Today we’d like to introduce you to Elexis Martinez.
Hi Elexis, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Looking back, I don’t think my story is about becoming an artist. I think it’s about never giving up on the artist I always was.
My name is Elexis Martinez, though many people in the creative community know me as E.Nast.E. Today, I’m a creative, educator, entrepreneur, and community builder based in Austin, Texas, with roots in San Antonio.
I discovered my love for art, poetry, and storytelling in the eighth grade. As a kid who often struggled to express myself, creativity became the place where I could process my emotions and finally feel understood. It gave me confidence long before I ever imagined it could become a career.
Like many young artists, I dreamed of going to art school, but financially that wasn’t an option for my family. My mom always believed in my creativity, but she also wanted me to have the stability that education could provide. So, I earned my degree and Pharmacy Technician certification, spent ten years working in healthcare before transitioning into education and leadership. At the time, I thought I was putting my artistic dreams on hold. Looking back, I realize those years didn’t delay my dream—they prepared me for it.
Around 2016, after becoming a mom and finding more stability, I finally invested in myself. I began creating pyrography artwork by burning and hand-painting anime illustrations onto wood and selling them throughout San Antonio’s local art markets. One of the biggest turning points in my journey was finding Big Vibes Art House. It became my first creative home and introduced me to artists who encouraged me, inspired me, and made me feel like I truly belonged in San Antonio’s creative community.
When the pandemic brought those art markets to a halt, I searched for another creative outlet. I started writing more, and as the world reopened, I found my way to BLAH BLAH Poetry at Jandro’s Garden Patio, where I discovered spoken-word poetry and found the confidence to share my voice. That journey eventually led me to Loud City Society, where I grew as a performer, collaborator, and event curator. More importantly, it changed how I saw myself. I realized I didn’t have to become one artist—I could become many. My poetry evolved into music, my passion for community evolved into event curation, and I stopped seeing my passions as separate paths.
Ironically, my years in healthcare and education became some of my greatest creative strengths. They taught me leadership, organization, communication, and business skills that I now use to build meaningful creative experiences and stronger communities.
In early 2025, I launched Creatively Nast.E. and Nast.E Creatives. While each serves a different purpose, they’re united by one mission: using creativity to bridge people, education, business, and community. Through them, I help businesses, nonprofits, artists, and local organizations tell meaningful stories, build strong brands, create opportunities, and foster genuine collaboration.
In October 2025, I moved to Austin to begin a new chapter and accepted what I consider my dream role with a nonprofit that helps adults on the autism spectrum build careers through creative fields like animation, game development, digital art, and 3D design. Leaving the city that shaped so much of my creative journey wasn’t easy, but it reminded me that community isn’t tied to one place—it’s something we carry with us and continue building wherever we go. Today, I have the privilege of combining education, creativity, and community while helping others pursue their own artistic goals. It feels like everything I’ve experienced has come full circle.
When I was younger, creativity gave me a place where I finally felt understood. Today, I hope to create those same kinds of spaces for others. Whether it’s through education, poetry, photography, branding, music, or community events, if someone walks away believing in themselves a little more than they did before we met, then I know I’ve done more than create something beautiful—I know I’ve helped someone discover that they belong.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road, but looking back, I think every challenge taught me that the path may change, but the purpose doesn’t have to.
One of the hardest lessons came early in life. Growing up, I dreamed of attending the Academy of Art University in San Francisco to become an animator and illustrator. I was accepted, and it felt like everything I had worked toward was finally happening. My mom and I began the financial aid process, but that’s when we discovered her identity had been stolen. While she worked through restoring her identity, the financial support we needed fell through, and on top of that, relocating to San Francisco simply wasn’t something we could afford.
That was the first time I learned that sometimes life changes your plans through circumstances completely outside of your control.
My mom never stopped believing in my creativity. She wanted me to have opportunities she never had, but she also wanted me to have stability. Together, we looked for another creative path, which led me to fashion school in San Antonio. Even there, I realized the environment wasn’t the right fit. Looking back, I don’t think my ideas were wrong—they just didn’t fit the space I was in. That experience taught me something I still carry today: not every environment is where you’re meant to grow.
