Nicole D’Settēmi is a 36-year-old creative writer, poet, and visual artist from Niagara Falls, New York. Born in a tiny town bordering Canada only five minutes from the legendary falls, Nicole says she had an eye for beauty at a young age, and that included poetry.
She has lived in five regions nationally, including South Florida and New York City, and has always been a self-described poetic, nomadic, creative soul and enthusiast of a variety of artistic mediums, but considers creative writing her number one form of art and feels everything else is just an extension of that passion.
In April of 2010, Nicole lost 95% of her eyesight in her right eye, due to injecting a poisoned bag of heroin, and was shipped to Manhattan’s Bellevue hospital 1,600 miles away from her city at the time, where she had been attending an Art Institute for Photo-Journalism. She was forced to drop her college courses half-way through to her degree, as she began a new, sober life in New York City.
Today, Nicole and her fiancee’, run what has become a fully operative creative services & marketing firm for authors, artists and the like, and Nicole is the founder & editor of several literary and creative lifestyle publications, in both print and digital formats. Nicole has published a handful of poet chapbooks, diary excerpts and memoirs with a slew of additional works planned for release from early 2019 on.
Nicole has appeared on the cover of Sexy Glam, International Music Magazine, FLAIM, FWM Magazine, Soul Central, and inside various other publications, highlighting her artistic evolution, poetry series’, and memoirs. In 2017, breakawaydaily.com awarded her with the visionary award in arts, and her book received critical acclaim from them as “a must read for all.” Nicole is also re-publishing Addictarium in paperback this Fall, through Prodigy Gold Books!
1.) What elements and/or characteristics made you say to yourself that you wanted to be an author/poet for a living? Who are your influences/heroes/role models?
Well, I believe, it was an organic plunge into artistry which was mostly unconsciously so, when I was young. I wrote poems naturally, it felt as if it was organic. I was writing before I was reading a lot of material, because I was young, but had something embedded in me.
Then, as I grew older and different authors or poets would fall into my lap, it would be the same wave-length totally and I’d think ‘he or she gets it,’ and they gave a name to it, to what | who I was – The Artist.
And, the more literature I read or even read currently, the more I feel that there is something organic there. Something bigger, a larger force. I’d find these books or authors or poets, philosophers, I read the things they have written and they are ideas I feel I have had often, and haven’t been able to articulate. I didn’t study Plath or Nietzsche and go, ‘I want to be just like this person,’ or ‘I want to write this,’ –they fell into my lap because I was already living a life of that nature, I connected so deeply to them because I felt I understood and therefore received understanding, in an odd way. For example, I’d been writing Disney themes tied to feminism, into my poetry for 20+ years, when Plath and Sexton fell into my lap a decade +half ago, they were using similar themes. It’s almost eery.
My ‘biblical’ poets and writers are Anais Nin, Sylvia Plath, Janet Fitch, and then there are great musicians lyrically, such as Pink Floyd, Tupac Shakur, Nine Inch Nails, Bob Dylan, and many others who inspired my work as a poet. Visual artists such as Matthew Goodsell, Pablo Picasso, pop-artists like Warhol, they also inspired me.
2.) If you could compare yourself to an already established author or poet (or both), who would that be and why? If you don’t like to compare yourself, then what separates you from others out there?
Well, I’m not striving to be some second-rate Plath or Nin. I just adore these writers because they have expressed what I’ve felt for so long or written before, or tried to.
Even going back to the lifestyle question. My fiancee’ and I have this amazing bohemian life, living in a life, creative, frenzied, recreational artistic studio. And, that’s what I’ve always known, what I’ve always done, and then I picked up Miller & Nin and see the same patterns. –The irony in that is the patterns I speak of, are really chaotic ones--chaos.
But seeing Miller’s flat in Paris. The studio, the rooms filled with clippings and photography, art, notes, books, manuscripts–that’s what I have always been. So naturally, when I found these authors, it was like finding my soul brothers and sisters. Like I wasn’t alien-esqe, from another universe anymore, somebody else (many people) understood this vision, and that somebody–those people–were great.
I have had my novel compared to White Oleander, which is reflective of my hero above, Fitch. I’ve also had people pick up on the Nin quality to my work. Some other comparisons have been Eminem, Marilyn Manson, photographer Francesca Woodman, painters like Frida Kahlo, Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso, poet Emily Dickinson, pop-artist | Muse Andy Warhol | AND Edie Sedgewick (who was a muse, not an artist, but I also art-modeled for some time!).
