We had the good fortune of connecting with Nugget (Tiffany Machler, but I go by nugget personally and professionally) and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nugget, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
I was born in Massachusetts, but I have been living in NC since 1st grade, so I consider myself a proud Wilmingtonian.

Reflecting on my childhood, there are specific aspects of my upbringing that have greatly influenced the woman I am today. My parents were young and uneducated, and by the time I was twelve, they had separated. As a result, the atmosphere at home revolved more around surviving rather than providing enrichment and cultural experiences. Now, as I celebrate my 40th birthday, I can look back and realize that at the age of 20, I was still very much a child. This perspective helps me understand the challenges my parents faced. Similar to my own experiences raising my son, Roscoe, my parents did their best with the knowledge, skills, and resources available to them.

It is important to mention that my mother is diagnosed with bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder. This had two profound effects on me. Firstly, it made me highly insecure and defensive. However, I have dedicated time to self-reflection and personal growth, working tirelessly to identify the root causes of these tendencies and overcoming them. This process of self-work has allowed me to develop into a more confident and empathetic individual.

Secondly, her diagnosis led to her hospitalization, which marked the beginning of her decline from a loving wife and mother to a patient struggling with addiction and estrangement from her family. I chose to live with my father, while my sister, unfortunately, remained with my mom, who led a less responsible lifestyle from that point forward. I carried much resentment towards my mom for manipulating my sister and failing to provide proper care. Tragically, my sister became addicted to heroin by the age of 14, further driving a wedge between our family members.

Thankfullly, though i faced the unique challenge of navigating the journey of motherhood without the support of a partner for the majority of that time,. Thst experience created a deep well of empathy and understanding within me. It allowed me to find forgiveness in my heart for my own shortcomings as a mother and to extend grace and compassion towards my own mother. Understanding the struggles she faced, I have chosen to embrace sympathy instead of resentment, creating a space for healing and growth for both of us. My own journey in motherhood has taught me patience, resilience, and the of prioritizing the well-being of others. I am constantly striving to be a positive role model and a source of strength for my child.

Through these difficult circumstances, I developed a sense of independence at a young age. As a teenager, I spent a considerable amount of time taking care of my own needs. Additionally, I became more logical than emotional, and my decision-making process and life trajectory were shaped by my father’s influence. Conversely, I observed how a life with my mom had significantly impacted my sister. I learned to prioritize traits such as punctuality, accountability, responsibility, and integrity, values deeply ingrained in me by my dad. Without realizing it, he also taught me some invaluable lessons, including that we are responsible for choosing our own happiness and that it is never too late to pursue the life we desire. Moreover, he emphasized the importance of maintaining a level head and displaying measured composure during times of crisis or conflict. Rather than resorting to outbursts or low blows, he showed me that pursuing desired outcomes requires composure and respect for others, regardless of their background or beliefs. He was always kind and complimentary of everyone , genuinely. I remember admiring that about him and I try to do the same and be a light in the life of others using my actions and attitudes to lift folks up rather than tear them down. He applied this to ALL people and established an environment of inclusion I try and maintain in my adult life.

Another significant lesson my father instilled in me was the importance of finding a career that I loved. He often told me, “If you love your job, you’ll never work a day in your life.” However, he also made it clear that there were no funds set aside for my college education. Nonetheless, he encouraged me to visit my high school guidance counselor as a freshman to communicate my situation, seeking advice on how to secure scholarships and financial aid. Following their guidance, I worked diligently to develop my leadership skills and actively participate in community service activities. I strived for excellence, making it onto the honor roll, and clearly conveyed my desire to rise above the circumstances I was born into. I was determined not to perpetuate the struggles my parents had faced.

These experiences growing up helped me learn how to identify and utilize resources effectively. As the first person in my family to earn a bachelor’s degree, I am proud to say that I have no college loans, thanks to the scholarships and financial aid I received. Furthermore, I am the first in my family to establish and own my own business.

