve been given an opportunity here in my hometown to have my paintings displayed in a beautiful high-end boutique called “Ambiance.” Lucy Huffman, manager of the Paso Robles store, took an immediate interest in my artwork and has given me this amazing opportunity. So much inspiration has come out of my art being there. The girls that work there have given me ideas and one of them was to paint a goat, so I did. Now, that little goat that I painted is going to be the main character of a children’s book that I am in the process of self-publishing that will inspire young children to love themselves for exactly who they are. I am so grateful and super excited to see where this journey leads me.

Has it been a smooth road?
I think every road is bumpy no matter what the circumstances are. I know that a major bump in the road for most is the financial part of it. I have been fortunate to have a husband who is able to support our family financially, which has allowed me to pursue my passion with a little more ease. But, with that said it hasn’t been easy. My advice for other women would be to find workshops and online courses to help them navigate their way. I wanted to learn more, so I took online workshops and courses to learn how to elevate my Instagram and business. When I started incorporating what I have learned, I noticed many changes. But, the key thing to remember is to be you, stay true to who you are. Authenticity is so important. I have to remind myself all the time to not get caught up into thinking that I have to be doing what everyone else is doing and be patient, I need to remain in my lane and be me. The last piece of advice I can share would be to never give up and listen to your gut. Our intuition is always right. Keep going and don’t stop if that is what your intuition is telling you. It’s meant to be, just be patient.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Nicki Lenore – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
I am an artist and absolutely love creating. I haven’t had any training in the art industry. I have always loved drawing and painting ever since I can remember as a little girl. It has been a passion and hobby until recently that it turned into a business. I paint pretty much anything and on anything. I feel art has no limits in my opinion. My business was formed because of my art and has allowed me to spread Lyme disease awareness through sharing my journey. I am proud of allowing this journey to grow organically while enjoying it. I don’t compare myself to others, and I stay true to me. What sets me apart from others? Well, good question that I haven’t really thought about. I guess my mindset would set me apart from others. I find the positives amongst the negatives.

Were there people and/or experiences you had in your childhood that you feel laid the foundation for your success?
Yes, I feel that everything one has experienced prepares you for what lies ahead. My family was always so supportive of my art and would tell me that one day, I would be doing something significant with my art, and they were right. They had more confidence in me, my art than I did.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.nickilenore.com
• Phone: 805-471-0044
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @nickilenore
• Facebook: Nicki Lenore

Image Credit:
Brooke Roby Photography, Nicki Nysven

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