Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicole Fladebo.
Hi Nicole, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
While attending university, I was also working as a waitress and simultaneously pursuing a modeling career. After studying architecture at the University of Minnesota, I knew I wanted to pursue a more creative path. Working with numerous photographers in the Twin Cities and learning how to pose, I decided to invest in a camera and pursue my own editorial and fashion photography business. I began to style, shoot and publish my own editorials, quickly gaining clients in the interior design, fashion and bridal industries while second shooting weddings on the side. In late 2018, I began doing photos and videos for weddings independently and raising money for missions by doing custom home illustrations. In 2019, I took a step away from weddings & photography to pursue missions in Australia. A few months after my arrival, I got really sick. After numerous trips to the doctor without answers, I had to cut my mission trip short and return home to find answers and heal. Little did I know, one month later, the pandemic would have cut my trip short regardless. With all weddings being rescheduled and postponed until further notice, like many others, I was out of work. Growing up, I always dreamt of being an artist. Without anything holding me back, here was my chance. And so, I turned to art. Over the years, my style of work has taken shape and now have an art business called NIC.STUDIO alongside my wedding photography business that I now share with my husband Jacob, called The Fladebos. With Jacob being a carpenter and film photographer, doing business together naturally fell into place. He has been the most incredible support in all of my creative endeavors- custom building all of the frames for my artwork and capturing all of the sweet, genuine moments on our couples’ wedding days. We have many dreams for the future and are excited to work on them together as a team!
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?
Not quite. Starting my own business has definitely been a learning process in many ways. Aside from the pandemic, which has been a big struggle for us all, I have probably been my biggest obstacle. The first handful of years was all about discovering my value, making a name for myself, gaining clients, and pretty much working around the clock to pay the bills and meet deadlines. Since I set my own schedule and deadlines, initially, there was a tendency to bite off more than I could chew and accept work I wasn’t passionate about. After a handful of years, I have learned that communication is a huge component to any successful small business, and ultimately, my joy as an artist. Similarly, within the fields of photography and art, it’s also just the reality that not everybody is going to appreciate and understand my art. Value is subjective and I think that finding a niche and connecting with other artists/creatives in our industry played a big role in how we value our work.
Being a small business is not for the faint of heart, however, I personally believe there is so much growth and beauty that comes from any challenge. It shapes us into who we are and what we make. I think it’s safe to say that we will never stop learning and trying new things. After all, art is an outward expression of who we are, what we love and surround ourselves with.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
NIC.STUDIO is the embodiment of all of my creative outlets, photography, video and art. I believe my passions will grow, my team will expand and NIC.STUDIO feels like the right name to showcase my artwork and photography under one roof for the time being, even if “the.fladebos” is what our photo/video business is currently named.
The Fladebos are a husband and wife duo that love to capture editorial and candid imagery of your day as they unfold. The simple things are what we love the most. Taking walks in the rain, staying up late and telling stories under the stars, seeing how you both light up when you look at one another, the intimate and playful touches of laughter, who you are when nobody’s watching— this is the type of stuff we want to capture, because this is real. This is what love and life really look like.
Nicki pursues photography, video and art full-time, with an art focus on contemporary modern textured paintings and abstract landscapes. Jacob is a professional carpenter by day, pursuing his passions in music and street film photography on weeknights/weekends.
In this season, I feel most passionate and proud of my paintings and artwork. In the future, I hope is for NIC.STUDIO to be more than an online presence, but a physical studio. One where we can invite photographers, artists and makers to create and share along with learning art techniques from me. I want it to be a place where artists teach and create—a home away from home.
How do you think about luck?
I wouldn’t say I necessarily believe in luck. Rather, I wholeheartedly believe in God’s blessings and answered prayers. Walking in faith and prayer has been a big part of my creative journey. While I work very hard, there are many opportunities and events that I can’t take credit for. On the other hand, there will always be clients that don’t work out, jobs that fall through, and roadblocks along the way. Ultimately, all I can do is my best and some things are just out of our control. If they don’t work out, I move forward and trust that maybe that project wasn’t meant to be. The important thing is to just take it one day at a time, enjoy life & the beauty of creating.
Pricing:
- Artwork: $155+
- Wedding Photography: $4550+
- Wedding Videography: $5700+
- Hybrid (Photo+Video) Wedding: $8900+
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.nicstudio.gallery
- Instagram: @the.fladebos (photo+video) | @nic.studio (art)
Image Credits
Main and last photo by Melody Joy Co.
Nicole Fladebo
Jacob