Undoubtedly, my upbringing has greatly influenced the woman I am today. I’ve learned resilience, independence, and the value of hard work. I am determined to break the cycle and pave my own path to success and happiness, while also embracing compassion, respect, and inclusivity towards others, regardless of their background or circumstances. Growing up wasnt easy for me – but I doubt it is for anyone , as struggles and obstacles are relative to each individual. The good news is my upbringing resulted in the themes of my life becoming success in spite of , resilience , strength, a very open heart and mind, and profound gratitude for each step on the staircase that led to who I am today.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
being a multidisciplinary artist means that i do not limit myself to a specific medium, instead, I choose to pursue whatever thread is revealed to me by the Muse. Even if the result is not the most successful piece of work, the learning that occurs along the way is invaluable, and it’s often on this journey of learning and creating that I am inspired with my most prolific ideas. I find that surrounding myself with other creatives is also paramount, seeing someone else’s work that speaks to me for whatever those combinations of reasons are is one of the most inspiring things I’ve ever experienced certain art really moves me, and the feeling that I have when I find myself experiencing a piece of work like that is the feeling that I want to create and others when they come across my work it’s crazy how subjective art is though sometimes the pieces that I think will be the most well received garner a little attention, and I am often amazed or surprised by a deep reaction to some thing that was less significant for me. I’m touched and honored nonetheless. Art for me is almost in addiction. I feel like I would be content to be in a vacuum, creating and bringing my vision to life while the world crumbled and burned around me. I don’t know if anything else that can distract me from the rest of the world for hours on end and I know that I definitely feel the negative feelings when I’m not able to attend my work or bring my visions to life I’m aware that there are far worse, addictions that a person canhave. I’m really glad That Mine aligns with my talent. I’m also grateful that I’ve been given the opportunity to develop my business acumen because I am aware of the stereotype of the starving artist. I believe I can attribute to creative solutions applied to how to make this a viable living for myself, as well as all the aforementioned support poured into me from the community. Also, all the people I’ve met along my life who have sometime there after showing their support either by patronizing me or recommending me to someone else it’s really a warm and wonderful feeling to see the various ways in which people who have gotten to know me, support me and my passion.

Another thing that sets me apart from other artists is that I have taught myself the differences between an entrepreneurial mindset and an artistic mindset, and I’ve learned to navigate in between these mindsets and identify one is most appropriate to be in one or the other. This is help, give me a unique approach and modest commercial success. I have also stepped out of my comfort zone as far as only mingling with other creatives, and started moving in circles of influence within my own community, either with other entrepreneurs, different change-makers and connectors. I see the importance of being known by these people, so that when they come across a situation where they need or want art incorporated into their missions, they think of me and they refer to me. It was understanding and starting to employ this where I really started to see a change in the quantity and profile of the different types of commissions I was getting. I was also being asked to engaged more and considered an expert in my field, i’ve given opportunities to give back to my community through art lessons, speaking in forums and on panels. This is the realization that really caused me to strike out my own path.I am forging away that hasn’t previously been shown to me. I hope that by doing so, I will create a way for other artists I know, or that come after me. there’s such immense talent amongst my friends and colleagues however, a lot of them are not very social, or are terrified of public speaking, or have not been educated about business, and because of that their talent will remain dormant. they’ll have to work a 9 to 5 rather than be able to pour themselves into their art, like I have, which is so incredible for me, but unfortunate for them. i feel this is an avoidable outcome

