Life and Work with Nova Lee

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nova Lee.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Nova. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I was born in Charleston, South Carolina and I spent considerable time crafting coloring and creating my own costumes from an early age, growing up in a middle-class family with a never-ending supply of hand-me-downs provided ample opportunity for re-creation. I was gifted a sewing machine that had been collecting dust by my grandmother at the age of 14. I was self-taught and started off with upcycling old jeans into stylish new purses and altering my older cousin’s clothing to fit my figure.

As I grew older, I always knew I was an artist at heart but the pragmatic path leads me to joining the Air Force. I ended up in aviation as an inspector for several years, transitioning into my civilian life until one day. I was inspired to reacquaint myself with my creative side by picking up a spray can and painting in my backyard in 2011. I was living in Idaho and had been hearing stories of incredible artsy west-coast festivals so when I lost my job, I immediately packed up my belongings and took a trip to California. I spent the next seven years actively cultivating my creative side by live painting at music festivals community events and weddings. I spent time living in Lake Tahoe, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, where I immersed myself in the fashion counter-culture. Before falling headfirst down the rabbit hole of materialism, I received a series of wakeup calls in the form of failing health.

Painting helped me cope with the PTSD from my time in the military and my next step towards healing connected me with a group of veterans using Iboga treatment in Mexico. This experience completely turned my life around and inspired me out of Los Angeles and into activism as an advocate for other vets to gain access to natural plant medicines. In 2016, I set out on a pilgrimage in a veggie oil-powered truck to deliver supplies to the oil pipeline protest in Standing Rock, ND. During my third trip near Thanksgiving, I had some car trouble near Denver, Colorado. Once again, my health deteriorated and I was informed by the doctor that I had cancer and I shouldn’t travel anymore. So I settled in Colorado to continue my journey back to health. I found that cannabis oil and water fasting helped shrink my tumor and saved my organs from being removed during an operation. While recovering, I was no longer able to comfortably use a paintbrush so I was forced to create something different.

As I lay recovering in my bed began to tinker with a box of broken sunglasses a friend had gifted me. The style that emerged from those early experiments features detachable chains to swap frames and chains with ease. Additionally, I’ve repurposed old reading glasses by removing the lenses to create unique and extraordinary face jewelry. I even starting crafting exclusive hat designs. With the recent purchase of a brand new sewing machine, I feel just like that excited 13 yr old again! I’ve been recreating vintage jackets by bedazzling them and painting on them. It feels like I’m coming back full circle into who I was, but with a new vision and I am very optimistic about the world and all its new changes. I hope to invite others into their own creative self-expression while encouraging the upcycling of vintage and thrifted items. I’m writing this during the Quarantine of our lives and reflecting back upon my personal evolution. If there is any words of encouragement I could offer anyone during these uncertain times, it would be, “Remember who you are and be grateful for the lessons this life brings us… You are not alone!”

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Life has its twists and turns. Self Doubt is a huge one and I wasn’t as always confident about what I was creating until I immersed myself into a new environment. Growing up in a conservative state had it’s limitations and moving to the west coast was a bold move to cross having no ties or connections other than my own self-curiosity. Once I began going to festivals and painting, I found a non-conformist group of friends who encouraged me to try all sorts of new ideas. It was almost like joining a circus!

Fear is the mind-killer and doubting yourself will leave you in sketchy situations that end up very intense and dangerous if you blindly choose to go out there in the world alone like I did. Be mindful of who you choose to associate with.

Please tell us about iLit Designs.
Creating whimsical eyewear is my strong point. It all began with my first pair during a lunar new moon and thus my brand name sprouted with the inspiration from this late-night creation. In the center of my logo is an encrypted new moon with a flame around it. It’s an eye but also a flame that represents the flame within all of us. The feedback of people’s confidence soaring when they first try on a pair is the most satisfying appreciation of beauty.

Are there any apps, books, podcasts or other resources that you’ve benefited from using?
Books: Jitterbug Perfume, Anastasia, The Ringing Cedars of Russia.

To be real… I don’t really find time to catch up on blogs or podcasts, but now that I am in ‘stay at home life’s, I suppose I will find something that interests me. I am pretty good at entertaining myself with enough art projects to keep me moving along.

Contact Info:

• Website: Ilitdesigns.com
• Email: i.litdesigner@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ilitdesigns/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/novalee3327

Image Credit:
Ivy 7 Photography
Luca Zhao Photography
Taylor Wells Photography

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