🇬🇧 Artwork: Unyckeness

Today we are talking about “Unyckeness”, one of the latest artworks I have completed. You can see the artwork by clicking here. To purchase it, visit the “Buy art here” page.

I am Nycka Nunes, a visual artist and personal style, marketing, branding, personal branding and fashion business consultant. In this blog, I only talk about art. For other services, you can hire me by visiting the “Services” page, as all my services are personalized and my clients can count on the expertise of a professional with decades of professional experience and an enviable personal repertoire.

At the time this text was published, I am raising funds for a photography project. If you would like to contribute, please contact me. To collaborate financially with the realization of other projects, read the “Maecenasship” page on this blog.

“Unyckeness” is about dualities, especially gender dualities. That’s why I used blue and pink as the main colors.

We are used to seeing the world in black and white… I mean… in pink and blue… because we know that human beings are usually born with male or female reproductive organs. Rarely is anyone born with both options. And many of us grew up with the idea that what we have between our legs determines how we should behave. And this has certainly generated countless conflicts throughout history.

At some point, we may realize that something we like does not fit that standard. In my opinion, this says nothing about our sexual orientation or our gender identity. I remember a few years ago, I served a client who was reluctant to wear a shirt with a blue print of stylized tulips, because they were flowers. After putting the shirt on with the blazer I had in mind to wear with the shirt, he liked the idea and ended up taking the shirt. He is certainly not the only man in the world who grew up believing that flower prints are for women. There must still be some people out there with this mentality, coming from a repressive education based on stereotypes, not on understanding the individual who came into our lives in the form of a child.

Note that the work is composed of alternating rectangles of blue and pink, like a chessboard. I did not try to emulate a board with equal squares and the same number of squares, but one of my references was a chessboard, like a struggle between the beliefs imposed on us by our parents and those that are part of our essence.

The reflections linked to this work concern the extent to which we accept our tastes, behaviors and other characteristics that are stereotyped as masculine and the extent to which we accept our tastes, behaviors and other characteristics that are stereotyped as feminine. Do you accept yourself as a whole, or just the part of you that matches the stereotypes linked to your biological gender? And, if you are a trans person, do you accept yourself as a whole or just the part of you that is the opposite of the stereotype of your biological gender? In both cases, how important are stereotypes in your life, including stereotypes not linked to gender? And how important is what your parents and family have transmitted to you in relation to your beliefs as an adult human being? How many of these beliefs and values ​​have you questioned?

Nycka Nunes

nycka@nyckanunes.art

🇬🇧 Artwork: The light within

Today we’re going to talk about “The Light Within.” You can see this piece on my Instagram profile by clicking here.

I’m Nycka Nunes, a visual artist, and in this blog I talk about my work, inspirations, projects, and related topics. I’m currently raising funds to acquire a larger space to work and also to purchase photography equipment. If you can contribute, read the “Maecenasship” page to learn about some options. Buying my artwork available here on the site is also a way to help me achieve these goals.

This drawing was inspired by the desire to express the power we have within us. The inspiration was a photo of a friend. I drew the body following more or less the proportions of the photograph, because drawing realism is not something I like. And then I replaced his head with a light bulb to give the meaning I want to the artwork. It was a personal challenge for me, because I prefer to avoid using realism to express what I want, and I am proud of the final result.

The white borders are part of the drawing.

The work refers to the concept of Buddhist enlightenment, a topic I have already discussed in a text on an old blog. Click here to read.

I am developing another project with the same concept of Buddhist enlightenment, with a series of images, using photography as the main tool and, as I mentioned, I do not have the resources and equipment to do this. So, I would love it if you could show your financial support so I can achieve this goal. To purchase the artwork “The Light Within”, if available, click here. Purchasing it (or other artworks available) through the blog is a way of helping me achieve this and other goals.

Nycka Nunes

🇬🇧 Artwork: Jam Jars

Returning to the habit of talking about my artwork, today it's time to talk about Jam Jars. You can see this artwork by clicking here (you'll see it on my Instagram profile).

