Life & Work with Nicole Reyes

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

Hi Nicole, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
Nothing lights a fire within me faster than the opportunity to be creative. As a young child, I had an aptitude for art but nothing special. From the art classes I took, I knew there would always be someone better than me when it came to skill and practice. Instead, what drove me was the idea of creating something out of nothing. I made my first product at 11 years old – making a little “ticket holder” out of flashcards, glue, and tape. It was a crocodile, and its mouth would open up, showing a pocket full of tickets my teacher would give to students to answer questions. It was instantly my first best seller, and I made everyone their own custom ticket holders. 

Now that I reflect on my life, I realize there were so many little moments like these where I felt this spark to create something and solve a problem or enhance someone’s experience through art. Despite these bursts of passion, I didn’t think being a creative was in my future, and I attempted to pursue a career in medicine with my BS in Biology and minor in Psychology. 

While I was working in the mental health field, I was collecting enamel pins from other small artists and shops. Inspiration hit me, and I felt that little fire once again. I was itching to be creative – what if I made my own pins? Soon after, I found these Japanese-styled bags called “ITA” bags online. “ITA” translates to “painful” because they’re used to display Anime and Manga merch like pins (painful referring to it being “painfully expensive” and “painful to look at”). Typically, they were very hyperfeminine or Lolita-styled. This time a blaze burned – what if I made my own bags so anyone could feel comfortable wearing them and proudly display their own collections? 

It’s been a few years since then, and now I run an online shop called Pinny Planet! I create enamel pins and ITA pin bags so pin collectors can show off their merch and express themselves in their own way! It’s not the most adventurous journey, but more like a testament that creativity can be a fire. Embers may find their way through to spark once again, and now I welcome it. 

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I have been incredibly fortunate to have a very supportive family and wonderful friends all my life. The struggles I faced were more internal – my paralyzing fear of failure and my inner conflict of what was expected of me versus taking control of my own life. Like many others with first-generation parents, there was always a heavy weight on my shoulder to make my Filipino parents and family. I immediately figured that becoming a medical physician was the answer to everything. I spent over 10 years working on this career path, and as much as I recognized the profound work, I could not stop dreading what this would all lead to. My fear to stray and fail my loved ones was far greater and much more unspeakable than how I truly felt. It was a sacrifice I was willing to make if it meant I could be the person everyone wanted me to be. 

Simultaneously, I started designing and selling enamel pins as a hobby in my early 20s as a form of creative expression. It opened a door that I never realized I had the ability to create in the first place. Despite having this new path in front of me, it was very difficult for me acknowledge that maybe medicine wasn’t the only answer. Was this even a “real” job? Again, the feeling of failure and straying off that path far outweighed the possibility of being a creative when there was so much uncertainty around it. But every year, being a creative felt more feasible and a betrayal. What do you do if you become the reason your loved ones’ hopes and expectations crumble at your own hands? 

I remained this way for a couple of years, teetering between medicine and being a creative. I finally made the decision to step away and focus on my shop early last year, but even then, the guilt was eating me alive. Recently, I started to recognize and accept that I had built something from my own hands – Pinny Planet and the incredible community that came with it had offered me this unique opportunity to pursue my passion. It has taken some time for me to heal from my own self-inflicted guilt, but hearing support from my family and friends has made it worthwhile. I have finally come to accept that not everyone has a straight path in life. Being a creative can be a scary thing, but I am learning that confronting the scary things can bring out the best of you. 

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Pinny Planet is a multi-fandom online shop and persona that focuses on creating merchandise to highlight the growing hobby of enamel pin collecting and to create wearable art. By designing stylish and neutral ITA Pin Bags for all shapes and sizes, Pinny Planet encourages fans and collectors from all fandoms to display/wear their pin collections and feel empowered to express themselves freely. 

What sets Pinny Planet apart from others is that it is more than a shop for me, and it is essentially an extension of who I am and my passion to help others showcase their hobbies without judgement. A lot of my designs are inspired by the very community that has given me the opportunity to create. I aim to make inclusive products that serve this special community and foster an incredibly fun hobby. 

I am known most for creating enamel pins focused on underrepresented characters from TV/film and creating stylish neutral ITA Pin Bags that any pin collector can feel comfortable wearing! Although I started off with designing enamel pins, I’ve come to be most proud of my ITA Pin Bags and how they have impacted the hobby of collecting pins for many people. It has been a privilege to see something I created used to display precious collections all around the world and become part of many special occasions. 

How do you define success?
My definition of success has changed throughout the years, and I think it’s something that will continue to change for me as I mature and grow in my creative skin. If you had asked me this question a couple years ago, I would have immediately said success was making my family proud and making a lot of money to support everyone in my life. Although that’s also something I hope to achieve one day (fingers crossed), I’ve realized that success is making something of yourself that you can be proud of. 

Pricing:

• Stickers: $2.50 – $3.67
• Enamel Pins: Prices vary per design
• ITA Pin Bags: Prices vary per style

Contact Info:

• Website: www.pinnyplanet.com
• Instagram: @pinnyplanet
• Other: TikTok: @pinny_planet