Through sinuous fields of color and vibrant textures, Nicole F. Kimball’s striking paintings stand out as creative exercises in emotional exploration. The fluidity and shifting forms of her abstract work contrasts the solid, geometric brush strokes and pensive landscapes of her more figurative pieces. This month, Kimball discusses the importance of art, human creativity, and community.

Tell us about yourself; how did you get started painting?

I have lived in Utah for all of my life, though I spent a few months in Sedona, Arizona in a small treatment center. I struggled with my mental health and survived a suicide attempt in 2014. That near death experience changed my entire perspective of the definition of beauty and humanhood. There are so many people who feel secluded in their right to share with others, and I am now a huge advocate for community and empathy. Turning inwards to explore my creative nature has brought me so much solace. I am also happily married, and love spending time with friends, family, and our chihuahua named Tinkerbelle. 

Your paintings range from colorful compositions to abstract representations of landscapes and faces. How do you decide the subject for each piece? What are you trying to express or capture with your work? Describe your process.

I usually have a general idea of what I want to paint days before I even start. Thoughts linger inside my mind until I am certain I can clearly express the intention behind the piece. What is funny is that none of my art ever comes close to what I originally envisioned! That is the reverie of art and the artist’s relationship to their own art; discovering something new from a focal point of old experiences is stellar motivation. I like to practice working with color and charcoal depending on what my mind needs in order to heal.

I understand you feel strongly about the importance of creativity. You’ve stated that you’re concerned the vitality of expression is being threatened. Would you elaborate on what you mean by this? How do you think we can foster creative pursuits and preserve artistic integrity?

I feel that through the advancement of Artificial Intelligence and technology as a whole, less people desire to spend the time to learn skills that were valued in the past. In addition to the immediacy available to us in 2024, people all over the world are being forced to live in survival mode as the financial and political systems are collapsing. I believe we are living in a time where new courage within society is yearning to be uncovered, and I hope that we can designate worth to creativity once more. When homeostasis is restored, I think that a new wave of budding artists and writers will feel moved to utilize human imperfection instead of cell phones. 

You’ve also expressed that you have a deep gratitude for art. What are some of your influences? Do you feel that your poetry has impacted your art, or vice versa?

I first began painting after following several tutorials on YouTube from a creator called “The Art Sherpa”. The brilliance and positivity exuding from her as she teaches painting is one in a million. She makes each step digestible, though the end piece is always stunning! I started reading poetry in high school. At the time, I was in the middle of a strenuous battle with depression and despite my inclination to write, it took me several years to get serious about it. Anne Waldman was the poet who gave me confidence to try using language in an unusual way, as she has stated herself that she is mesmerized with the logopoeia of language. Waldman never plays it safe; poetry should be risky in its endeavors to say new things with the awareness of the extremely small audience it will fall upon. The lineage that Waldman experiments with is legendary, and has created a new attitude of informal writing having very formal effects in its readership. 

What’s next for you? Is there anything you hope to experiment with or explore with your art in the future?

I have dealt with an invisible disease called Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder for the past 12 years. I survived four miscarriages, several failed surgeries, and a total hysterectomy which led me to menopause in my mid 20’s. There are so many women who silently suffer from these issues and either do not have the freedom to discuss them openly, or do not have the resources to do so. I understand that I am privileged to be able to share my voice and story. I stand as an advocate for all survivors and the scars they bare. Womanhood and motherhood does take a village, and my next steps in my career will involve discussing reproductive health, women’s rights, and building more shelter for those who are suffering. Right now I have an avant-garde work of fiction on the horizon, as well as many forthcoming pieces in awesome lit mags and journals. I could not be more thankful for the support I have received from my husband, family, classmates, and fellow editors. They all do so much, and bring so much joy to those around them!  

Nicole F. Kimball is an emerging Jewish poet and artist from Salt Lake City, UT. A several-time Best of the Net Nominee, her pieces are published or forthcoming in Atlanta Review, Radar Poetry, Sunspot Lit, Mom Egg Review, and elsewhere. She loves hanging out with her husband and Chihuahua named Tinkerbelle while staying up all night painting. Her upcoming debut collection of prose, American Housewife, will be out in 2024.