Daily Inspiration: Meet Nikia Parker

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nikia Parker.

Hi Nikia, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I was really fortunate to have access to career readiness opportunities at such an early age. On one hand, I was able to begin college classes in my freshman year of high school through Concurrent Enrollment. On the other, I was able to get involved at the Center for Visual Art in Downtown Denver through their Art + Action Lab teen internship program. While I knew I loved creating, I wasn’t entirely sure how that would translate to a degree and career. This shows in the way my path changed. I began as a student at Community College of Aurora pursuing an Associate of Arts. At the time I was interning with the CVA. After the fact, I entrenched myself in the Santa Fe Arts District by volunteering at Denver Art Society. There, I made plenty of memories and expanded my understanding of WHAT I liked making and why.

Now, years later, I am 20 years old and have a Communication Design degree from MSU Denver. I graduated in December and am now stepping foot into the graphic design world as a professional. I am taking time to get back into creating and involving myself in the community here. None of this would have been possible without the love and support from all my friends and peers along the way.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Life has happened, and I found myself put in tough dilemmas. Should I keep going on this path? What do I want? Why do I do what I do? I have learned to give myself grace and see what happens but to never sit back passively.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I would like to include an excerpt from my website’s About page.

The relationship between my fine arts and design work is one of polarity. My paintings are fluid and expressive. Meanwhile, I lean towards a Modernist aesthetic with design. In this field I enjoy working on typography, branding, print, and general graphic design. As a designer I enjoy engaging with the rules to empower subjective, personalized content. In allowing my subjective experience to inform my process, I look forward to a career driven by empathically producing others’ narratives.

Can you share something surprising about yourself?
I think it catches people off guard when they find out about my age. I am a product of an uplifting opportunity.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://nikiaparker.design
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teaf_party/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikia-parker-5321a4252/