🇬🇧 Personal space and the freedom of the unknown

This is a text about personal space and the freedom of the unknown.

I am Nycka Nunes, a visual artist, and in this blog I write about my art, themes that inspire me and that contribute to my personal and professional development.

Today I will talk about something I discovered during the pandemic: personal space. But this is just to start the discussion, which will talk about good things that we still don't know about.

I am Brazilian, and in most of Brazil people have no idea what personal space is - it's no wonder so many people died during the pandemic! Even with all the media coverage to maintain distance from other people, it was extremely common for people to disrespect these limits.

I remember seeing memes about the Finnish reaction to the distancing requirements and I started wanting to move to Finland, because that newly discovered benefit was very appealing. I started to hate people sticking to me, as if they were ants trapped in a drop of honey that had spilled on the table. And I'm not even a sweetie!

We often get used to life in a certain way and are afraid of change. But some changes make our quality of life much better.

Maybe because I grew up in an environment that was anything but welcoming, I always liked to experiment, to try different foods, to travel to different places, to read everything that comes my way, to discover music from all over the world... And of course there are some things that I try and don't like. But when I discover new possibilities I can make choices, and making choices is better than following the crowd.

Art is about thinking, about making choices. It's not just about drawing, painting, sculpting something, or using another artistic technique. It's about using artistic techniques to make people reflect... and be able to make smarter choices.

When was the last time you allowed yourself to try something new?

Check out my work. On the “Buy art here” page you can see and purchase my currently available artworks. On the services page you can order artworks, photo shoots and other services. And on the “Maecenasship” page you or your company can offer other forms of financial support for my work.

Respect copyright. Reproduction of this text in whole or in part requires written permission from the author. Without this, such reproduction is prohibited.

Nycka Nunes

nycka@nyckanunes.art

🇬🇧 How BDSM helped me have a more meaningful love life and strengthen my self-esteem

This is a text about how BDSM helped me have a more meaningful love life and strengthen my self-esteem. The influences of this reference appear subtly in the artworks of the project “The Many Nuances of Love”, which is in the fundraising phase and you can contribute to its implementation. Find out how here. You don't need to understand or agree with my experiences to contribute, because I make art - and content - to generate reflection, not to define how others should live their lives. I know that my experiences and points of view are valid, and that, for some, they may mean something very different from the reality they know, generating reflections that contribute to their personal development.

Knowing what BDSM is is irrelevant to understanding the context of this post. If you are curious, follow my profiles on social networks and I can talk more about the subject at other times.

I am Nycka Nunes, a visual artist and in this blog I share my life experiences, reflections, travels, inspirations and other issues related to my artistic work.

1. BDSM was my first step towards learning about ethical non-monogamous relationships and finding relationship references that made sense to me. When we only know one option, we think we are living a choice, but in reality we live without choice. I never saw any sense in monogamous relationships, in leaving a person we love because we also love a second person. I have had this in mind since early adolescence and while I tried to be monogamous due to a lack of knowledge of other options and a lack of self-esteem to position myself and express my thoughts, my relationships did not last and were empty.
2. BDSM was also the first step towards me putting my pleasure first. Coming from a partially abusive family, and unfortunately living much more with the abusive part, this means a lot.
3. BDSM helped me have a more creative sex life. Until then, sex with men was something mechanical and boring because most of them use a porn-based script as a reference and do not consider the pleasure of the woman they are with. They just act as if we are all the same. I still didn't allow myself to experience things with women and I didn't have much knowledge about what gave me pleasure to guide them.
4. Once, when I was talking to a Domme, she mentioned that she wanted to wear leather clothes all the time. Being a stylist at the time, I didn't understand what was stopping her. Maybe the type of leather clothes she had in mind was different from what I knew was appropriate enough for her professional activity (which required formal attire, and there are formal leather clothes!). That conversation, combined with other things related to my healing process from family abuse, made me realize that I don't want to live in hiding, to be a Domme whose boyfriend pretends to be macho in public and becomes a puppy behind closed doors, or who has subs who only serve me in casual encounters. I don't even like the stereotype of a macho man. And I also don't like that kind of theater and I like real emotional involvement. A man who is submissive to his partner is not a man who is submissive to everything and everyone, he is a man who puts his partner's pleasure first and enjoys it.
5. I am not particularly attracted to crossdressing. I like men who have their feminine side well-resolved, who do not try to appear macho, nor are fixated on a stereotype of femininity. A man who is not afraid to be authentic, does not worry about “what will others think?” and does not stick to stereotypes, to a manual on “how to be a man” taught by parents with limited mentality. I see crossdressing and transsexuality as ways of stereotyping genders and this goes against any notion of authenticity (my work “Unyckeness” deals with this topic).
6. By expanding my repertoire through knowledge about ethical non-monogamous relationships and BDSM, I had clear examples to reinforce the belief that being the way I am is perfectly normal and acceptable, and that following the crowd without making it a real choice, just to fit in, is disrespectful to oneself.
7. Overcoming the feelings of not fitting in, I realized that love alone is not enough for a relationship to work. Other important elements are needed. And I started to evaluate these elements when I meet someone.