I'm Nycka Nunes, a visual artist, and in this blog I talk about my artistic work, inspirations, projects, and related topics.

I don't like to fit in. This artwork is based on my vision of people who diminish themselves to fit into stereotypes, such as the stereotype of needing long hair to be feminine, or needing to dress or behave in a certain way to fit into certain social groups. This need to fit in makes me see such people as jars of jam in a supermarket, who need labels to describe themselves.

My goal is to provoke reflection, to make those who see the art think about how much of their truths and values ​​are really theirs. How many different references did they seek? How much did they question such beliefs and stereotypes? Just as personal style has no labels, it is very limiting to try to be guided by stereotypes to fit in. And at the same time, I believe that it is necessary to have a balance, where our individuality does not violate the rights of others.

The binary thinking in relation to things, in seeing everything as right or wrong, as if life were a multiple choice test where each question only allows one right answer and all the others are wrong, is a limiting view.

Yesterday I saw a question on a social network where someone asked if a man who likes to wear women's clothes is gay. Could it be that the person limits himself so much that he is afraid to admit that he likes something because it would be a sign that his sexual orientation is different from what he believed? What if he really liked other things that the stereotypical straight man “shouldn't” like? What's the problem? Does he see himself as inferior if that happens?

For a long time I managed a Facebook page (and previously an Orkut community) dedicated to women with short hair. Several said they were dying to have short hair, but were afraid their boyfriend or husband wouldn't like it or that they wouldn't look feminine. 🙄 On the other hand, trans women generally seek the stereotypical image of being feminine, with long hair, among other stereotypes.

Imagine that one day I visit your house, and you ask me my favorite dessert, so you can serve me something that pleases me. I say I love Black Forest pie. You serve Black Forest pie when I visit. Over time, we become friends. And every time I go to your house, the dessert is always the same Black Forest pie. At some point, I'll get tired of it, because I also like other things and eating the same thing every day gets boring.

And I'm not just talking about desserts and visitors. The reasoning is similar for many other situations. Serving Black Forest pie for dessert is also not the only way to make me feel welcomed and loved. There are other ways. Because I know who I am, and understand the complexity of my personality, I can understand where these limitations arise. After all, I had to fight against many of them to be who I am today. And by understanding this complexity, I can understand that life is not a multiple-choice test with only one correct answer for each question. How deeply do you know yourself? How many of your beliefs and values ​​have you tried to question, seek alternatives, meet people with different experiences in relation to that topic, with the willingness to listen without judging?

If you liked this reflection, purchase the artwork "Jam Jars" by clicking here.

Nycka Nunes

🇬🇧 How to contribute to the realization of artistic projects

How can you contribute to the viability of my artistic projects?

I am Nycka Nunes, a visual artist and photographer. Photographic equipment costs a lot of money, and the projects I most want to do involve photography. In addition, traveling also costs some money (sometimes much less than photographic equipment, but it does cost money), and in my work, traveling allows me to have a richer and more varied image bank of textures to use in my works of art. I do not have my own studio; to photograph people I need to rent spaces, and both renting and purchasing a studio cost money. Purchasing a studio is one of my current goals. And here I am just talking about some costs that prevent me from having ideal working conditions today. Therefore, contributions from followers, collectors, and other people who appreciate original and creative art are extremely important for me to produce the best work that my potential allows. In this text I will explain how a person or a company can contribute to the realization of my artistic projects, and these other costs that I have in my work, including contributing to the acquisition of my studio. The simplest way is through donations. You contact me to let me know that you want to contribute and provide your details for the purpose of declaring your donation, and I will give you the bank details to make the donation directly into my account.

For some projects, I offer donors who contribute a minimum amount some benefits, such as discounts on the purchase of works of art.

Another way to contribute, valid for companies of any size, is through sponsorship. For more information about the sponsorship options I offer, read the “Maecenasship” page on this blog. Companies interested in returns other than sponsorship can send me their proposals or schedule a business meeting on the “Services” page of this blog.

Even though the conditions are not ideal, I continue to work and you can purchase works of art that I have already created, when they are available. Purchasing the works of art that I have already created is also a way of contributing to my creation of others. See the available works on the “Buy art here” page. All of them are limited editions.

