Life and Work with Tori Nicole

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tori Nicole.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Tori. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
When I was growing up in the SF Bay Area, I spent a lot of time alone in my room drawing quietly, creating stories for myself, and as I grew older, art in all of its forms have taken my interest one by one. I first picked up photography when I was around 13, and those photos are awful. They are hidden deep in the void of photobucket, terrible photoshop edits, silly scene kid selfies taken from extreme angles. A few years after that, I started working as a baker for my aunt on the weekends, and I’d spend those weekends at her place where I would be inspired by her creative endeavors, how she liked to dabble in a little bit of everything – photography, cooking, painting, music, etc. That’s when I really started to discover who I was. After high school, I moved to Spain for a year where I continued to pursue photography as well as learn about the culture, food, the language. This year abroad transformed me into a more evolved weirdo. After coming back from Spain, I spent half a year with my parents, working for my aunt again, trying to figure out my next move. Then, on impulse (like most of my decisions, to be perfectly honest), I decided LA was going to be my next home. That was in 2012. Since then, I’ve moved from being a young, clueless baker to a pastry sous chef at one of the best restaurants in LA. In the meantime, I’ve shot photos for and befriended owners of a few local lingerie brands (ClareBare and CovertBehavior), created friendships and collaborated with countless creatives and musicians, made almost 300 wire flowers for an art installation, have hosted a few popup 4 course dinner parties, and most recently fell in love with shooting film and working with colored pencil.

Has it been a smooth road?
My path has been so windy. There was a period of time a little over a year ago when I was overworking my body so much and not sleeping to the point that I experienced vertigo and became sick. After then, I’ve tried to limit my creative commitments. I think most artists have an unhealthy expectation of themselves and tend to sacrifice their physical health in order to fit into that mold of the starving artist. But the problem with that is that you create your best work when your body and mind are treated well. Don’t abandon your self-care to get something done more quickly. Take your time.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with your business – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
I think that among my creative relationships, I’m recognized as a photographer, which is a label I’m proud to hold, but I also spend time doing a lot of other crafts. For a while, making wire sculptures consumed me – if you ever see a wire flower hanging from twine somewhere in LA, that was me. I still think I’ll jump back into it, but right now I’m consumed by drawing. I’m also working on a little animated project as well as an art show / installation that will both be happening later this year.

In the meantime, my full time gig is working in pastry. I currently am the pastry sous chef for Lukshon in Culver City, and we are working to open a bakery towards the end of the year. Almost every day, I’m able to test new recipes, explore boundaries in desserts, and I love bringing my edible creations to friends and other types of artists. I hope to be doing some more popups this year as well.

Were there people and/or experiences you had in your childhood that you feel laid the foundation for your success?
I am so incredibly grateful to have grown up with a family who encouraged my art. My dad is also an artist and musician, so I never hesitated to pursue my creative endeavors. I also feel that when I started working for my aunt in high school, I was able to learn so much about what I should expect from the world when I grew up.

Contact Info:

• Email: torinicolew@yahoo.com
• Instagram: @toeriee and @cheftorinicole

Image Credit:
Fanny Chu
Covert Behavior

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