Conversations with Nik Connors

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nik Connors.

Hi Nik, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My name is Nik Connors. I was born in Albany, New York, but moved to San Antonio, Texas when I was one year old, so I’ve pretty much grown up in San Antonio my whole life. However, I would always go back to New York as a kid to visit family, so I was exposed early on to how different those two worlds were. Experiencing both really showed me that there’s a whole world out there beyond what you see every day.

One thing that always connected me to New York was collecting. My grandpa and uncle were huge collectors of comic books, sports cards, and rare items. Being around that at a young age exposed me to a lot of visually interesting and culturally meaningful things, and I think that played a big role in developing my taste early on.

Through all the ups and downs in life, collecting has always been something that grounded me. Even as a kid, whenever I was down, the things I collected would always cheer me up. Magazines, comic books, action figures, posters, trading cards, clothes. That feeling never left. The collecting spirit is something I got from going to New York and seeing my grandpa and uncle’s collections. Over time, I started building my own collection, and as I got older, that naturally carried over into eBay. I started by selling things I didn’t wear anymore, and it slowly grew from there into something much bigger.

I’ve always been drawn to things visually. I remember in second grade we had a career day where everyone dressed up as astronauts, doctors, firefighters, and things like that. I showed up as a comic book artist. I brought a Captain America comic, some pencils, and a superhero shirt and told everyone, “I’m a comic book artist.” Most of the kids didn’t really get it, but looking back, I think that was one of the first moments where I realized I wanted to create.

As a kid, I was always drawing, mostly cartoons, comics, and rough sketches, but it was something I genuinely loved doing. That creativity just kept evolving year by year. By middle school, I was taking art seriously, and by seventh grade I was already in AP level high school art classes. We studied and recreated works from major artists like Roy Lichtenstein’s Girl with Hair Ribbon and Diego Rivera’s Ignacio Sánchez. Being exposed to those styles at a young age really helped shape my artistic eye and discipline.

In high school, my creativity started to shift into the digital space. For my fourteenth birthday, my family got me a MacBook, and that honestly changed everything. I immediately started experimenting, editing Fortnite videos on iMovie, making short films for class, and teaching myself how to make beats. From that point on, I kept building my skills in video editing, graphic design, and music, using the foundation I learned from traditional art and applying it digitally.

When COVID hit during my senior year of high school, everything slowed down. But instead of stopping, I used that time to create even more. During my freshman year of college, while everything was still shut down, my friends and I started a brand called Self Reflect. It only lasted about a year, but it was my first real experience trying to build something from scratch creatively. It showed me that there could actually be a path in this world, even if I didn’t fully understand it yet.

In 2021, I started my Instagram page, Pyro Studios, originally just to post and showcase pieces from my personal vintage collection. At the time, I was mainly focused on things I genuinely liked, especially pieces related to superheroes, cartoons, animation, video games, and movies. That has always been the core of what I’m drawn to. Over time, that page evolved as I started learning more about clothing, different brands, and the quality and history behind certain pieces.

I’ve always seen myself as a collector first and a seller second. I understand what makes something meaningful, not just valuable. I also recognize that everyone connects to different things, so as I’ve continued to build my eBay shop and Pyro Studios, I’ve approached it from an artist’s perspective. I curate pieces that feel culturally relevant, visually interesting, and timeless. Things that can stand the test of time. Continuing to build that and seeing it slowly grow into something bigger than I originally imagined has been one of the most rewarding parts of my journey.

In 2022, during my second year of college, I made the decision to buy a camera, and that was another turning point for me. The camera gave me a reason to get out of the house and start documenting things. I began filming the streetball scene in San Antonio, which helped me feel connected to a real community. I’ve always loved basketball, and being around that environment pushed me creatively. I started making highlight edits, filming music videos with friends on both my iPhone and Sony camera, and just creating with whatever I had.
That’s something that’s always stayed with me. I’ve always found a way to make something creative regardless of the equipment or situation.

By my senior year of college, I was honestly nervous about the future. I didn’t know if I should take a traditional path or continue chasing creative work. But everything started to come together when I directed and helped create two short films with my group. Those projects pushed me creatively in ways I hadn’t experienced before.
The films were eventually screened at the Palladium Theater in San Antonio, and seeing my work on a big screen in front of a crowd of friends, family, and strangers was a moment I will never forget. It was one of the biggest confirmations for me that I was on the right path.

Looking back, that moment felt like everything came full circle. For a long time, I questioned myself, why I was doing so many different things like drawing, editing videos, making music, and designing. It felt scattered at times. But those short films made me realize that none of it was random. I was building skills the entire time. In those projects, I used all of them, editing, sound design, cinematography, color grading, graphic design, even wardrobe and presentation.