If you like art, you support artistic work. Even if you think that what you can offer is not enough, for donations, any amount is valid. For sponsorships, it will depend on the expected return. I have more than seventeen thousand unique followers and a considerable reach, and I know the value of this for sponsorships that involve brand visibility on my social media profiles and blog. I know that because I have few followers on some social networks, the percentage of engagement is higher and this means that, since the followers are distributed across several channels, the overall engagement is higher than that of someone who has 17 thousand followers on a single social network. For other sponsorship formats, I also have my metrics. And respecting this is essential.

Respect copyright. Reproduction of this text in whole or in part without written permission from the author is prohibited.

Nycka Nunes

🇬🇧 What inspires me: Strictly Ballroom

Continuing to talk about films that inspire me, today I remembered a film that had a big impact on me when it was released in 1992 and from then on.

I am Nycka Nunes, a visual artist/photographer, and in this blog I talk about various topics related to my work.

The film “Strictly Ballroom” tells the story of a family of dancers, where the son, Scott, was raised to be a champion in ballroom dancing competitions. However, Scott does not want to follow steps choreographed by others. He wants to dance his own steps. Nothing unusual for creative minds and intelligent people.

His dance partner, as well as his mother, do not support the idea. When he has the opportunity to dance with another promising dancer, his dance partner abandons Scott. The one who offers to dance with him is Fran, a beginner dancer. However, he accepts to rehearse with her. The evolution of the relationship between the two is interesting, but the analysis of the reasons for the family's tantrum when they found out that he wanted to dance his own steps, and also when they found out that he would be dancing with a beginner, is perhaps the most interesting part of the film.

The aesthetics, very much linked to the 80s, do not appeal to me in several aspects (I have a certain aversion to 80s fashion. Not a total aversion, but it exists), so it is not a film that is an aesthetic inspiration for me in general.

The world of art always brings me inspiration and this film, watched when I was still a teenager, has always been an inspiration for me to follow a path of “dancing my own steps”, sometimes having support from places I never imagined. Science has also confirmed that we are all born with unique characteristics, no one is born as a blank slate, and, therefore, self-knowledge is a necessary journey for any adult who does not want to be seen as an imbecile by others. Read the “Maecenasship” page of this blog to learn how to contribute to the realization of my projects. The “Buy art here” page offers the option to purchase my artworks that are available.

Nycka Nunes

🇬🇧 Project: Self-esteem and self-image

Self-esteem and self-image are very important topics in the current scenario. Since my art mainly revolves around themes related to personal development and self-esteem and self-image are part of this, this is a text to talk about my next project, which has self-esteem and self-image as its central themes.

I am Nycka Nunes, a visual artist, and in this blog I talk about my work and everything that inspires me.

My next project, which I want to exhibit in museums in several countries and sell to clients all over the world, has photography as its main tool and self-esteem and self-image as its central themes.

The project aims to propose reflections for each person to take care of their own self-esteem and personal image while respecting their own beauty, at a time when valuing one's own beauty has become increasingly rare.

The trend of celebrities seeking to return to a natural beauty is quite recent and this may be a sign of greater awareness about what SELF-esteem is.

There are several ways to contribute to the project.

Individuals can contribute through monetary donations of any amount.

Companies and self-employed professionals can contribute through donations or sponsorships, with amounts starting at US$5,000*.

* Value in effect on the date of publication of the text. This amount may change periodically and the updated amount is provided on the “Maecenasship” page of this blog.

To learn about sponsorship options, read the “Maecenasship” page.

People who donate more than five thousand dollars to this project by January 15, 2025 will be entitled to a discount on the purchase of images of the project, once completed, equivalent to 60% of the amount donated. The discount is valid for purchases directly from me when the normal value (without discount) of the purchase is equivalent to at least double the amount donated. This benefit is only valid for donations and not for sponsorships.

The more contributions from individuals and companies, the further the project will go, being shown in more places around the world and offering more visibility to the sponsoring brands.