I believe that expanding one's repertoire in various areas of life is important for any human being to have a meaningful life, and not just the life of a robot who only knows how to follow the crowd without knowing where it will end up. And appreciating art has to do with appreciating critical thinking and the ability to expand one's repertoire and make conscious decisions.

Read the “Maecenasship” page to learn how to support my work. To purchase artwork that has already been created, read the “Buy art here” page. To order exclusive artwork, an artistic photoshoot, and other services, see the services page.

For those who think that talking about my romantic and sexual experiences is oversharing, I think that not talking about it is repressing yourself too much.

Respect the copyright. Reproduction of this text in whole or in part without written permission from the author, specifying types of permission for use and periods, is prohibited.

Nycka Nunes

nycka@nyckanunes.art

🇬🇧 Overprotective parents do not exist

Overprotective parents do not exist.

I am Nycka Nunes, a visual artist who works with photography, 2D digital painting and digital collage. In this blog, I talk about my artistic work, who I am, my lifestyle, what inspires me and what makes me reflect.

As emotionally immature people have a bad habit of taking everything personally, if you feel offended, seek out a psychologist to resolve your emotional discomfort instead of getting angry at me for having touched on a subject that you never dared to question. If I do not mention your first and last name below, this is not a text about you.

What some call overprotective parents is nothing more than a sugary name for parents who see their children as their property, as beings (anything but human) without any capacity to reason on their own. And they act this way because they have never had the capacity to reason on their own, they have never questioned their own parents' attitudes and simply repeat them.

When a parent prevents a child from making a decision that the child is capable of making, such as what to wear or what color they would like the walls of their bedroom to be, that parent is not thinking about the child's well-being. They are only thinking about themselves. They are repeating patterns imposed by their own parents, because they did not have the decency to seek professional help to deal with such limiting beliefs, and they are transferring them to their own children.

Having children before seeking professional help (at least a psychologist) to deal with their own limiting beliefs, their own traumas and other issues that may affect the child's education is an act of irresponsibility and negligence. It is common, but it is irresponsible and negligent. Following the herd is a sign of low intelligence.

People learn to make decisions by making decisions. If someone's son wants to go to school dressed as Rapunzel, and the father wants to forbid it because Rapunzel is a female character, and the father is bothered by the idea that this means his boy is gay or trans, the father is the problem. If the father is bothered by others bullying him, the father is the problem. It is his limited ability to deal with gender roles, understanding them as if they were something fixed, and his need to believe that there is only one right way for boys to dress that is the problem. If that were not the case, someone bullying his son would be something he would be able to deal with and support the child so that he can deal with the situation in a healthy way.

If a girl wants to sit with her legs open and feels comfortable doing so, instead of forbidding her, why don't the parents start dressing her in shorts and pants instead of filling her closet with dresses and forbidding the girl to sit in a way that is comfortable for her? Idiocy, inability to reflect and seek creative solutions, the need to cling to stupid labels without questioning them.

