Protecting Your Peace Featuring Nico | The Open Palette Podcast | Episode 10

Welcome back to The Open Palette Podcast, where art, culture, and community come together through real conversations.

In this episode, host Brian Camacho sits down with artist and muralist Nico to discuss the importance of protecting your peace while pursuing a creative life. From her journey as an artist to her work creating opportunities for young people through the Kid's Mural Project, Nico shares how she has learned to navigate challenges, embrace growth, and remain true to herself along the way.

The conversation explores the connection between creativity and well-being, the importance of setting boundaries, finding balance, and using art as a tool for personal expression and community impact. Nico also reflects on the experiences that have shaped her artistic voice and the responsibility that comes with creating work that inspires others.

Whether you're an artist, entrepreneur, creative professional, or someone seeking greater purpose and clarity, this episode offers valuable insight into protecting your energy, trusting your path, and creating a life that aligns with your values.

Guest: Nico
Host: Brian Camacho

The Open Palette Podcast is where art, culture, and community come together through real conversations.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:04

Life is the canvas we paint. Yeah. Opening the dialogue, removing the barriers and restraint. Uh-huh. It's the open palette, insight, access, and the human story. Come on. The palette is open. Open now.

SPEAKER_00 0:21

Welcome back to the Open Palette Podcast, where art, culture, and community come together through real conversations. I'm your host, Brian Camacho, and I'm excited to be here today at the Museum of Graffiti's Artist Studios. Today we're joined by an incredible visual artist and muralist whose work explores human experience, blending themes of peace and prosperity in a dreamy celebration of Florida's natural beauty. From public art and large-scale murals to community-driven projects, she has created a unique voice that continues to inspire people through creativity and meaningful expression. In today's episode, we're talking about growth, protecting your peace, staying grounded, and navigating the pressures that come with being an artist while continuing to evolve both creatively and personally. Let's welcome to the show, Nico.

SPEAKER_02 1:06

Hi.

SPEAKER_00 1:07

Thank you for joining us today. It's a pleasure having you here.

SPEAKER_02 1:09

Thank you for having me.

SPEAKER_00 1:10

Now, for people just being introduced to you for the first time, who is Nico beyond the murals and the artwork?

SPEAKER_02 1:16

I'm a mermaid. I'm also um like a woodland creature. I love to read and research and study life and things that interest me. I love animals, I love nature, I have friends and family. I have a beautiful life in a beautiful community that I'm super grateful for. I guess that's Nico outside of the art, beyond the art.

SPEAKER_00 1:43

That's what's up. That's great to hear. And I know your work definitely blends uh nature and spirituality. Let's speak to that. How are you able to connect through your artwork, elaborating to the person that you are?

SPEAKER_02 1:56

Well, born and raised in Florida, always been in love with Florida nature, sunsets, water, the beach, the intercoastal, the animals, the birds, all of that has always been amazing to me. So I wanted to highlight Florida's natural beauty as a means to raise awareness and hopefully promote conservation while also communicating these big themes and concepts and things that I'm experiencing in my own life.

SPEAKER_00 2:25

That's great to hear. You definitely have been doing a lot of community work and connecting. I want to speak to that. When did when did that begin for you?

SPEAKER_02 2:33

So I started doing community work in Jacksonville. Um I don't remember how old I was, but it was a while ago. It was over 10, over 15 years ago that I started doing it. I participated in a crowdfunding festival that they did and had a project idea called the Kids Mural Festival. And I didn't win that project or that uh crowdfunding festival, but I was a finalist and I attracted the attention of the Jacksonville Parks and Rec department, and they hired me to take my project to their community centers in the most underserved neighborhoods in the city.

SPEAKER_00 3:11

That's amazing.

SPEAKER_02 3:12

And so I took my, you know, we went and we we would build these m walls, like just like the most makeshift wall, and we would pop up these walls all around the city. Well, this was the very beginning of that, but that's what I had when I was participating in the crowdfunding festival, and that's what they saw, and that's what they liked. So we went and we built murals in these neighborhoods. There were three different neighborhoods that we went through, and I personally had never really seen like so close um children in those types of situations and those underserved communities, like their lack of access to art or awareness about art or murals or paint or any of that. Right. And so that experience working with the city inspired me the most. Um, I just was like, okay, this is what I'm doing. I'm gonna create this program, I'm gonna raise funds, I'm gonna get grants, and I'm gonna just bring art to all the kids that I possibly can. And I did end up getting a couple grants. The first grant that I received was for a mural festival. I did the mural festival four different times throughout the year, which was insane. I should have only done it once, but I was young, I had energy and I had, you know, we got through it. But before the first festival, I realized, you know, like there's so many kids that aren't gonna be able to come to this festival. They don't have access to transportation, they don't have access to people that can help them or have awareness to help them get here. So I was before I even did the first festival, I was already plotting on like how can I bring this to the kids that need it most. And so the second grant that I received, I focused fully on just going straight to Title I schools, which are the the schools in the most underserved areas.

SPEAKER_00 4:52

That's great.

