Nicole Zaridze’s work is a mix of humor, vulnerability, and emotional depth. To better understand how she approaches her creative work, we asked her to share her typical creative process when starting a new piece or comic. "I would literally walk around my apartment either listening to music or talking to myself, which helps me come up with my best ideas. And I think that works because I’m most relaxed in that state and I can imagine a piece from start to finish that way," she explained.
"Other times, I’ll journal in my sketchbook. Half of my sketchbooks are just writing. Then I’ll take sections of my journal entries and turn them into comics if anything sticks out to me. I ask myself questions such as:
Would this be something I would love people to read and look at visually?
Is this even an idea that I can illustrate in an effective way?
Would I enjoy drawing this?
Is this too personal or specific? Should it be more vague for it to connect with a larger audience?
It’s a process of thinking and feeling things out and deciding what to share and what not to share, and figuring out how to tweak and edit things to make a piece work in a visually appealing way, especially when including text. Then, I sketch it all out and I’m on my iPad for hours."
Nicole’s art often touches on themes like self-image, loneliness, and mental health. These topics are central to her work, so what inspires her to explore them?
"I like drawing and writing about what I know and have experienced, and I like drawing and writing about things that I know other people will relate to. Because as much we think 'Oh my god, I’m the only person who feels this way about this and no one understands me!' it’s just not true haha. We definitely all have our unique experiences, and we have our own perspectives, but we also are not alone either. And one of the motivations for me is seeing how people engage with my work in their own specific ways; work that I made in my own unique ways.
It’s a good outlet for me as well, especially, as I recently described in my process, a way where I’m picking and choosing what to say to an audience and deciding what is only kept with me in my process. That editing and undoing with my ideas is a whole level of planning that further motivates me to share with people.
I also enjoy drawing characters who deal with these issues as well because it takes me out of myself a little bit, and that helps you look at yourself in an outside perspective, which could be comedic and witty at times—which I love doing with these kind of topics."
Nicole revealed that much of her work is inspired by personal experiences. "My work isn’t necessarily biographical all of the time, but they are reactions to things that have happened or are happening around me and in my life." She also mentioned that artists like Aya Takano and niptong have had a significant influence on her creative process.
When asked what message she hopes people take from her art, Nicole shared that she values when viewers interpret her work in their own way, finding meanings and connections that resonate with them personally and bring them comfort. "Overall, though, my message is: be weird, don’t take yourself so seriously, and remember that you’re not alone, no matter how much it feels that way."
Creating art comes with its own set of challenges. For Nicole, the most difficult aspects are dealing with people who repost her work without credit and managing her perfectionist tendencies, which can sometimes lead to self-sabotage. "Just remaining consistent!" she says.
On the other hand, the most rewarding part of her artistic journey has been receiving kind and motivating feedback from her audience and clients. "And the knowing that I’ve been carving out my own artistic path by doing what I love, I’m lucky for that."