After leaving fashion school, I chose healthcare, a field I had been studying since the eighth grade. At the time, it felt like I was putting my dream on hold. Now I see it differently. Those years gave me the leadership, communication, and business skills that would later help me build my own businesses, lead creative projects, and create opportunities for others.
Years later, just as I was finding my footing as a visual artist, the pandemic shut down the art markets where I was selling my work. Once again, I had to adapt. That season led me to spoken-word poetry, then music, event curation, and eventually entrepreneurship. Looking back, every major shift in my life started because something unexpected forced me to rethink what was possible.
Moving from San Antonio to Austin brought another challenge. I wasn’t just leaving a city—I was leaving behind a creative community that had become family. Starting over reminded me that community isn’t a place; it’s something you build through relationships, service, and showing up for people wherever you are.
The most unexpected part of my journey is that many of the dreams I thought I had lost eventually found their way back to me. As a child, I dreamed of becoming an animator and illustrator. Today, I create digital artwork such as – cover art for musicians, branding and marketing materials for businesses, and event graphics. Through Creatively Nast.E. and Nast.E Creatives, I also help create opportunities for artists, entrepreneurs, nonprofits, and organizations to tell their stories and build stronger creative communities.
My journey didn’t look the way I imagined it would as a child, but I’m grateful it didn’t. If it had, I don’t think I would have become the educator, entrepreneur, or community builder I am today.
The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that success isn’t about following the exact path you planned. It’s about continuing to move forward when life asks you to take a different one.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
One thing that’s always been important to me is creating work with purpose. No matter the project, I want it to connect with people in a genuine way. Whether I’m writing a poem, designing a brand, photographing an event, creating digital artwork, or organizing a community experience, I’m always asking the same question: “What story are we really trying to tell?”
Through Creatively Nast.E., I partner with businesses, nonprofits, artists, and entrepreneurs to bring their ideas to life through branding, photography, digital marketing, and visual storytelling. Through Nast.E Creatives, I focus on something equally important to me—building opportunities for artists, entrepreneurs, nonprofits, and local organizations to collaborate, learn from one another, and strengthen the communities they serve.
What sets me apart is the way I approach the work. I don’t begin by thinking about colors, logos, photos, or marketing strategies. I begin by listening. I want to understand who someone is, what they care about, and what they want people to remember about them. Once I understand that, the creative direction usually becomes clear. I’ve learned that great work isn’t just about good design—it’s about honest communication.
What I’m most proud of isn’t one project or one accomplishment. It’s seeing the ripple effect that happens when people are given the confidence to share their ideas. I’ve watched artists step onto a stage believing in themselves for the first time, small businesses finally feel represented by their brand, nonprofits build deeper connections with their communities, and creative collaborations grow into lasting friendships and partnerships. Those moments remind me why I do this work.
At the end of the day, success isn’t something I measure by awards, numbers, or the size of a project. I measure it by the relationships I’ve built and the opportunities those relationships have created for others. My hope is to leave the creative community a little stronger, more connected, and more welcoming than it was when I first found my place in it. If I can help someone take the next step toward an idea they once thought was out of reach, then I’ll know I’ve done exactly what I set out to do.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
One thing that surprises people is that I’m actually pretty introverted.
Because I’m often performing on stage, hosting events, speaking with people, or building community, most assume I’m naturally outgoing all the time. The truth is, while I genuinely enjoy those moments, they also take a lot of energy. Once the event is over or the performance ends, I’m usually looking forward to going home, spending time with my daughter, putting on an anime, grabbing my sketchbook or notebook, or finding my way to a hiking trail or a pool to recharge.
I’ve realized that creating meaningful work also means taking care of myself. I’m always trying to find balance—between work and rest, creating and reflecting, giving to others and making time to recharge. Those quieter moments are often where my best ideas begin.
I think being both an introvert and a community builder has become one of my greatest strengths. It allows me to be fully present when I’m with people, but it also reminds me to slow down, observe, and really listen. I’ve learned that you don’t have to be the loudest person in the room to make an impact. Sometimes the people who spend the most time listening are the ones who build the strongest connections, and that’s something I try to carry into every project, performance, and relationship.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @E.Nast.E @CreativelyNast.E @Nast.E.Creatives
- LinkedIn: Elexis Martinez