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Being a muralist, I would of course encourage anyone here to check out. The both of Mural’s were starting to collect. The Carolina Beach meal project has put together a 360 virtual tour of all the numerals. It’s a wonderful piece of media assembled using technology that really transported to the place of the Mural. If you’re not able to see it in person, I’ve created a mural map for wilmington and it needs to be updated. It’s a little bit all there are many more new things to add, but I’m in the process of doing that now and this type of tour either walking tour a riding tour is some thing that anyone can do no matter the shape or size of your family and what your budget is so I think it’s a highly valuable activity that I would definitely recommend. Castle St is where I really love to hang out. It’s where my first studio was when Bryan Stacy had a tattoo shop there but it’s still in one of the most vibrant and collective areas in town. There are really neat thrift stores like finish values which benefits domestic violence. There’s also the premium west, which is a boutique store having really neat accessories and shoes and glasses that I cannot find any where else without going on the Internet. The owner is amazing! You can have a wine tasting or pair that was food with wilmington wine Luna café is there that coffee shop features of Mural as well and it’s their new expanded location down the street from where they rushed her own coffee beans. The bars ours at the end of the street it’s a hookah café that has a lot of eclectic performances, such as burlesque and fire, and always have great unique art. They are on display and the proprietor has to happens to be a close, personal friend of mine on the other end of Castle St is a renovated old fire house, which is an event hall that also has open bar hours, some nights with things like karaoke, and what not the mission is right there as well, and I really believe in their program for supporting the homeless and you can buy thrift things in
If you find the saying “we’ve opened our standards so up yours complemented by two middle fingers, hilarious, that you absolutely need to stop for a drink at the Barbary Coast. It is our most beloved dive bar and you can cross the street to the duck and dive where my friends and I have passed mini weekend and each other’s company. For a more fancy Upscale cocktail you know Manna has some craft ones and then there’s a little secret alleyway bar called the Ivy that I’ve enjoyed several of their menu selections
Any live shoes that you can catch either at the Greenfield Lake amphitheater, which is one of my favorite venues and contains one of my most recent most successful murals are worth it. The venue is truly unique and beautiful. Anything produced by liquid culture is worth attending and my good friend Froggy P, of course or Dredlock always put on an amazing show. The venue choices here have gotten Slim, and some other innovative friends of mine have started throwing shows and what we called the corridor it’s simply the alleyway in between where the old calico room is and the neighboring building it’s a BYOB situation and it’s been a really awesome time to do. Projection light mapping on sheets, pinned a pie in the alleyway
Of course my art gallery 11 0H9 located at 1109 S. 3rd St. is a truly unique feature and wilmington as it contains really edgy but really high-quality modern art always something different set in a surprise setting every time I guess crushes my threshold I can tell her that they’re surprised by what they say, and will comment that they’ve never knew this was back here the permanent blacklight exhibitions space that we have complemented by the chroma death classes provide an experience that’s new to most folks, no matter what their age or background are. It is my privilege and honor to be able to showcase some of the amazing talent from my area in the region at large some notable reasons that we had and have on the website include Casey Dupree Rob Fogle Bryan Stacy Lauren Barack of LLL lavender who is a fashion designer and immediate art creator Zachary Weaver has a style that is truly unique all my years of loving in immersing myself in art and I’ve still not seen anything across the globe that is remotely a kin to the world he brings forth from his imagination onto the campus. It’s been my honor and pleasure to showcase some of my other friends from Richmond, Virginia Katie Leahy of Kayla creations also creepy girl, girl cult, and Joshua Zarambo, who is on the cover of airbrush magazine currently each one of these, and so many more including all the members of the Pigment sanctuary:ashton hill, harrison, Crawford, and Lacy vil Landry of silver arrow, Art. It really is the best responsibility in the world to be able to provide a platform for all these talented folks I know and I’ve worked with over the years and it also is a wonderful thing to bring such a niche body of work to my beach community, where there is a lot of beach themed artwork and not a lot of these more far-reaching realms of the subject matter so I love that it is new and surprising and not the same old same old you might find elsewhere. Or goddess party, as well as our silent disco’s or two events that we are really known for also glow parties, and sip and spray events.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
the entrepreneurial ecosystem in wilmington has supported , uplifted , and celebrated my strides to run a legitimate thriving business from my talent and passion! I learned the ins and outs of business from the Newkirk’s at genesis block. I still am learning ,sharing ,and growing with my other. Cohort members the honey heads and Elaborate Outngs. I’ve received guidance and counseling from channel powered by Live Oak Bank, from CFCC, thank you, JerrY Coleman, and I am currently receiving mentorship from Cheryl at the Sbdtc. The business journal has one of my pieces in the book on business, and being a finalist in the woman woman to watch awards arts category has connected me with so many more wonderful women. Network for entrepreneurs of Wilmington Commissioned a painting for NC idea. Thank you, Jim (Roberts, founder of of Network for entrepreneurs of wilmington) Thanks to the chamber for all of the intentional collisions and the nomination for woman owned excellence in business! these resources within our ecosystem have poured into me and made it possible for me to live my dreams and create my vIision!f I ever come across some sort of challenge or roadblock, I know that all I have to do is reach out. It’s lovely!

The arts community has been equally supportive of my journey. The faculty at UNCW provided a comprehensive foundation for my creative practice and helped build my self discipline . There are even lessons that didn’t click in for me until post graduation , life and experience paired with their lesson helped to bring new light and a new understanding . It makes me really happy and proud to see their art program. Continue to Flourish.
Jim and Betsy Knowles at the Art Works are wonderful mentors. Having themselves a large and eclectic art business, and the ability to successfully traverse the ins and outs of networking and creating awareness for their business and support for the artist that work there. They have done nothing but remain open for advice or, anything I need really and always are lifting me up. Lastly. My good friend, Rhonda Bellamy. Since I knew of her, and since the first day we spoke, she impressed me the way she carried her self the authority in her voice. And her expertise in her field, I was struck with admiration from the beginning over the years she’s interviewed me for WHQR and I’ve worked together with her to produce some art shows at the Artscouncil gallery. I fed her crabcakes more than once, and I am eternally grateful for her mentorship.

Sebastian Gomez. The owner of barzarre in Castle Street, is a shining example of a niche business opening in an unlikely area. I do not think people thought he would succeed ihookas and grilled cheese. Weren’t exactly a sure fire home run there in the middle of the hood. But Bash is so smart he has continued to grow his business year after year and his patrons have found a place they truly like calling home. I myself I am responsible for a lot of the artwork displayed and sold their. Then he has been so wonderful meeting with breakfast from time to time to give me advice on running a business and a slightly non-typical one at that his support has been invaluable.

Website: www.artbynugget.com

Instagram: @artbynugget

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiffany-walls-4b9a521ba

Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/artbynugget/photos/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTFdMQu5LO11PjLqilLQ03g

Other: https://linktr.ee/artbynugget

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutNorthCarolina is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.