If your company values ​​the mental health of its employees or works in areas related to beauty and/or health, sponsoring this project is a wise choice to reinforce the brand's commitments. Companies committed to sustainability also have similar benefits. Other business profiles that could benefit from sponsoring my work for various reasons (such as hotels, fashion brands, tourism-related companies, restaurants, gyms, schools, universities, among others) could also contribute and have positive effects on the brand's image.

I haven't decided on the name of the project yet. It has a provisional name, but I can't reveal it before the project is ready because it says a lot about what I have in mind in terms of how to carry it out. I’ll start photographing the project in February 2025.

Nycka Nunes

🇬🇧 What inspires me: Noi siamo tempesta

In October I received a book called “Noi siamo tempesta” (We are storms) by Italian writer Michela Murgia as a gift. Although it took me a while to start reading the book, it was a smooth and fast read. The content is very good. That’s what I’m going to talk about today.

I’m Nycka Nunes, a visual artist who has been fascinated by fashion and various forms of art since I was a child. In this blog I talk about my work, what inspires me and a little bit about my lifestyle as part of what inspires me. To sponsor content, read the “Maecenasship” page and watch your brand reach more than seventeen thousand unique followers and millions of people per year.

I read the book in its original language (Italian). The work contains several short, more or less fictitious stories of real situations where the union between different people brought about a grand result. After the more or less fictitious narrative comes an explanation of the event. My favorite story tells, in a light-hearted way, the challenges faced by artist Maria Lai in creating the work “Legarsi alla montagna” (bond with the mountain), showing the difficulties the artist had in uniting the people of the small town where she was born to create the work.

This story caught my attention not only because it is about art, but also because it shows the difficulties in relationships that exist even among family members and close people when everyone just wants to be right, as if life were a multiple-choice test where there is only one right answer for each question. Life requires flexibility and the book shows that respect and using differences between people to build something relevant is very important. Each person has their own value.

The story of the Naples zoo also enchanted me and made me curious to visit the place.

I don't know if it is available in other languages. For those who can read Italian, I recommend it. If you don't speak Italian and find it in other languages ​​that you are fluent in, it is also worth reading (I prefer to read in the original language whenever possible, but if that is not possible... reading is never bad).

My artwork “Bonds and knots” deals with a similar theme and you can purchase it here.

Please respect copyright. It is forbidden to reproduce this text in whole or in part without specific written permission from the author.

To contribute to the realization of my artistic projects, read the "Maecenasship" page.

Nycka Nunes

🇬🇧 What inspires me: A good year

In keeping with my goal of focusing on my artistic work, I have chosen to concentrate the blog content on topics related to what inspires me as an artist. Let's figure out together how often I can create content to keep my artistic work as the focus. From today on, I will share movies, books, trips, theater and musical performances, and other experiences that have had, are having, or will have an impact on my artistic work, with my point of view on the topic and, when it makes sense, relating the content to works of art that I have already created, artistic projects that I am developing, etc.

I am Nycka Nunes, a visual artist, graduated in advertising and marketing, with multiple talents. If you were or had been my classmate in school, you would know that I was among the best students in almost everything (in fact, in everything that interested me. I have). I have liked art since I was a child and today I am going to talk about a movie that I love, starring Russell Crowe, and it is not “Gladiator”. I am going to talk about “A Good Year”. The film tells the story of Max Skinner, who, as a child, used to visit his uncle's winery in the south of France. Years later, Max, now a successful financial professional in London, inherits his uncle's winery. The trip to take care of the bureaucratic procedures does not go as expected and the experience changes Max's perception of the purpose of money. Perhaps this has gone unnoticed by some film critics. They are film critics, I am an artist. And the point that shows this change in perception is summarized in two scenes, in the second half of the film, I think. I am writing from memory, without rewatching the film to note details. The first scene is when Max is talking to his boss in London, in the boss's office, after returning from France. On the wall there is a huge Van Gogh. Max makes a comment about the painting. The boss says it is a copy and the original is locked in a safe. Max then asks when the boss appreciates the original. This is perhaps my favorite scene in the film, because of the depth of meaning in such a short scene. Shortly after, the second scene comes, which shows Max arriving at the restaurant with the painting (if I say more than that, it will be a spoiler, so watch the film).

