We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Adam Toksôz a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Adam thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?
By nature, I’m not someone who shies away from risk. I’ve always believed that true rewards—whether financial or experiential—require taking chances. Reflecting on my journey, I realize I’ve taken several steps that might seem “risky” to others, but each has shaped my path in art and entrepreneurship.
One of my first big decisions was leaving behind a safe path in economics. Originally, I thought I’d just get a steady desk job, but I kept feeling drawn to art. My late grandmother, an entrepreneur herself, gave me advice that stuck: “If you focus on something you’re passionate about, you’ll always find a way to make a living.” Her words gave me the confidence to pursue art, and from then on, I was committed to building a creative career.
Six years ago, while my wife and I were working at a screenprinting shop, we felt a pull to start something of our own. We knew it was a big leap—many people might brush off that urge as “too risky”—but we couldn’t ignore it. So, we saved up every dollar, even took our coins to Coinstar, rented a U-Haul, and bought all the equipment we needed. At the time, we were living in a tiny basement apartment in Atlanta, so we moved our bed out, set up the print equipment in our bedroom, and started sleeping on an air mattress in the living room. It was all-in or nothing, and that commitment pushed us to succeed.
Within a week, we had our first orders. We poured everything into each project, and before we knew it, we’d jumpstarted our print shop, ATMOS Printing. In those early days, we lived off peanut butter sandwiches and rice and beans, saving every penny. Eventually, we moved, sight unseen, to a small town in the Colorado mountains, where we could focus on growing our dream.
During the pandemic, we took another risk, launching SÖZ Bazaar, our online market for handmade items, upcycled apparel, candles, artwork, wooden goods, and more. It felt like a natural extension of my art and a way to use our printing setup for packaging and branding everything ourselves. Recently, we started doing in-person pop-ups, collaborating with a brewery on a beer label I designed. We displayed art, set up a bazaar, and live-printed tees with the new design.
Looking ahead, our next big step—and perhaps our biggest risk yet—is figuring out how to open a storefront and gallery space that can house all our offerings and give us a larger workspace for the print shop. It’s a leap, but if there’s anything we’ve learned, it’s that sometimes you just have to trust your passion and dive in.
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.
I’m Adam Toksöz, a multidisciplinary artist, screen printer, and entrepreneur living in the mountains of Colorado. My journey into art and entrepreneurship wasn’t linear—it started with a deep passion for creativity that I’ve carried since I was young. I was always drawing, painting, and experimenting with different mediums, and about 13 years ago, I decided to take it seriously. I realized art was what truly drives me, and I’ve been committed to building a life around it ever since.
My early years as an artist were all about exploration. Growing up in Atlanta, I was heavily influenced by street art and that aesthetic shaped a lot of my work. I spent years experimenting and developing a unique artistic style, putting my energy into any project or opportunity I could find—exhibitions, group shows, art fairs, even small murals and traffic box paintings. I wanted to get my work out there, and those experiences taught me a lot about myself as an artist.
However, in the last year or two, I found myself feeling boxed into this specific style I’d developed. I realized I was burnt out and had lost some of the freedom and experimentation that made me love creating in the first place. So, I went back to my roots, diving into the same kind of experimentation I did before I had a “defined style.” I started revisiting different mediums and ideas, bringing to them a decade of experience with color, materials, and composition. This journey led me to focus on mixed media and assemblage-style paintings, which have become a central part of my work recently.
This shift culminated in my first solo gallery show, featuring pieces from this new experimental phase. It was an incredibly validating experience and reminded me why I became an artist—to push boundaries, speak my mind, and create without limitations. As artists, I believe we’re meant to experiment, evolve, and stay true to our creative voice, even if it means stepping outside of our comfort zone.
Alongside my art, my wife and I run two businesses that allow us to stay true to our creative and entrepreneurial passions. Our first venture is ATMOS Printing, a screenprinting business we built from the ground up, where we offer high-quality, custom printing services with a personal, artisanal touch. Our second venture, SÖZ Bazaar, is an online market where we sell a range of handmade and upcycled goods, each item branded with my artwork and crafted with a focus on sustainability.
Both businesses are built on the values of creativity, sustainability, and authenticity. We’re proud to bring our clients and followers into our world through our art and handmade items, and to offer a genuinely unique experience with every piece. Looking forward, we’re working towards expanding SÖZ Bazaar into a physical storefront, where we can bring together my art, our print shop, and our handmade goods in one immersive space.
Ultimately, my work and our brands are about staying true to the creative journey and connecting with others through meaningful, handmade items. Every product, every piece of art, and every project is something we stand behind with pride, and we’re grateful for the support that allows us to keep pushing our creative boundaries.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
For me, making art isn’t just a job—it’s something I have to do for my own well-being and sanity. Even back in school, my notes were always covered in sketches and doodles, but I hadn’t thought of it as a real career path. I assumed I’d end up at a desk job, making art in my spare time. Now, finding ways to earn a living in a creative environment—whether through screenprinting, selling artwork, or handmade goods—is something I’m incredibly grateful for.
The most rewarding part of it all is the freedom to create and experiment on my own terms. Art lets me take an idea that’s been in my head and bring it into the world. Sometimes, it’s just for me, and other times, I’m happy to share it. But regardless, the process itself—the act of getting that idea out and bringing it to life—is deeply rewarding. And if I end up scrapping a piece afterward (which happens sometimes), the satisfaction of having explored and expressed it is what really matters.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
One story that’s always stuck with me happened around 12 years ago, back when I’d just started showing my artwork and trying to make a name for myself. I had a booth at my first art fair, displaying these cartoony, graffiti-inspired creatures I was painting and drawing at the time. A little kid ran into my booth, clearly excited, followed by his grandmother. He was really into my work, so I gave him a hand-printed coloring book, which he loved.
Then, his grandma turned to me and said, “Don’t quit your day job.” Now, I hadn’t fully intended to make art my full-time career at that point, but the comment cut deep. For the next few days, it bothered me, but I ultimately took it as a reminder: my artwork isn’t for everyone, and I still had room to grow. I used that comment as fuel, pushing myself to hone my craft and develop that style. I worked in that graffiti-inspired style for nearly a decade, learning new techniques, refining my lines with liner brushes, and building confidence in my voice as an artist.
I’ve had other comments like hers over the years, but I’ve come to see them as reminders to keep pushing forward. In a way, I’m grateful for her comment, even if she probably forgot me the moment she left my booth. That moment taught me that resilience often comes from taking criticism and using it as motivation to grow rather than letting it hold me back.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.adamtoksoz.com
- Instagram: @adamtoksozart
- Twitter: @adamtoksoz
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/adamtoksoz
- Other: https://www.sozbazaar.com
Image Credits
Essence Imagery | Bailey Toksöz Photography