3.) Everyone in life goes through adversity of some sort. Is there anything in your life that has any influence on the kind of songs you write? What is the most difficult thing you’ve had to endure on your path to becoming an artist?
Oh absolutely! There’s a saying ‘without pain there is no art,’ —or wouldn’t be. I don’t know if that is entirely accurate, but in my case, yes.
I believe, or conceive, what it really is, is that DEEP and profound moments | feelings | events, etc. stir us, which creates great art. That can be anything, whether positive or negative emotions evoked from it. It seems anger, rage, pain, DO drive many artists. But, so does love – good love, bad love, healthy love, obsessive love. So it’s PASSION which stirs the artist, it’s intensity. Artists want the heat, the white waves, the orgies and ecstasy life offered in numerous ways.
As for difficult things to endure personally? Aside from ridicule, aside from bearing public humiliation for being in the margins, the sidelines (weirdos, free-thinkers) who are viewed as ‘failures’ in terms of being a productive member of society, often, which most artists must bear, the real torment is reliving everything. But that’s also the magic in other instances. If a writer reflects on an amazing moment, if it is pleasurable to re-live, that’s the gift. Reliving it as many times as one wants. That’s the reward.
–BUT, if it was painful, degrading, a situation where you were victimized, felt weak, then it’s very painful. It’s like you’re giving a piece of yourself to the world that is so hard to give. But you have to. You have to. Honesty, truth, is artistry.
4.) How do you prepare yourself to write? What is your creative process?
Living. Life. Art. My every move is based on creativity and inspiration to move forward, do more, learn more, motivate myself, inspire myself.
I live in a fully functional creative art-house & studio with my fiancee’. Every room, every area is composed as an asset to The Artist. We turned our living room into a studio by day, all paintings, racks of prints, easels, etc. By night, it’s a creative CLUB. He has D.J. equipment, we have LED and laser-lighting, smoke machines, and other enhancers. I’m very into performance art, too, so we cook beautifully, culinary style, dine and drink, he D.J.s, we dance, and live and love!
In regards to my more introverted studies, I also journal, collect clippings, books, passages, anything I can use to grow in certain areas, reminders to keep going. I journal every day or edit journals. I have diaries and journals. My diaries are very intense and developed as stories, whereas my journals are more documentation of events, places, people, etc.
–Even my bathroom is an asset! I have a black marker-board with insane notes on the wall. A shelf of books in there. More visual art and quotes, clippings, other things. I’ve used a piece of toilet paper and eye-liner to take notes, or jot a phrase. That’s the part of me my fiancee’ calls “insane.” —Beautiful madness, a beautiful mind, he says.
5.) Unfortunately, the creative industry is full of talented individuals who more or less become the “starving artist” and don’t get any recognition for their talent and/or work. What have you been doing to make sure you stand out and get noticed
I totally agree, hence my title ‘Starving Artista’ (laughing), and magazine ‘Starving Artist.’
What I do personally, is I try to explore all avenues. I run a line of creative publications and connect with artists | creatives through it, and a small eBook promotion(s) | press co., and I also have a new social media channel, which I call my ‘digital lounge,’ @PoeticaBeauvoir. The channel, IGTV, and pages provide the real me. In performance yes, but a true, true piece of me. Not commercially composed work, just me. I practice art in every facet and my pages reflect that. I love performing, I am a total passionately driven poetry machine, so I really deliver a lot, frequently, and it’s always sincere. It’s always me.
I am also very close to people who support my work. I make a point to be human to them. I hate the word fan, it insinuates an unequal relationship. I say supporters. And, I interact with them as I would anyone!
6.) Would you rather work for a big corporation or would you rather stay independent? Why or why not?
The N.I.C. in NIC Publications & Co. stands for New Indie Creatives, so I think that sums that up.
I know there has to be a business side, to eat, but I do tend to side with, nurture, support and appreciate the independents more.
I am also very very certain of the vision I have for most things, so turning it over to the big-guys would probably ruin it, and crush me, so I keep that in mind. I am also low-key. I don’t covet nor own too terribly much and I am fine with that. My fiancee’ and I buy things that we’ll enjoy versus to show-off. Instead of a fancy car, we turned our living room into a KILLER art studio! He found D.J. equipment! You know? So I am okay with independence, artistically.
7.) For the people out there who’d like to write a book and get it published, could you explain that process to them?
