Art LovesHer: Nichole Acosta

1. When did you first begin doing what you do?I was 11 when I performed my first love poem at the Walt Whitman Birthplace in front of a room full of coffee drinking adult poets.

2. When did you become serious about it, and pursue it as a life

path? Would you consider what you do your life path? I was a pretty serious kid at 11.

3. Why do you create? To keep life interesting.

4. Who are some of your major influences/role models? P!nk and my grandfather. Her music has got me through a lot of hard times, her humility when I met her and her dynamic performance  style, just a well rounded human being I aspire to be that. My grandfather has taught me how to do everything with love and the value of doing the right thing no matter what.

5. What inspires you? Human nature

6. What advice would you give a nineteen year old creative who wants to make their thing into their whole life? Surround yourself with genuinely positive people who do what you want to do. Understand you’re never done growing. Do what you do every day. Take a marketing or project management class because no one knows your product better than you do.

7. What’s one of the most rewarding parts of your work? Connecting with others and getting them to think outside the box and experience something from a new perspective.

8. What’s one of the hardest? Dealing with other people’s egos.

9. How do you get through blocks in your creativity? Lots of coffee, fresh air and good music.

10. What are your pet peeves? The big ones…people who take advantage of others and people who lean on subway poles during rush hour.

11. Where are you from? Brooklyn born and raised.

12. How did you become affiliated with Art LovHer? Joi [Sanchez]  and I met at an open mic and the rest was history.

13.  What is feminism to you? Defying the 50’s expectation of what a woman should be. Exhibiting self-love, equal rights. Standing up for your fellow females.

14. If you use a stage/pen name, Where does your name come

from? No stage name. I like the one my parents gave me. Nichole Acosta=“victory of the people” “wake up” It gives me daily bar to try to reach.

15. What have you got coming up in the next couple of months? A few more summer poetry videos and a full schedule of live performances Nicholeacosta.com catch me if you can!