Check Out Nicholas Valencia’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicholas Valencia.

Hi Nicholas, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was a regular kid raised in Greenville, NC, with my mother, grandparents, and uncle(mother’s brother). Growing up, I played sports such as basketball and football, and I stayed to myself with my few friends for the most part. I was introduced to video games by my uncle. I eventually became a heavy gamer around 13-14 years of age, during the “prime” call of duty era where there was the call of duty “teams/clans.” Initially, people would try to join these teams as “snipers” or ” trick shooters ” and then make content for youtube to gain a following. I would join these teams as a designer making youtube content like banners and video thumbnails and trying to create my own youtube content around COD. These teams would have designers and gamers essentially a part of the team, and I eventually picked up photoshop. Over time, that whole wave started to die down, and at this point, I was only getting older.

As time went on, I would practice in photoshop and eventually downloaded adobe illustrator because I was fascinated with designing and enjoyed it. I loved the feedback from people that viewed my content, and I was making different things like logos, photo manipulations, and youtube creations. Gradually I got into making other things like the cover art by the age of 17. By this time, I had graduated high school and decided to take it seriously. I attended Pitt Community College for my Advertising & Graphic Design associate and graduated in 2021. I kept working hard through trials and tribulations, trying to find a job and getting a structure together as a freelance designer. I wanted to improve more and more in any way I could by watching others and making mistakes. I have resided in Raleigh, NC, where I found a job in the Durham area and am building myself as a designer and brand. I have much I am working on and want to bring to the world. I can not wait to see my dreams come to life.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not been smooth, but everyone has their obstacles just with what life throws at us as living beings in this world, but I did not let anything stop me on my grind as a designer and person. Time is our friend and our enemy, but I had my struggles, and that motivated me to learn from what I’m struggling with and never be afraid to ask for help or advice if needed.

Thanks for sharing that. So, you could tell us a bit more about your work.
So, I am most known for my cover art because that was one of the first things I started to do as I got into treating graphic design as a career and my creativity. After all, most people say I have a “realistic” feel to most of my work, especially regarding cover art, posters, or photo manipulations. I want to be a wide range of what I can do. Still, I offer services for Cover Art, Logos, Posters/Flyers, Clothing Designs, Brand Identity, and Youtube Artwork. I also got into photography through one of my college friends. I eventually would like to offer photoshoots. I am proud of my progress as a designer and what I have learned and applied to work because I strive to learn constantly. I want to inspire others with my work, and they may become creative, whether drawing, digital illustrations, painting, etc. As a creative, there is a lot of competition, and I see many different styles. I might see some things that another designer and I do that are similar, but I feel like what makes me different from others, but not all is I like details to be on point and realistic.

Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
Within the next 5-10 years, the graphic design industry will continue to grow because people are trying to make Ai be designers. Still, nothing is better than organic creations and being able to be part of the creative process. Also, 3D and animation will be big things in my eyes.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.createdbyvalencia.com
• Instagram: www.instagram/com/createdbyvalenci
• Other: https://unsplash.com/@valenciafilmed and www.behance.com/createdbyvalencia

Image Credits
Marcellus Smith (photographer of my pictures)