Art exists for those who seek to see things from other angles, for those who seek to exercise critical thinking, for those who dare to confront absolute truths. One of the important roles of art is to shake out those old rugs under which people try to hide issues that their inner child has been forbidden to question.

To purchase artwork created by me, visit the “Buy art here” page. You can also order artwork or an artistic photo essay on the services page and contribute financially to the realization of my artistic projects through patronage and sponsorship on the “Maecenasship” page.

This is an original text by Nycka Nunes. Please respect the copyright. If you are interested in reproducing it in whole or in part, please request written authorization from the author, specifying where it will be reproduced, the context, and other relevant information. Reproduction without authorization is prohibited.

Nycka Nunes

nycka@nyckanunes.art

🇬🇧 What am I really glad I learned before it was too late?

What am I really glad I learned before it was too late?

I am Nycka Nunes, a visual artist currently working with photography, 2D digital painting and digital collage, and in this blog I talk about my artistic work, what inspires me, what makes me reflect, about who I am and my lifestyle.

Something I was happy to realize in time to avoid mistakes that many people make is that love alone is not enough for any relationship, whether with family, friends or boyfriends/spouses. And not everything we think is love is.

If there is no respect, it is not worth it.

If there are significant incompatibilities, it is not worth it.

If one does not take care of the other, if one does not support the other and does not inspire the other to expand their horizons while feeling inspired by the other, it is not worth it.

If there is excessive control, it is not worth it.

Relationships are like team sports, such as synchronized swimming or pair figure skating. Each person has to do their part.

When a friend of mine was fighting breast cancer, I joined a group of women who were treating the disease to understand a little and be able to support her. In this group, some rejected me because I sometimes posted Buddhist encouragement in the same way that many posted Catholic/Christian encouragement, and they felt attacked instead of encouraged. And some others approached me and we created closer bonds. One of these women carried her family on her back before she got sick, she was the kind of woman who did everything at home, and when she got sick no one knew what to do. That had a big impact on me.

I've been working since I was 5 years old and I ended up being forced to believe that my value was in what I did because my maternal family never encouraged me to play, I only received demands, and in adulthood there came a point where this destroyed me and I had to rebuild myself.

After I moved from my hometown, I cultivated hobbies, like going to the movies, but some were more of a socially acceptable form of escapism. Reading, for a long time, was my drug... I read so I wouldn't have to talk to those unpleasant people on my mother's side of the family. I read because I didn't know what to do in a given situation and I had no one to talk to about it. I read non-stop because I felt lonely, even when I was surrounded by people, and books (and cats and dogs) always gave me good company.

When I met that woman, I started to rethink my belief about my worth, and although I like helping people, sharing experiences, etc., I don't want to be around anyone who only sees me as someone useful and when I need support or don't have money to have a coffee at the mall, I stop being an interesting friend and am left aside like an old toy. I ended up distancing myself from a lot of people because I saw that they saw me that way, not valuing me and even trying to belittle me, invalidating my feelings and my dreams. Unfortunately, both my friend and the lady who carried the family on her back passed away. And that reinforced my decision not to allow people with limited mindsets to affect my life.

I don't need to feel bad to see who truly supports me, but while everything is going well we can fool ourselves into thinking that everyone loves us, and that's not always true, as Leoni used to say in that brazilian song from when I was a teenager...

I have a friend from college who, even though I got first place in the entrance exam, encouraged me to study English. I've always liked foreign languages. My family was too repressive for me to have the courage to ask, because they never accepted anything that was important to me, but when he encouraged me, I asked and got it. This kind of friendship is important to me. We studied together frequently during college, until I dropped out to study advertising, and we keep in touch to this day. Those who support us encourage us to do things that we didn't have the courage to try, even though we wanted to. Things that will help us grow and broaden our horizons. Another friend, more recently, also encouraged me to let go of my work in fashion. He himself was in transition, wanting to leave the band where he was a guitarist, and today he is a photography assistant in the country where he lives, which I see as an incentive, because I also work with photography. Maybe I encouraged him, because when we started talking he was trying something else (singing), and when he posted some nature photos I was delighted. I really want to be able to work with him on some artistic projects in the future.

