nikiunleashed

The grass is always greener on the other side… Or is it? It’s happened enough times now where I’ve realized it is pointless to wish for what I don’t (currently) have. Did a 10+ miles hike this week in complete solitude and zero cell phone service. It was a little unnerving, but very liberating. When … More anything, but not everything

Anything in life can be a double-edged sword. What matters is how I choose to wield my tools/weapons. I find it easy to argue or portray something in multiple ways to help me understand different perspectives. This summer has been all about nourishing my own soul. Been camping a lot and having fun meeting new … More nourish > numb

We didn’t have any pets while growing up. Well, we had two goldfish, Pebbles and Bam Bam. My brother came home one day from school and asked my dad why one of them was swimming upside down. They were fun, but I never got to have a dog like I always dreamed of. Someday I … More on being wrong

I love traveling solo. It isn’t for everyone, and I thought it wouldn’t be for me. But I have grown to love it. I love going at my own pace. Traveling with friends is also fun, but it’s a completely different dynamic. Neither is better or worse, they’re just inherently different. When in my solitude, … More be bold, not reckless

My favorite season is finally here agaaaaain! Summer is my favorite. As a kid, I obviously loved the break from school. Long days playing in the back yard and always dragging my feet when my parents said it was time to leave the swimming pool – I loved being outside in the sunshine. As an … More create > consume

I posted this on my art account yesterday. Today I want to restart my weekly blogging and commit to creating again. My parents used to tell us about “blessings in disguise” – things that don’t make sense right now but are ultimately good things and part of the grand scheme of life. I’ve experienced a … More blessings in disguise

I’ve always wanted to be a surfer chick. Calm, cool, collected.  Mellow, zen, one with the ocean.  Sun-kissed skin, perfectly tan, wavy hair.  They were always so cool in movies and TV shows.  Watching them flow in the ocean made me want to try surfing so badly. So I did.  I’ve been surfing for a … More releasing an old dream

I am not invincible. When I was in my early twenties, I felt invincible:  didn’t need any/much sleep, could eat whatever I wanted, went sky diving, did multiple Spartan races.  Those experiences were all a blast and I would do them again, but in the young invincible mindset I had, I wasn’t acutely aware of … More morbidity & mortality

Have courage & advocate for yourself. Honor the light within yourself.  Sometimes that means standing up for yourself against other people, sometimes that means saying “no” to some invitations so you are free to say “yes” to the things that make your heart sing, and sometimes (often!) that means standing up for yourself WITHIN yourself! … More honor your own light

I came up with my new artist initials! I finally came up with a design for how I’d like to sign my art as “nikiunleashed!”  I used it for the first time in the piece above earlier this week.  I fiddled around with it quite a bit, playing with print versus cursive, and chose to … More the world is your mirror