The purpose of money is to allow us and those we love to enjoy the best it can offer us. I learned this from my father. Max, whose uncle owned one of the most awarded wineries in France, certainly also learned this from birth, and perhaps adult life robbed him of the pleasure of certain experiences, and the trip to France made him reconnect with them. Sometimes the rush of work, the pressure (internal or external) to be successful professionally, among other things, take our focus away from what really matters. And life without art, without refinement, without this search for better experiences, is animalized, ugly, vulgar.

Respect the copyright. The total or partial reproduction of this text is only permitted with written authorization from the author, specifying the use and period.

Nycka Nunes

🇬🇧 New Year's resolution

This is a text about an important New Year's resolution I made in November.

I am Nycka Nunes, a visual artist with many other skills. To learn more about my education and professional experience, read my LinkedIn profile.

I decided that I want to participate in art exhibitions starting in 2025, create projects and get paid for them before they start, and have enough capital to buy my own spacious property to work in. I want to have sponsorships to make projects viable, because many exhibitions do not pay the artist adequately, they demand a lot and pay little or nothing in relation to what they offer, and I know the value of my work and do not accept paying to work. After this decision and a little research to find out how to achieve this, I realized that I will need to dedicate much more time to achieving this goal than I had been dedicating up until now to working with art. To get there, in addition to making my interest clear here, because there may always be readers willing to help me achieve my goals, I need to dedicate more time to doing other things that I have not given importance to up until now and research places that can really bring my art to my target audience. In 2024, I have already successfully started to do this. Positioning is important in any job and in many other things in life.

Non-artistic services (personal style consulting, personal branding, consulting for companies, etc.) will continue to be available, but I will have less time to dedicate to them and I will write less about them.

The content of the blog will be mainly about my day-to-day research on textures and other images, reflections that inspire me, which are linked to finished artistic works, comments on my works of art, reflections on excerpts from books that inspire me, about films I have seen that also generated interesting insights, etc. An “old school” blog, an artist’s diary, but… not so daily.

My main communication channels will continue to be, as they have been in recent months, Tiktok, YouTube and Instagram, using the blog as the main channel to talk about art when what I have to say is more than one or two short paragraphs. I recommend that you follow my profiles on these networks. See the links on the sidebar. All my active social media profiles are listed in the sidebar of this blog. Never accept invitations from profiles that claim to be mine but are not.

To support me in achieving my goals, I recommend reading the “Maecenasship” page on this blog, where the main forms of support are described.

My art is mainly about self-knowledge and recognizing beauty in imperfection and differences, but it is not limited to that. My art is, above all, about my points of view and my own development as a human being and as a professional.

Let's build a much more beautiful and meaningful 2025 together!

Nycka Nunes

Visual artist

🇬🇧 8 Marketing functions

Marketing is not just about communication and advertising. Marketing is one of the most important areas of a company. You could say it is the brain of a successful company.

I am Nycka Nunes, a world pioneer in 360º branding consultancy. Generally, our knowledge about areas that are not our area of ​​expertise is limited. So, in this text, I will mention eight points that are part of marketing strategies, which are included in my 360º branding consultancy and in the consultancy service for developing a marketing plan, and that many people do not know are marketing functions.

Some people have a negative view of marketing, believing that its role is to make a brand appear to be something it is not. This is a mistaken view. The real role of marketing is to make a brand BE distinctive and authentic, but only distinctive and authentic professionals are capable of creating and managing brands like this. Technical knowledge is not enough. The work of each professional reflects, among other things, their level of self-knowledge.

