Meet Emily Nikolenko | Multi Artist & Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Emily Nikolenko and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Emily, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
It has to be an idea that represents you and your perception. This perception you have is then shared with the world. You are the main character not just because of who you are or what you look like, but it’s what you’re doing and what message you are portraying. This business I am working to create is a combination of curating, serving others, singing, and creating my work that I pour myself into to resonate with others. It’s an entire experience and I look forward to finding a way to bring a community together of like-minded folks to spread this message of love, patience, consolation, beauty, and empathy.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
First and foremost, I am not a starving artist. I do work my brain creatively everyday as a User Experience Designer full-time which gives me the opportunity to do the art work I am passionate about. I consider myself a multi-artist for there’s many sides to me and I think it’s cause I’m discovering that I like to do many different things, I’m good at those things, but I can’t choose one path just yet. And maybe I’m not supposed to. I get this from my father. But the work I am most proud of and see a future in is my up-cycled vases and preserved dried flowers/bouquets that I have collected over the years and continuously am being given because the people around me know that I am willing to make art out of it. I have a strong passion for sustainability and to make it with these materials (Used vases, scrap fabric, dead flowers) makes it really special and meaningful. It sends a message that you can make something out of nothing. It also sends a message that there is hope and beauty in the things you think are done for.
Getting to this point wasn’t easy but it wasn’t difficult. I think it consists of a lot of trust in yourself and believing that your work is valuable. Trusting yourself can be a hard thing to do from time to time. Being consistent with yourself and your vision isn’t the most comfortable thing to accomplish. But don’t sell yourself short, putting in the effort always will take an idea onward and upward. You will always wonder where you could’ve gone if you don’t put in that extra effort. One of the hardest things to accept is most of your spare time must go into your creative work. You have to become obsessed with it, and I realized that if the people you are surrounding yourself with aren’t thinking about the things you are, or aren’t supporting you the way you need to succeed in this work, it’s better to take that time to yourself than with others. I started seeing my social life as a reward for all I do. Now, I’m not saying that you shouldn’t network and meet new people. You most definitely should share your work and comfortable talking about your passion and your vision any chance you get. But if I’m not talking about those three things, then I am giving myself a social reward for something I haven’t even progressed in and that’s one of the ways you can set yourself back.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Here in Tampa/St Petersburg there are tons of creative places to go and tasty food to experience. I’m not big on eating out, but for anyone that comes to visit I would take them to Samaria Cafe for breakfast or lunch. It’s a local spot that doesn’t look as fancy as other places, but the food is so wholesome and is in the heart of downtown. I would take them on a walk around the riverwalk or if they skate that would be a great place to. I would take them across the riverwalk to the University of Tampa for a park day to draw, paint, hammock, or lay in the sun. I would say that Tampa is a concrete jungle whereas St. Pete is more green and shady so hopefully one evening we drive down to St. Pete to enjoy the sunset overlooking the harbor. Davis Island has a beautiful beach to sit at if we don’t want to drive out to Treasure Island, and for dinner, I recommend eating a Boulon for an enticing French cuisine experience.
I like to read or draw at local kava bars like The Heights Lounge and GrassRoots in Ybor. These are places with people I am familiar with since I sing and curate at these locations so it’s a nice place to get to know friendly people if we are feeling social!
Ybor has a special place in my heart for it is such a creative town. I highly recommend going to Drip to make ceramics on the wheel and then paint it with glaze. And of course, I would take them to the galleries at Kress studios and around the strip, have dinner at Columbia with their special Cuban sandwiches along with their featured salad with their special dressing. I would end the night with some drinks at a jazz/cigar lounge overlooking Ybor or at a new speakeasy that is pirate-themed in downtown Tampa.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
About 6 months ago I met a woman who made me take my art and work more seriously. She understood just by our interactions that I have a vision and helped me believe that I am on my way to greatness. Mentors like these are hard to come by and should not be taken for granted. Luisa Meshekoff has been an ongoing light in my life and inspires me to keep working hard and to get better each day. She reminds me that when you’re on a roll keep going, do not let anything or anyone slow your pace down. She motivates me to not only work on what I am doing but also work on my environment and surround myself more in nature as well as tend to it because it is my biggest inspiration.

All in all, I want to thank my mother for giving me a voice that can sing as well as for raising me with principles and morals. I want to thank my friends for being inspired to be artists themselves and being so supportive of my work. I want to thank my sister for calling me on my sh*t and keeping me on a proper path, my father and step-mother for allowing me to discover myself which changed the trajectory of my life, and most of all I want to thank God for creation of nature and being the muse in all of what I do.

Website: https://www.consolatioarts.com/blog

Instagram: @consolatioartistry , @milanikoo

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/public-profile/settings?trk=d_flagship3_profile_self_view_public_profile

Other: UX Portfolio – https://uxfol.io/milanikolenko

Image Credits
The only one I will give is for the artist on the background painting. It is not my work but an artists work that I helped curate a solo show for him and his name is Michael Taylor Scott