This is a difficult question because the ‘process’ isn’t always the same. It depends on what that person’s goals are. If money motivates them, they will have to invest in their work and spend before they see residuals. Like any business.
If art is the motivating factor, they are best off publishing through their own press. You can develop your own small press, publish through it and usually, can have success if it is a good book.
I think the biggest misconception is that a person believes once they write the book and are published through a publishing house (if accepted) the hard part is done–writing and finding a publisher. That’s actually, believe it or not, the easier part. (And, it ISN’T easy!)
Marketing is the hardest part and most draining. You will find out that people are fickle, people are difficult. Marketing must be done whether you are signed or not, too. So having a tight marketing plan pre-launch is huge–essential.
8.) How do you think the internet and social media affected the creative industry and how authors are able to market themselves? How do you market and promote your products online?
I am unusual, in that I correspond with everyone when I can, have time. I follow plenty of (usually creative) folks back and will chat with anybody. I don’t have a superiority complex. I don’t.
Social Media has changed everything. People no longer covet, love, worship the superstar, the “Elizabeth Taylors”. Illusory, unreal stars just don’t work anymore. The more touchable, the better now… silly home videos will do better than artistic ones. So it’s difficult. What if you still have an unusual incredible vision? What if that doesn’t work anymore? It can be difficult.
I’ve seen in the book industry a lot of manipulation, and a lot of poorly penned material do very well. It’s disheartening when you’ve poured your heart and soul, blood, sweat, and tears into something, and you see this happen. But, at the same time, I wouldn’t want everyone to get me anyway, how boring!
That’s another thing – I believe in quality over quantity. I have a hard time finding a Social Media Assistant or Specialist who wants to aid, with that mind-frame. They are all about numbers. I prefer the real thing – an artist or creative I have something in common with, over “Joe or Jane Doe,” who keep(s) telling me how sexy I am, you know? I mean, compliments are nice, right? We all like to hear nice things about ourselves, right? But, somebody telling me my work means something, somebody with a valuable opinion in that area, is going to make me feel 1,000 times better than the “you’re sexy,” user.
9.) Social media is obviously an extremely important element in today’s world, especially when it comes to business, branding, marketing, etc. With that being said, do you think an artist will be able to survive in today’s economy if they’re not social media savvy?
They would have to be someone extraordinary. Social Media is the same as commercials on T.V., billboards. It’s an essential and useful form of advertising. I don’t know that celebrities do well without it, and they are often fairly well-known (@ different levels, of course), so I do not think anybody else is going to do well without it.
There are always rare cases though, so it’s possible, just not plausible.
10.) Artists who try to create art for the general public and make more money are usually seen as “sell-outs.” Do you see it that way and if so, what do you plan to do to make sure your art stays true to your brand and make a good living at the same time without having to “sell out”?
Well, it is a career choice, so no. I think it’s very difficult when you have a career as an artist, a performer, a creator, an entertainer. People enjoy entertainment the most, and ironically want to spend the least amount of money on it.
I think it’s this notion that if you are having fun, or being entertained by someone if it’s a situation like that, why do you have to pay if both parties are involved and there’s an over-all appreciation or enjoyment there?
It’s very unfair. And also, on another level, moguls are the kings and queens of the industry, of course, so for a person to actually do this thing to live, they are forced sometimes to ‘sell-out’, otherwise, they LITERALLY have to quit because they can’t afford to eat.
It’s so hard to ask people to PAY you for this thing you’ve done, but you can’t hone your craft, be even greater for them, without getting paid. If you can’t eat you will have to drop this thing you do, and therefore can’t give it to the world. It’s such a tricky, unfortunate part of being an artist, a creator, an entertainer on any level, etc.
11.) Professionally, where do you see yourself 5 years from now?
If I am alive in five years, I would think I’m on the brink to being discovered. It takes ten years to create an overnight success story. I published Addictarium in 2016, and it’s 2018, in 2026 I’ll have spent those ten years. So it will be less than a ten year point but very close. I hope I’ve reached a broad range of folks and my books are doing well! I’d also like to get the novel optioned for film, and would love if I’ve reached that point.
Poetry Chapbooks / Bibliography
I produced Addictarium, my biggest credit to date, and am republishing in paperback this week. I resold the rights to a press so very exciting time. I have published over 100 poems in 6 chapbooks, with a 7th out on the 30th this month.
My videos and channel Beautifully Borderline is popular on IGTV.
Phoetry
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