Today we’d like to introduce you to Niki Hinkle.
Niki, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Originally from Akron, Ohio, I moved to Boston in 2007 where I finished up my BFA in Graphic Design, started Hink Creations with my husband, Ryan Hinkle, and have met some of the most incredibly passionate artists, musicians, and entrepreneurs. I always say I’m living the reality version of my dream life; the husband and career that I’ve always wanted, and all the student debt I never did.
Since moving to Boston, I have been a waitress, a caterer, an intern, a photographer, an in-house designer and an art director. Through it all, I have been a freelance graphic designer. Over lunch breaks, after hours, weekends, whatever it took to do different kinds of work. While I was doing all of this, Ryan (my awesome husband and business partner), who is a Berklee College of Music grad was recording and producing musicians in the Boston area. His artists would come through and would see me working on a logo or album cover and then they would become my client too! Doing photoshoots in our living room and at their shows, designing merch and more… this is how Hink Creations was born, and has been running strong ever since.
In addition to Hink, I’m also a Senior Graphic Designer at MIT where the variety, and quality of work, and the level of talent is wonderfully dizzying. Through my in-house, agency and freelance experience, I have worked with a wide range of industries including healthcare, entertainment, technology, education, and finance. I have received a HATCH award and two American InHouse Design awards and can be found on billboards, apparel, box trucks, print ads, bus stops and websites across the country.
I can’t remember a time when art wasn’t my favorite class. Drawing, painting, crafting, running around with disposable cameras, anything I could do to express the world I was seeing. My family never considered themselves artists, but looking back I definitely come from creative people. My Dad used to draw the comics on my book covers for school. He taught me how to break things down from 3D to 2D, and it changed the way I saw things. My Mom has always had a knack for crafts and making any space feel like home. Both of my parents and sister refinish the coolest old pieces of furniture to fill their homes. My Grandma ran a flower shop and has always been able to put together the most beautiful arrangements, and my Grandpa has an eye for the best finds at the flea market… so you see, I’ve been taught from an early age to use my eyes and hands to make something more beautiful than it was when I found it.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Definitely not a smooth road, but I think that just makes it a more interesting story.
For me, the hardest part is how far away from our families we are. At first, it was really exciting and romantic. Just me and Ryan in beautiful Boston, with very few obligations and the freedom to plan our own weekends. However, it didn’t take long to realize that we were missing birthday parties, basketball games, cookouts – even the mundane stuff like trips to the store, grabbing a drink, etc. We have 4 nephews and I worry every day that they won’t remember us being there during their childhood. I start getting a little twitchy every 3 months or so and that’s when we hop in the car, or buy plane tickets and head back home, to our family in Ohio.
We also struggle with the same things I’m sure most small businesses do; such as, consistency with booking work, finding money to keep our tools like gear and software up-to-date, time to work on passion projects and the occasional insane customer (laughing here, but we all have at least one story).
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Hink Creations – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Hink Creations is a small, Boston-based creative media studio focusing on sight and sound. While the day-to-day business is run by myself and my husband Ryan Hinkle, we come to the table with an excellent network of creative professionals including cinematographers, printers, writers, studio musicians, illustrators and more. We offer graphic design, audio and video production, recording, and photography.
We believe in the importance of collaboration, that the journey is as significant as the end result, and that our clients’ projects are too badass to be left unseen and unheard.
Besides the fact that we absolutely LOVE what we do and our people-pleasing needs, I think the fact that we offer audio AND visual together sets us apart. We each have over 10 years of professional experience in our fields and we share that history with each other and with our clients. An extra set of eyes and ears on each step of the way makes a much tighter project. We definitely push each other to be better.
I’m most proud of the feedback we get from the amazing people we’ve worked with. Ryan and I put a lot of thought into not only the work, but the environment we establish for our clients to create within. We start by asking a lot of questions and listening to the goals, the problems, and the possibilities, which allows each project to be completely customized for the client. Then, we hit the ground running and work our tails off to exceed expectations.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
The arts are obviously very important to Ryan and I. In addition to doing work for our clients, we love the idea of bringing in community and education elements to Hink Creations. Down the road, we would like to offer workshops for those looking to learn something new or to further develop an existing craft.
Eventually, we hope to open a get-away studio and makerspace. Something that would serve as a haven to creatives of all kinds. We talk a lot about buying a small farm; something with a few acres that we could have the recording studio, lodging cabins, and a handful of rooms that can be used to write, read, design, craft, and nap… all of it. There could be songwriter retreats, a relaxing and inspiring pause for musicians on tour, rentable space for photoshoots, small events, classes, etc. Can you tell, we’ve put just a little bit of thought into this? 🙂
It’s all about timing, and money of course (laughing)! Someday we’ll get there, and in the meantime, we are both very grateful for all of the clients, collaborations and caffeine that makes us Hink Creations.
Contact Info:
- Address: Allston, MA
- Website: https://www.hinkcreations.com
- Phone: (617) 520-4465
- Email: info@hinkcreations.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hinkcreations/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hinkjob
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/hink-creations-allston
- Other: https://www.thumbtack.com/ma/jamaica-plain/graphic-designers/creative-visual-design-audio-production
Image Credit:
Colleen Dolan
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