It’s not all Jazz with Nica Lorber

Jazz music painted the walls of Nica Lorber’s childhood home, wafting up from the basement studio like the scent of Sunday morning breakfast. Her father, a successful jazz musician, filled the house with melody and dedication to craft, teaching her early on that art is more than passion—it’s persistence. “My dad is a jazz musician,” Nica recalls. "Art is a way of life for my family."

Born in Vancouver, Washington, Nica moved to Los Angeles at the age of eight, where her creative instincts began to take shape. She pursued her love of visual art in school, studying animation at San Francisco State. “I worked at a company that pioneered Flash animation for the web,” she says. That opportunity led her to work on one of the early 2000s’ most unexpected cult hits—Happy Tree Friends, a cartoon with a retro 2D aesthetic that found a massive audience online. “It struck a chord with so many people,” she reflects, acknowledging the millions of views it received.

Her artistic path was never static. Seeking to expand her skills, Nica went back to school to study 3D animation. In the process, she stumbled into a new creative outlet—web design. “I learned Dreamweaver and traded a mountain bike for doing a website for a guy,” she says with a smile. That trade was more than just a business deal; it deepened her love for mountain biking, a passion that would later shape major life decisions. “I met my husband mountain biking,” she says. The sport also played a role in their choice to leave the Bay Area, where traffic and the stress of commuting had worn on them. In 2014, they moved to Boise, seeking a quieter life with space to create.

Despite her artistic successes, Nica faced serious health challenges. “I developed migraines, anxiety, and vertigo from medical operations, and that affected my ability to drive,” she shares. The struggles were profound, but she found solace in her art. "Painting actually helped me process a lot of those emotions—especially about not being able to have kids. It wasn’t a super conscious thing, but it became therapeutic.”

Through it all, she stayed committed to her craft. “Learning how to draw is like chipping away at a wall of granite with a spoon,” she says. Art takes time, focus, and endurance. “It’s the balance of quantity and quality—you just gotta keep creating.”

Now, Nica’s newest creative venture is The Poofy Emporium, a collection of vibrant, fun characters that come to life in watercolor prints, a book with character backstories, and even stickers. Currently showcased at Catalyst Arts Collaborative, Poofies are more than just a playful series—they’re a culmination of her artistic journey, blending animation, storytelling, and fine art.

Her connection to Catalyst is still fresh, but she feels at home in the creative energy it fosters. “I’ve been a part of a lot of nonprofits and advocacy groups, but this is different,” she says. “This is people coming together to create something as a community. I’m getting so many good vibes from what Candy is building. She’s bringing people to art classes, to the store, just to meet up and connect.”

For Nica, art has always been more than a career—it’s been a way to navigate life, to adapt, and to keep moving forward. Whether through animation, painting, or a simple trade of skills for a mountain bike, she has carved out a life where creativity and resilience are inseparable. And with The Poofy Emporium and Catalyst Arts Collaborative, she’s found yet another way to bring her world of color, story, and community to life.