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NICOLE HOWARD
Love. Write. Speak.
Nicole Howard has been blogging for the past seven years, hoping to empower others through her life experience. She's not only a blogger but an artist and entrepreneur as well. Nicole uses her talent to raise awareness of mental wellness and the lives of African American women. We are thrilled to have Nicole on our platform! Please check out her website at https://www.lovewritespeak.com and follow her on Instagram @lovewritespeak
WHEN AND WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO PURSUE YOUR ART AND BLOG? IS THERE A MEANING BEHIND THE NAME, “LOVE. WRITE. SPEAK.”?
"Art: There is a moment when our authentic self either blooms and rises or withers and hides. In high school, I was determined to be a journalist. Subconsciously labeling myself as a writer. The issue is we have multiple gifts but we are almost programmed to “pick one”. As a result, the artist side went away, but the creative part always remained.
As a lover of Instagram, I began to admire seeing calligraphy. As an investigator, I had to know what tools do they use to make this stuff. I figured it out and decided I needed an Ipad which led to me discovering illustrations and here we are. According to my Mom, I drew before I wrote. Now, I’ve rediscovered that part of me and I’m in love.
The Name: I’ve been blogging for over seven years under many names, and sites from blogger.com, to book reviews on WordPress, and now lovewritespeak.com.
I don’t believe all amazing things have to come out of pain but possibly out of a moment of strong emotion. I attended a bloggers conference. I had a blog for book reviews, but I was beginning to want to share more of my personal mental health stories. During a one-on-one session, it was suggested I create different sites. The moment I wrote those 3 words down was from pain. I’m an introvert and I was feeling really ashamed that I couldn’t seem to network, to be outgoing, etc. After releasing some tears, this is what came to me. I needed to be more positive and gentle with myself. I need to practice loving myself in a positive way, writing in a positive way and speaking in a positive way. The tagline is Removing negative self-talk one day at a time."
WHO HAS BEEN MOST SUPPORTIVE TO YOU AND YOUR WORK?
"The most supportive is hard to measure so I’ll say equally supportive people are my parents, my boyfriend, and his family, and my close friends. There are numerous times when I receive support from people I don’t even know in real life but from social media like a Facebook group or on Instagram."
DO YOU USE YOUR WORK AS A VOICE FOR CHANGE? IF SO, HOW?
"Yes, I do in two main ways. One is sharing my personal experiences with mental health, therapy, and self-care. The more we speak out about the mental health I hope the more people will feel comfortable making it part of everyday conversation. The other is through creating images that uplift and reflect black women and our stories."
WHO OR WHAT INSPIRES YOU AND GETS YOUR CREATIVE JUICES FLOWING?
"I’m inspired by childhood memories, Black culture and life experiences."
WHAT’S BEEN THE MOST DIFFICULT AND MOST ENJOYABLE THING ABOUT GROWING YOUR BLOG AND CREATING YOUR ART?
"The most difficult thing about growing my blog would be creating content.Now that I am focusing on my art it can be difficult to do both. I enjoy blogging after attending an inspiring event, or when something sparks my attention to address in the “news” world.
For my art, the most enjoyable is thinking of an idea and seeing it come to life. I also enjoy pushing through when I think I’ve decided on something that is past my skill set and I don’t give up. The art can be relaxing if I don’t focus on perfection. I think my more abstract/collage pieces are less stressful. Realistic art is harder. I’m still learning and experimenting so I may want to draw something the way it looks in a photo but not know how to duplicate it."
WHAT’S BEEN YOUR BIGGEST SUCCESS IN 2017? IT CAN BE BUSINESS OR PERSONAL RELATED?
"My biggest success has been launching my own small business centered around my art. I started with my most popular design on a mug. I have now expanded to include pillows, tote bags, t-shirts, and posters. You can view all the products here: http://www.lovewritespeak.com/store/ .
I have grown up always hearing about the importance of creating opportunities to create my own income. I would sell drawings outside of when I went to visit my Great Grandmother, I designed gift bags in my pre-teen years and sold them at local events, but as I got older I moved away from the idea. I believe experiencing multiple layoffs was a reminder that I have to have another income stream. As I began creating digital art I knew if I learned the process I could put my art on apparel, and goods. I took a class with Kalilah Wright, the creator of the well-known brand, Mess in a Bottle in September and launched my store in November."
HOW DO YOU THINK WE CAN CREATE A BETTER PLATFORM FOR FEMALE ARTISTS AND BLOGGERS?
"I think any way you can give women a place to relate, share ideas, and connect is always helpful. In these times, having spaces to say I hear you and I’m experiencing things like you is vital."