We recently connected with Mandi Masden and have shared our conversation below.

Mandi, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

By 2019 I had built a pretty solid career as an actor in New York. At that point I had been in the city 8 years and was working fairly regularly. I had been on Broadway and Off, guest starred on some TV shows, recurred on a couple more, and was doing commercials and voice-overs consistently. After years of hustle and grind, I was finally able to make my living solely as an actor. And then I got the bright idea to start a business. Now, that in itself wasn’t the risk – I consider that ballsy and ambitious. The risk came a few months later when our lives were forever changed by Covid-19. I had no idea when I was drafting my business plan that there would be a global pandemic, a nationwide shutdown, and a devastating economic downturn all in a matter of months. In addition to that, the theater and entertainment industries were indefinitely shut down, my financial situation was unsure, and I had no income. The money I had set aside to start my business now needed to be reallocated to my rent and living expenses. It was the worst possible time to start this type of venture. But in the face of all of this I decided to take the risk of continuing to pursue my business believing that, despite the circumstances, my vision for what this could be was greater than my fear and uncertainty. I ended up doing a crowdfunding campaign that raised over $40,000 and covered the cost of our first collection. The road ahead was rocky and fraught, but it was also exhilarating and exciting. My Dad told me something during this time really stuck with me and has become a kind of mantra – he said “ It’s not about the Goliath in front of you, it’s about the Goliath inside of you.” I have carried that with me throughout these last few insane and unprecedented years, and it’s a wonderful reminder not to forget my inner strength and ability. I really believe that succeeding in business is more than just being profitable, it’s also not giving up.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Most of us have puzzle memories from our childhood – seeing them spread out over Grandma’s table, or working on them at family reunions and game nights. I was an avid puzzler as a kid – completely obsessed with them. I worked endlessly on images of cats, windmills, castles, seascapes, and hot air balloons, but I had never seen myself reflected in one. There were no little Black girls. There were no people of color at all, actually. The more puzzles I did the more it became clear that as much as I loved them, they didn’t love me back. As I grew up I did them less & less because it didn’t feel like they cared much about me, my interests, my history, or my aesthetic. Black and Brown people were nowhere to be found – we were completely invisible to the industry. I started Apostrophe Puzzles in 2019 to carve out a space where our art, our aesthetic, and our imagination came first. Always. Because we do puzzles, too. We appreciate great art. We create great art. I wanted to create a way for us to engage with our art & our artists in a way that wasn’t dependent on the whims of traditionally white institutions. I wanted to reinforce the idea that the work created by artists of color is valuable, desirable, and profitable, and that we are allowed to engage with it. I wanted us to know that we are worthy and deserving of great art, and that wealth should have nothing to do with our access to it. Apostrophe is structured in such a way that every purchase supports our creative freedom and economic liberation. From our royalties and collaborations to our non-profit partnerships, we are committed to Black and Brown people, artists, and communities being seen, valued, supported, celebrated, compensated, and invested in.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

Apostrophe’s mission is three-fold:
1. to create beautiful, high quality puzzles that encourage interest, conversation, and engagement around work by contemporary artists of color;
2. to help cultivate (new) communities of art consumers and collectors while fostering a culture of accessible and sustainable patronage; and
3. to support the next generation of artists and art practitioners through our partnerships with non-profit arts organizations that are focused on/in communities of color.

Puzzle imagery has come a long way from kittens and windmills, but even with exciting new companies creating beautiful, modern images, there are still very few that feature people of color – either as artists or subjects. The art world has a similar issue with representation – one where artists of color often struggle for space and recognition in an environment often dominated by exclusive gate-keeping practices. A recent study found that over 85% of the work featured in major US museums belong to white artists, and that over 80% of American artists represented by top New York galleries are also white. These statistics are just one example of how cultural institutions can sometimes create barriers of accessibility and representation. This failure of inclusivity severely impacts how artists of color cultivate capital and generate value, and trickles down to us as consumers, continually influencing which artists we know and whose work we value.

Apostrophe Puzzles disrupts this pipeline, and our products and brand aim to contribute to the larger cultural conversation around art accessibility, inclusivity, and consumerism in the world of puzzles and contemporary art. From puzzle newbies to long time enthusiasts, everyone is seeking more exciting and compelling designs. Of the millions of puzzles sold each year, ours stand out due to their exclusive focus on contemporary artists of color, and our active practice of encouraging interest, conversation, and engagement around their work.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

GRANTS, GRANTS, GRANTS!!! Luckily, I knew about them but I want you to know about them, too. Apply for them. Any and all of them. Make a massive grant word document with all the questions and all of your answers and just continually apply and update and pull from that resource. Grant funding is a life-saver and game-changer. Please do not overlook this resource.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.apostrophepuzzles.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/apostrophepuzzles
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/apostrophepuzzles
• Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@apostrophepuzzles

Image Credits

Wesley Volcy