Posts Tagged ‘Nikki Pinder’

Carmine Magazine: What drives you to create? Also, what inspires you and your work?
Nikki Pinder: All my life I have loved making, creating, experimenting and inventing things, so being creative is just something which comes natural to me. I love art so much and I have so many ideas that it’s almost as if I have to express myself through art just to keep surviving. One of my biggest real drives to create is the thought that what I say and do might help someone in someway by for example thinking that they aren’t the only person thinking those thoughts. Also, I love to give people advice and help if I have some information which can point them in a better direction. A huge drive for me is that one day I will create something so big and magnificent that it will change some aspect of the world for the better. I have a dream to create some kind of guidance school or series of books and products which help people establish their own business and gain the confidence to achieve what they’ve set out to achieve in life. I really want to do something great and make an impact with the visual skills I have as I believe it’s possible.
Every single thing in life inspires me from the people I meet, the world I live in, the trees in my garden, the colours of the rainbow – everything. Moleskine sketchbooks inspire me too as they are just the most perfect books to draw in!

CM: Were you formally trained in art or self taught? Do you think it has helped you or hindered you?
NP: I was formally trained as I followed the route of High School, A-Level College, Art Foundation, and then to study a BA Honours Degree in Illustration and Graphic Design. However, I am also equally, if not more self taught as I have always insisted on doing everything possible myself, and teaching myself as many skills as possible. The only thing I need now is four more pairs of hands on my body so I can do lots of different things at the same time, and also another head so one can sleep whilst the other works and then I never need to stop working and doing things.
I think formal training definitely helped me as I am very happy with the teachers I had at school, college and University. Some were my biggest inspirations in life so far and I took on board a lot of what they taught me about how to think, and view the world, as well as how to experiment and be creative. I would also say though that I’ve often wondered what kind of a person I’d be if I’d not had formal art training, and also what my work would be like and if I would even be making art. I think I would be, but when i was younger I really wanted to be a mechanical engineer for a couple of years, I think because both my dad and granddad are and were amazing engineers and great draughtsmen. I was once told that my granddad contributed to the designing of Jodrell Bank which I’m very proud of, but I’m not sure what he did exactly.
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