FARGO — Standing in front of a group, Nichole Rae often begins with a simple statement: “I have a daily practice.”
For Nichole, that phrase is more than a ritual. It’s a declaration — one she believes has the power to shift how people carry stress, self-doubt and even grief.
“It’s the most important declaration,” Nichole said. “It’s not about what you do … It’s about the declaration you make to yourself that gives you the practice.”
Contributed / Kylee Noelle Photography
After five years in Florida, Nichole has returned to the Fargo-Moorhead community with her inspirational analogies, practices and her creative wellness philosophy, The Art of Daily Practice. She describes it as a creative wellness framework for creating space within, strengthening the connection to one’s present self and cultivating one’s vision.
“I help people release blocks within themselves,” Nichole said. “I help people tune into their intuition. My work is inspirational, creative, faith-filled and spiritual.”
Despite the appeal and her love of the ocean views and palm trees, Nichole felt a strong “calling” to return home from Florida. After a turning point in her life, she listened to that inner nudge, returned home and now focuses her energy on leading journaling circles, retreats and workshops rooted in The Art of Daily Practice.
At the heart of her teachings are three tools she has refined over the last decade: For-give and Release, I Am Affirmations and Guidance.
Contributed / Studio Freshly
A tool to lighten the backpack
The first practice, For-give and Release, is Nichole’s way of helping people let go of the weight they carry in their thoughts, feelings, emotions, beliefs and past memories.
“Forgive and release is the tool within The Art of Daily Practice that helps clear space of heavy thoughts, feelings, emotions and beliefs,” she said. “It’s FOR – GIVE. It is important to see this word as two words. Forgive has the word ‘give’ — that is where this word can move in you.”
Nichole’s “F-word,” as she calls it, signifies a choice to give love or positivity a way into whatever may be heavy rather than holding onto fear, judgment or negativity.
Contributed / Katie Lewis Photography
There are three ways to use the tool. It can be done “out loud, mindfully, or you can write it down,” Nichole said. “The keyword is or. You don’t need to do all three — just one of these ways is enough.”
Examples can be as simple as: “I for-give and release feeling tired, I for-give and release feeling anxious, I for-give and release not feeling enough.”
She compared her practice to removing bricks from a wall, cleaning out a junk drawer, or lightening a heavy backpack.
“If we’re carrying around that backpack with a bunch of your stuff in it — adding heavy weight on your shoulders — and now you want to go on an adventure… well, if there’s no room in your backpack, you have no space to put anything in there from the present moment,” Nichole said. “We have to give stuff a way out. As we do that, the backpack gets lighter. Think about the power in forgiving — it lightens your backpack so that you have more space to receive whatever beautiful things life has for you.”
Refill it with positivity
Once that space is cleared, Nichole teaches people that the next step is to fill it with positive affirmations — powerful statements beginning with “I AM” that make you feel good and can overwrite negative patterns with positive ones.
They can be as simple as “I AM calm”, “I AM proud of myself”, or even “I AM a runner” — “even if you’re trotting like a turkey,” she joked.
Contributed / Kylee Noelle Photography
The key, Nichole said, is consistency. Just as negative thoughts repeated over time can become deep-seated beliefs, if positive affirmations are repeated, they can do the same.
“There is power in positive affirmations — they bring healing to your mind, heart and body,” she said.
During her group events, Nichole encourages students and participants to write down affirmations, even those they don’t yet believe, as the understanding comes through practicing to help strengthen their internal “love muscle.”
“Just like we go to the gym and we lift a weight to build our muscle, affirmations are the weight that strengthens our Love — capital L — muscle within ourselves,” Nichole said.
Nichole incorporates affirmations into beads and candles, and encourages writing affirmations on Post-It notes and leaving them on your computer, fridge, mirrors or nightstand as daily reminders.
Listening for inner wisdom
The third tool, Asking for Guidance, helps people connect with what Nichole calls their “most present self” — the inner wisdom that emerges when the mind is clear.
“This is a tool to help you go forth on your journey feeling more confident in making decisions and choices; it helps you take what’s in your mind and lay it down to have space to receive what you most need,” Nichole said.
Nichole often encourages her students to begin journaling with the phrase: I ask and need guidance on…
The guidance or “answers”, she said, comes from one’s connection to a higher power that is within each of us. However you take in information is the way the guidance will arrive.
Contributed / Jodi Davis Photo
“When we start to recognize that we don’t need to solely do it on our own, and we don’t need to have all of the answers, you start to become aware,” Nichole said. “The journey is ongoing and is not about achieving perfection.”
Guidance also revolves around shifting the “shoulds” we weigh on ourselves to something you can “forgive and release.” This helps clear the mind and allows for a clearer connection to the positive guidance from within, Nichole said. Once cleared, the “shoulds” are seen as divine guidance — an inner voice suggesting beneficial actions for self improvement.
“These ‘shoulds’ are often nudges of what we most need, especially around our selfcare,” Nichole said. “If the ‘shoulds’ carry comparison, judgment or pressure, then we for-give and release those.”
Group events, creative tables, one-on-one sessions and more
As a guide and coach, Nichole offers one-on-one sessions to guide clients through their personal journeys and help them release blocks.
For group events, Nichole provides workshops and creative tables, which can be customized to any setting. At these events, Nichole often incorporates creative components such as making affirmation cards or collaging journals, which are tailored to the event’s theme or brand. She uses an array of dry mediums like papers, glue sticks, washi tapes and rubber stamps to ensure a hands-on and engaging experience.
She held a creative table at TEDxFargo 2025, giving attendees the opportunity to create their own pocket journals designed with I Am Affirmations and TEDxFargo’s “Thread” theme. She also hosts workshops at Unglued at Brewhalla and shared her practice at the 2025 FM Wellness Collective Women’s Wellness Summit.
Contributed / Studio Freshly
Nichole also offers online courses and a shop on
where clients can order her signature Affirmation Beads and other creative tools.
Regardless of the format, Nichole’s services are built on the foundational practices of “For-give and Release,” “I Am Affirmations,” and “Guidance.”
So far, she has written over 80,000 affirmations, created over 650 sets of affirmation beads, each with 108 I Am affirmations woven in. Nichole’s journey has led her to find her purpose along the way. Moments of heartache and pain have led her to share her practices with others to bring inspiration and healing to others.
She sees Fargo as the perfect place to do this work: a supportive community where creative wellness has space to grow.
For Nichole, returning to Fargo isn’t just about coming home. It’s about sharing a philosophy she believes can help others lighten their backpacks and live with more love.
Contributed / Jodi Davis Photo
And it begins with a simple declaration she repeats to herself every day, one she now shares with others: “I have a daily practice.”
“When we see our lives as a practice, we have more space for what we most need,” she said. “When we practice, we go towards the Love within us.”
To learn more about the Art Of Daily Practice and check Artist Nichole Rae’s upcoming events/workshops visit
or connect with Nichole on Instagram @