Since graduating, I’ve continued to build my portfolio and create consistently across different mediums. Whether it’s designing concert flyers, creating logos for high-level organizations, making skits, creating music, shooting product photography for my eBay business, designing clothing, or painting on shoes, everything I do comes from the same place, an artist’s perspective.

Right now, I’m still developing my style and figuring out how to bring everything together into something that feels completely my own. I care a lot about creating meaningful, high-quality work, especially in a time where a lot of content feels rushed or artificial. I believe in the value of real creativity and human expression.

Through everything I’ve built, I’ve been able to create more freely and grow as an artist on my own terms.

It took me a long time to fully say this, but I’m proud to call myself an artist. I’m excited for what’s next, and I have a lot of projects on the way. You’ll just have to wait and see what form they take.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. One of the biggest challenges for me has honestly been figuring out what direction I wanted to take with everything. I’ve always had a lot of different creative interests, from drawing to video editing to music to design, and for a long time it felt like I was doing too many things without a clear path. There were moments where I questioned if I was just wasting my time or not focusing on one thing enough.

Another challenge has been consistency and staying confident in my work, especially with social media. You can put a lot of time and effort into something and it might not get the response you expected, and that can mess with your mindset if you let it. I’ve had moments where I felt like I was doing everything right but not seeing the results yet.

There’s also the pressure of figuring things out after college. Not having a guaranteed path and trying to build something on your own can be stressful. I’ve had times where I felt uncertain about my future, especially when comparing myself to people taking more traditional routes.

But over time, I’ve started to realize that those challenges were actually part of the process. Trying different things helped me build a wide range of skills, and now I see how everything connects. It taught me to trust my taste and my perspective more, instead of chasing what I think other people want to see.
I’m still learning every day, but I’ve become a lot more confident in who I am as an artist and where I’m headed. The challenges haven’t really gone away, but I’ve gotten better at navigating them and staying focused on creating work that actually means something to me.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
One of the projects I’m most proud of is the UTSA end of semester film screenings at the Palladium Theater. That experience really felt like a turning point for me. It was one of the first times where everything started to click, and I could see how all the different skills I had been building were coming together. It gave me a lot more confidence in myself as an artist and helped me trust my taste more.

Those two short films meant a lot to me because it was also the first time I truly felt part of a creative community. Everyone supported each other’s work, and it was inspiring to see what people were able to create. One moment that really stuck with me was hearing the audience react in real time. There was a joke in one of the films that I remembered being written during a random meeting, and hearing a full theater laugh at that moment was surreal. Making people react like that, especially in a theater setting, is not easy, and being a part of that was something I’ll never forget.

I would describe myself as a digital media specialist, but at the core I’m an artist. I work across multiple mediums including video, design, photography, and content, and I’ve developed a strong understanding of how visual storytelling works, especially in today’s social media driven world. As technology continues to evolve, especially with AI becoming more common, I think it’s even more important to stay grounded in real creativity and human expression. That’s something I try to carry with me in everything I create.

What sets me apart is my versatility. I’ve spent years learning different techniques and styles, which allows me to be more self reliant when it comes to executing ideas. I’m able to take something from concept to final product because I understand multiple parts of the process. At the same time, I’ve been putting more focus into improving the technical side of my work, because I’ve realized that the stronger your foundation is, the more you can actually elevate your creative vision.

Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
Honestly, I don’t read as much as I used to, and that’s something I want to get back into. I also don’t really listen to podcasts like that. Most of my inspiration comes from what I’m seeing every day online, especially through Instagram pages that feel more like digital blogs. I follow a lot of nostalgic and culture focused pages that highlight older media, design, and moments in time, and that kind of content has a big influence on my taste and the way I see things creatively.

One of my favorite books of all time is Diary of a Wimpy Kid, specifically the first one. If I had to describe a “perfect” book, that’s honestly what comes to mind. It’s simple, creative, and visually engaging, and I think that style stuck with me more than I realized.

I also keep up with sports pretty heavily. I read a lot of sports news and follow blogs like Knicks Central. I’ve been a New York Knicks fan since I was a kid, and that’s another way I stay connected to my New York roots. I’ve definitely watched a lot of tough seasons over the years, but 2026 is looking promising. I’m calling it now, Knicks champs!!!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://niksvzn.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/niks.vzn/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@niks_vzn
• Soundcloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/bFEbVq6BgHVnMnyiqV
• Other: https://www.ebay.com/str/pyrostudioscuratedshop

Image Credits
Nik Connors