SPEAKER_02 4:53

So I got another grant and we did um we did 35 schools in just about a year.

SPEAKER_00 4:59

Wow, that's amazing. That's great to hear. That's a that sounds like a really solid project. I want to speak to the the process of that for the individuals who are seeking funding and understanding on how to put together, you know, grant write-ups and things like that. I mean, it's it sounds easy and it's not. I know it's I tell people all the time when applying for grants, a lot of times it's it may seem like you're trying to manifest an idea because ultimately you're competing with a lot of other people who are applying. But let's let's speak to those different details that you had to put together for that puzzle to be able to be facilitated and be able to bring together that programming.

SPEAKER_02 5:34

Honestly, I just got really, really, really lucky. I don't know what they were thinking, giving me that money, like honestly, but I got extremely lucky and I used that and beyond to like make the project happen and and make it real. And so I definitely think I was someone that could be trusted and used the funds as responsibly as possible, but I got extremely lucky, I think. Like I didn't know anything about grant writing, I just oh that's that's that's beautiful.

SPEAKER_00 6:00

That's a that's a lucky that's a that's great.

SPEAKER_02 6:03

And um I was able to do a lot of you know impact a lot of kids through that project and then in and beyond. And in Jacksonville, I continued outside of the Kids Mural Project with other f festivals and events, especially because during that time we were experiencing a lot of violence in the city, and I just really wanted to create a new pathway for youth to know that they can there are peaceful, nonviolent pathways to achieve success in life. And so in the last few years I was in Jacksonville, I used my resources to organize festivals, mural projects, um, stuff like that. But it reached a point where funding what like getting funding was was extremely difficult. And I just I was I was trying to pour out of an empty cup, like I was trying to help my community like when I didn't even have like what I needed. So I that's kind of when I decided to move to Miami and pursue my own career so that I could build a more solid foundation from which I can give back an impact.

SPEAKER_00 7:04

I do see that you are continuing to build uh within these different programs. The project that I do see that you've been connecting with lately is cleaning up the beaches and cleaning up these desolate areas. Can we talk to that? Because I know it ties into your work as well.

SPEAKER_02 7:17

I would love to talk about that.

SPEAKER_00 7:18

Yes, please, let's talk about it.

SPEAKER_02 7:20

Um, I am super inspired by my friend MJ. She has an organization that they just celebrated seven years of clean this beach up. She's I don't even know what to call her. She's just like a marine activist, I guess. She does all kinds of amazing programs. Right now, she's working with sponges. And apparently, sponges are similar to mushrooms in a way that they they filter the ocean water. Okay. So they're like making sure that there's enough sponges or something out there. I don't know. I love doing that cleanup with her. We went to deep in the Biscayne National Park. They took us out on boats and we were out like in the nature.

SPEAKER_00 8:00

That's great to hear. And I'm just bouncing back and forth from the different work that I've been seeing you putting together through nature and through the connection of animals. I know you have your spirit dogs and your spirit animals. Let's speak to those connections and how you're able to bring all these different missions and these different purposes through your artwork and have it represent who you are as an artist.

SPEAKER_02 8:20

I've just been exploring a lot of different visuals throughout my career since I've really been focusing on my style and my image. You know, in the past I was really focused on community work and commissions and just painting kind of what people wanted. And I've been really trying hard to create my own identity and figure out who I am. And so I was doing painting these dogs, painting the Doberman, simply because aesthetically it's impactful, beautiful, aggressive. It's also it has a duality to it, which I have in a lot of my work, which is the feminine and masculine energy. And I was doing them a lot, and people really responded to them, like really. That was their favorite thing that that was like the biggest response I got. So I decided to kind of make it something real, and I created something called the Spirit Guide, Guard Dog. And this is the first one that I created.

SPEAKER_00 9:12

Let's show that to the camera. That's an amazing piece.

SPEAKER_02 9:16

So this is called the spirit of self-reflection. And basically, if you have one of these pieces of art in your house, it watches over you, protects you, and also guides you in that each one has a different purpose and a meaning behind it that helps us achieve peace and balance in life. So this one is about how self-reflection is the key to balance and happiness, and also that everything we send out into the world comes back to us. So if we're constantly thinking negative thoughts or wishing bad on others, like for sure that's all gonna come back to us. So this concept, and when we see this dog, it reminds us like, what am I thinking about right now? And how can I adjust my thoughts to attract what I really want in life?

SPEAKER_00 9:57

That's great. And as artists, we consistently give pieces of ourselves. How do you, as an artist, protect your peace to remain sane and keep balanced and actively creative?

SPEAKER_02 10:09

That's a really big question. And um it's an everyday practice. Um, I quit drinking two years ago. Um, I'm trying to eliminate anything in my life that steals time, energy, or peace. And that was like a huge, obvious thing for me. And like obviously, there's challenges that come with that, like overcoming social anxiety, dealing with stress, dealing with anxiety, whatever. But it was like a very clear thing, like, okay, this is time, time to go. And like just researching and reading what are the obvious ways to have the most energy and be your best self so you can create your best and create your best work. So yoga, hot yoga. I love hot yoga. Um, you when you go in there, you're you die and you're reborn every time. It's an amazing way to process.