I like friends like that, who seek to grow, in the sense of expanding their horizons as human beings, and inspire me to grow too. Throughout my life, I have always been easy to make friends with everyone, and this experience of meeting that lady and going through difficulties after my maternal grandmother died, as a result of seeing that my entire maternal family saw me as an expense and not as a human being, as something that was only important if they could exploit me without giving me anything of value in return, ignoring everything that was important to me and overstepping my boundaries, made me rethink that, and today I am less cute, less friendly with people who have a victim mentality, controlling or anything that distances me from being who I am or vaguely reminds me of the toxic behavior of my relatives on my mother's side. I am more focused on those who want to grow and contribute to my growth.

If this text has in any way made you think, I would be very happy if you could contribute to the realization of my artistic projects, as a patron, sponsor, purchasing art that I have already created or hiring my services. Some of the works I have already created have love as one of the central themes and one of the projects currently open for financial contributions from individuals and companies has love as its central theme.

Please respect copyright. If you are interested in reproducing this text in whole or in part, please request specific written permission from the author.

Nycka Nunes

nycka@nyckanunes.art

🇬🇧 Artwork: Anastasia

Today, there is a new work of art added to the list of available works. This text is to talk about it.

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

The new work is called “Anastasia”. It is the image of a black woman created from pieces of photographs of textures, with an emphasis on fabric textures, like a 2D rag doll.

In this work, I return to the style that inspired me to start creating art, using collage of pieces of photography to build images, and using 2D digital painting to complement the work of art.

The initial inspiration came from the cook at Sítio do Pica Pau Amarelo in the works of Monteiro Lobato, an important Brazilian writer, and that also gave me the inspiration for the name of the work.

Next, I used references from my childhood drawings to create the face, highlighting the shape of the head and the eyes. When I was a child, I created a character called Marcela who had similar features. Years later, I discovered the character Betty Boop, and I noticed that Marcela was a child version of Betty Boop. I don't remember having contact with Betty Boop as a child.

The work talks about our inner universe, about the open mind that can be cut and sewn according to the future we want for ourselves, and for this reason it is based on emotional references from my childhood. The only part that is not a texture is the irises of the character's eyes, which are images of a night sky and a full moon. This part represents the character's dreams and goals, the starting point for every desired transformation.

The character's skin is leather. The dress is printed silk. The hairband is printed jersey. The sclera of the eyes is knitted. The mouth is made of twill lined with acrylic fabric and contrasting stitching.

The hair is made of steel wool, an allusion to how some people refer to the hair of black people in Brazil. The work is full of emotional references. The “bombril” hair reminds me of the hair of my paternal grandmother’s cook, certainly one of the best cooks I have ever met and an excellent human being. The kitchen as a reference is also a reference to love, as cooking well is an act of love.

The background is almost entirely leather, with small wooden details. The wood represents the more rigid parts that the mentality of people seeking personal development can have. All the other fabrics represent the flexibility of creative minds that are always open to growth.

All the photographs used in the work were taken by me.

I could create art with perfect and symmetrical lines, but human beings are neither perfect nor symmetrical and I do not want to create art that looks like art made by artificial intelligence. I really want to make art that looks like “I made it”.

See the “Buy art here” page to buy yours and the link to the image of the work. This work has a limited production of 25 units.

Respect the copyright.

Nycka Nunes

🇬🇧 An interesting environment is impossible without art

An interesting environment is impossible without art.

I am Nycka Nunes, a visual artist, and in this blog I talk about my work as a visual artist and photographer, about my travels to photograph, and about things that inspire me.

A space without art is a space without personality. A space without personality, just like a person without personality, is uninteresting. It may be pretty, but never interesting.

You already know that, in addition to the works of art that I sell here on the blog and in selected galleries, I also create decoration projects, with a focus on art, for homes and businesses.

This text is a reminder for you to rethink the ordinary and charmless appearance of your home or business and hire me to make a significant change in these environments.

See the works of art available on the “Buy art here” page or order a project or an individual work of art on the services page. Please read the "Commitments" page before purchasing services.

Nycka Nunes

nycka@nyckanunes.art

🇬🇧 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