Pandemic Hobby Turned Career Pivot
“It makes it feel like my home, even though I’m a renter,” I said over the spotty wifi at a cabin in the Adirondacks this past August, a quote that would later be published in The New York Post. I was talking on the phone to author Zoe Rosenberg about my bedroom mural, a project I had dreamed of doing for so long. Zoe found me after my space had been featured by Apartment Therapy in an effort to interview New Yorkers who took it upon themselves to paint their own walls to combat quarantine boredom.
Zoe and I chatted for a while about this project, and while her headline called this mural a “pandemic hobby,” it has turned into so much more than that. This article, the Apartment Therapy feature, and an in-depth post I write for the Little Miss Party Blog made way for many people to come forward asking for help in redesigning their spaces.
I couldn’t help but think… maybe there’s something here. People want their spaces to feel like HOME. Even if it’s small. Even if it’s temporary. Even if they can’t spend a million dollars to redecorate. I am a firm believer that any space can be made to feel upscale and chic with the right amount of attention and careful investment in the right pieces.
As time wore on and I couldn’t stop thinking about this new idea, I knew I had to act fast. I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit, bursting creativity, and deep seated desire to work in the small business sphere, but that doesn’t mean I’ve always acted on every idea I’ve ever had. This one felt different. I look at this wall and think every time about where it has brought me in these past 6 months since its birth. I spent weeks that turned into months thinking through the logistics of how my client process would work, how the website would be set up, and all the nuts and bolts that would hold this machine together. I spent countless hours asking friends for feedback. I designed the entire brand from scratch.
Most importantly, I defended the premise on which I built this business: to offer affordable home decor consulting to the individuals who aren’t ready for the investment of a high end interior designer. I was there myself! I found thrifty ways of collecting everything I now have that makes my apartment what it is, and I am here to help everyone else do the same. Everyone who gave me feedback who argued I should target a higher end audience and charge more, I immediately reminded them of the values on which I started Nestia in the first place.
So yes, this was a fun hobby for me in the midst of this pandemic. I’ve created 4 other murals in homes around New York City since that time. But in the end, the press this mural gave me and the confidence it sparked created a career pivot I’m forever grateful for. It determined a new focus for my ever-turning creative wheels. I want to thank those writers who believed in my vision and published my work for the world to see, but I also want to thank myself for following my passion. If I can leave you with anything, it’s that you should take the leap of faith. Jump outside your comfort zone and put yourself out there to be recognized for your hard work. It can go unnoticed sometimes, but even that slim chance the world can see you shine, the risk is well worth it. And if the world doesn’t get to see you shine… you shine for yourself, which is far more important.