SPEAKER_00 10:59

Like an eagle deaf.

SPEAKER_02 11:00

Huh?

SPEAKER_00 11:00

It's like an eagle deaf.

SPEAKER_02 11:02

Yes, yeah. So hot yoga, Pilates, walk walking, moving your body, exercise. I try my best to take care of myself. I try the best to be conscious about what I'm eating, what I'm using, avoiding plastic, just really taking care of myself, taking time to journal. Journaling apparently is I read an article recently that says like the people that heal from trauma versus don't are the ones that journal. Literally just writing about your experience and what you felt and what happened. So I've been trying to journal as much as possible.

SPEAKER_00 11:33

That's great. That's great to hear that you're taking the time to invest into yourself, aside from investing yourself, you know, to your artwork creatively. Always the mind, the body, and the soul is the first place that we need to be investing. So that's great to hear. What do you as an artist want people to take when they're they're standing in front of your artwork, appreciating it? What is the message you want them to take and understand?

SPEAKER_02 11:55

That's a that's a good question. Um just that peace is possible, you know, and it's not always gonna be easy, but if you really learn how to set boundaries with yourself, your family, your friends, your community, and everything you experience every day, um, you can achieve peace in life. No matter what you're going through, no matter what your circumstances are, like you can you can find a way and you can learn how to calm your nervous system because stress is what kills us at the end of the day.

SPEAKER_00 12:23

For sure.

SPEAKER_02 12:24

Stress causes all of our problems. And if we're constantly in a state of stress, worrying, waiting, wondering, then we're on track for death.

SPEAKER_00 12:33

For sure.

SPEAKER_02 12:33

So if we can find a way to have peace in the midst of chaos, no matter what we're going through, I think that that is what is gonna set us up for success.

SPEAKER_00 12:42

Oh, for sure. The model that I live by is to stay positive and keep focused. You can't stay positive, you can't keep focused, you can't get anything done. You allow any negative energy to seep within your cipher, it will taint everything you have going on around you. So it is very important to protect your energy, protect your peace, and always stay positive. So thank you for that insight right there. I wanted to ask you, how do you as an artist find balance or the understanding when painting that you're painting for yourself and not for others?

SPEAKER_02 13:11

That's a good question. Um, especially right now. Um, having access to this studio space is such an incredible opportunity for me. And I I wish I could just come in here and just paint. As soon as I get here every day, just paint, paint, paint, paint, paint. But I have to survive, I have to pay my bills. So a lot of the time uh I spend here is on design work or just admin work. Um I do paint a lot. Don't don't don't get me wrong.

SPEAKER_00 13:39

But no, for sure. Um the admin work is the most important.

SPEAKER_02 13:42

It's frustrating, and lately I've really been like, you know, what can I do to reduce my um overhead so that I can um dedicate more of my time and energy to painting my ideas and my concepts rather than having to like take jobs that I don't want to do or that don't that aren't, you know, I can do a mural for like a huge brand, but it's not my art.

SPEAKER_00 14:08

Right.

SPEAKER_02 14:09

Like it's so exciting and it's amazing to tell people, oh, I just did this mural for this huge luxury brand, but like I'm not painting my art.

SPEAKER_00 14:17

Right.

SPEAKER_02 14:17

I'm painting like a design for them, and that's really cool. And I'm extremely grateful for that opportunity. But I want to, I'm determined to find a way to be able to focus all my time and energy on like my concept and my visuals and my ideas and and create so much value in my work that I can survive.

SPEAKER_00 14:35

That's great to hear. It's it's definitely showing in the work that we see here. This is uh an amazing space that you have set up here. Big shout outs to the Museum of Graffiti once again for putting this together and giving you guys this opportunity. Uh, I definitely thank you for your time here today. Where can the people find you? Where can they connect with you and be able to get some of this amazing artwork?

SPEAKER_02 14:54

So, right now, Instagram is where I'm most active. Nico Swabalicious. Good luck. Uh spelling that.

SPEAKER_00 15:01

It'll be on the screen here for you guys. Don't worry about it.

SPEAKER_02 15:04

Um, yeah, I'm on Instagram. Um, I think that's the best way to connect with me for sure. But you know, you can always email me if you have questions or anything.

SPEAKER_00 15:13

You have a website as well?

SPEAKER_02 15:14

I have a website. NicoSwaveArt.com. But I'm trying to drop the Suave, so just she's smooth.

SPEAKER_00 15:22

You smooth. You gotta keep it there. Why not?

SPEAKER_02 15:24

Because I'm I'm trying to evolve, I'm trying to be more um elegant.

SPEAKER_00 15:28

There you go. All right, that makes sense. Well, y'all stay tuned for this new uh phase as we continue to tap in. We're here with this amazing artist, Nico, out here in Miami. This is where you're based out of at this present time. Stay tuned. Make sure to like, comment, share, subscribe. Thank you for tuning in to the Open Power Podcast. We'll be back. Peace.