1. Location: This is a useful point in defining new points of sale for existing businesses. It is also important for new businesses, aiming to optimize selection and increase sales by choosing locations that are more aligned with the brand profile. For digital businesses, this includes defining a domain name, among other strategic choices.
2. Name: Choosing a name is also a marketing function. It is generally used in the initial planning of the business and also for the launch of new brands and product lines. Yes, the name and the domain are usually related, but not necessarily. And, as you can see, it is not possible to isolate one element of marketing without considering others.
3. Logo and slogan: If you thought that it was just a matter of hiring a designer to create a logo, you were wrong. In order to do a consistent job, a designer must submit to marketing and follow marketing guidelines when creating logos. The slogan is linked to the brand's positioning and how it wants to be remembered by its consumers. A designer without adequate training cannot submit to marketing because he or she is not trained for it. 
4. Positioning: A relevant brand does not sit on the fence. It defines how it wants to be seen by consumers and how to seek coherence in everything to achieve this objective. Strategic marketing thinking is essential to plan positioning.
5. Products and/or services: Marketing influences several issues related to the products and services offered by a brand. Having differentiated products and/or services is important to stand out in the market.
6. Target audience: Having clarity about who your target audience is is essential for a brand. Marketing generally defines this, as it is one of the foundations for all marketing work and all areas of the company.
7. Advertising and communication: This is what many people think marketing is, and it is only a small part of it. Communication and marketing actions are the most recognized facet of marketing, and even they are not fully known by many people. Point of sale layout, for example, is part of the company's nonverbal communication.
8. Prices: It is not enough to know how much it cost to produce your product. Strategic pricing is smarter and generally more complete than the pricing method adopted by entrepreneurs without any training in business administration or marketing and without guidance from qualified professionals. Unprepared entrepreneurs without professional support fail to even identify all the real costs that their companies have.

To have an authentic brand, hire my services by following the instructions on the services page of this blog.

Respect copyright. Reproduction of this text in whole or in part without written authorization from the author is prohibited.

Nycka Nunes

🇬🇧12 reasons to hire my personal branding consultancy

In this text, I will share 12 reasons why you should hire my personal branding consultancy.

I am Nycka Nunes, a world pioneer in 360º personal branding consultancy, with a degree in advertising and marketing and over 40 years of professional experience. I serve clients from all over the world.

1. You seek quality of life on your own terms, according to what you consider quality of life. And you want to make choices that help you achieve this goal. I regret to inform you that if your dream is to be rich without working, I have no solution for that. But I can help you discover professional opportunities that do not involve a huge sacrifice.
2. You are interested in being professionally recognized anywhere in the world that interests you.
3. I am a pioneer in 360º personal branding consultancy. Those who do it first and continue to improve, like me, do it better.
4. I have been a digital nomad for over 15 years and left my hometown over 25 years ago, which gives me a much broader personal repertoire than most people. Along with other personal skills, these experiences allow me to create unique solutions for each client.
5. I seek to guide my clients to develop their personal brand based on their personality, goals, professional experience and other individual characteristics, and aligning these characteristics with market opportunities. This applies to both self-employed professionals, entrepreneurs or professionals who prefer to work as employees.
6. I work to seek coherence in personal branding, coherence between your professional strategies and who you are outside of work, so that if a client of yours meets you in a leisure situation, they will not find it strange. This is because this strangeness, if there is any, can destroy your personal brand.
7. I do not follow ready-made recipes. Any intelligent person knows that if the intention is to develop a personal brand, the strategies must be developed exclusively for you. Only fools follow generic tips that they find published in mass media channels and believe that, in this way, they are developing a personal brand.
8. You are a natural leader.
9. Competent and confident people prefer to hire services from other competent and confident people. Only incompetent people make excuses for not hiring the best professionals.
10. You are looking to live a more authentic life and have a fulfilled life in all aspects, not just in the professional field. My work with personal brands aims at this balance and satisfaction in all areas of the client's life.
11. When working with branding and personal branding, I have the opportunity to connect talented professionals who hire my personal branding consultancy with companies looking for professionals with this profile. You skip steps in the selection process.
12. You are dissatisfied with something in your personal life, such as romantic relationships, friendships, your appearance (or other people's judgments about it), etc. and you are looking to improve these aspects, understand the flaws and resolve these issues.

To hire the service, follow the instructions on the services page of this blog.

Nycka Nunes