Daily Inspiration: Meet Nicole Jimenez-maldonado

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicole Jimenez-maldonado

Nicole, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My name is Nicole Jimenez-Maldonado, and I’m a Puerto Rican born, Florida grown Multimedia Artist specializing in Film, Photography, and Production Design. Growing up in swampy, Florida suburbs, we as kids loved to play and use our surroundings to escape from the repetitive day to day. Transforming scattered bushes and woods into kingdoms and fairy lands—taking inspiration from tales like Narnia, Peter Pan, and Greek Mythology—my sister and I leaned into the imaginative, where having fun was the objective, but there was always a story. It was budding inspiration that I would later put towards writing prose and poetry in grade school, having my first creative joust with something concrete, something real that I could create, transform, and define.

As I neared High School, all I could think about was wanting to perform those words. I wanted to express and to make people feel something—it was a search for human connection. I was drawn to the spectacle, something that could include all forms of art, and could breathe life into words. I subsequently joined a Theater program at a Fine and Performing Arts high school and studied what seemed to be a deeper layer of what I always felt inside me.

Theater introduced me to directing and filmmaking, the behind the scenes of the stories we see. I think that’s where my real love lies now, in the creation of it all, shifting in shape throughout the years but always echoing the question: “How could I best tell this story?”

Now in 2025, I’m nearing my later twenties, living in Los Angeles, turning these stories I’ve mulled over for years into experimental, fantasy images, as well as designing sets for film productions and music videos. Eventually, I’d love to evolve into more grand, intricate productions and builds, and start a production company of my own to represent my work.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The road into creative careers doesn’t really seem to be easy, probably because there’s less of a concrete path to take. Each path seems to be distinct and dependent on the projects you take (as well as seek out), the people you meet, and way you develop and market your skills. For me, it has been easy to feel discouraged, burnt out or fearful of what the future holds. There’s times where I must pivot and pave new paths for myself. Sometimes I have to reignite my fire, step away and find my footing. I have realized that in creative careers it’s best to just dive in. While you foster that energy and inspiration, stay active, keep creating, even when you don’t think what you’re creating matters. It’s all going towards building a solid body of work, and it will keep you connected to the things you love to do. We create so much for others and sometimes we just need to create for ourselves. When you feel burnt out or lost in direction, try shifting mediums, even just briefly. If you’re a filmmaker or photographer, sit down and paint something. Feel the texture of a new material, a new medium. It could give you insight on how to move forward with your own work.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I specialize in Film Production, Photography, and Production Design. I’m most proud of my Photography body of work, as it has pushed me to hone both my production and editing skills, and has allowed me to work closely with my muses, models and actors. I believe what sets me apart from others is my dedication to the story in everything I do, whether it’s the little details in a set design for someone’s character, or looking at my photo projects as in-depth characters with logic created for those realities—I’m looking for the symbols, the meaning of it all. How many layers does this story need to come across the way I intended it to? And then adding those layers. Creating a character background, working on the set design, finding the right muse, lighting it particularly, and so on. I lean into fantasy and surrealism to draw my inspiration. That helps me craft the story, and hone my style. I like to stay in those other worlds, or the spaces in between. This also shapes my approach to directing and filmmaking, as I come from an angle of creating other realities and mimicking our humanness in those stories, rather than trying to have my stories live in our very real, natural world.

Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
I attended LACC when I first arrived here and had an amazing experience as part of the film program. There are a lot of schools around Los Angeles that are heavily involved with the arts, with plenty of community colleges that have very affordable programs, great connections and studied professors if you’re looking for an introduction to a creative industry. Living in Los Angeles, you also have to work on a way to put yourself out there, so finding art related events, online contests, film festivals and other kinds of opportunities are a good way to connect to likeminded individuals and join all kinds of art ventures and projects. Also, collaborations with others! To learn to work with others and build a database of creatives you can bring onto future projects or vice versa, is important!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://Instagram.com/cyburbs

Image Credits
@besomethingsoft
@suddenlyzeema
@fawngrey
@gabriellenela
@kayleenswildlife
@ifjezusreturnzkillhimagain
@012.7