We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Matthew Johnson. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Matthew below.

Matthew, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

I run a one man art and clothing brand called Seventh.Ink that has been around for over 15 years now. One of the reasons I run the brand is to do fun and interesting artistic projects that are meaningful to me. I find that when these projects really connect with other people it is incredibly fulfilling. To have an artistic vision and see it come to fruition and be well received is an indescribable feeling.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I interned in a screen print shop in St. Paul (shout out to Todd at Rebel Ink!) back when I was in college, and that is where my love of screen printed t-shirts began. A few years later, Seventh.Ink was started as a side project to be a personal creative outlet for myself.

I originally started Seventh.Ink because I wanted to make cool and humorous graphic tees. However, I quickly found that the market for funny shirts was flooded and I wanted to stand out and be more original. Although some of my most clever designs were very well received, I felt that I wanted to make more of an impact with my brand, so I began concepting new ways to restructure Seventh.Ink without stepping completely away from everything I had done. This was about the time when I started releasing concept lines and collections that were cohesive and went together. Customers could now purchase an entire set of designs that were related, and I felt more of an artistic sense of accomplishment through these releases.

Over the years, Seventh.Ink has become a part of my identity and has grown with me as I have gone through my artistic journey. I’ve learned so much along the way and have met so many amazing people through this project, and it’s hard to imagine a life without it.

Through Seventh.Ink, I have shared my art around the world in the form of clothing, prints, pins, patches, and more. Seventh.Ink items have appeared in major motion pictures and television shows, have been a part of special events such as weddings, and have bonded me to so many amazing people over the years.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

Nowadays with the internet and the world of social media there are so many ways to support artists both financially and without spending a dime. In fact, although financial support is always fantastic I would say that sharing an artist’s work can sometimes have much stronger benefits. We are social creatures, and when someone we trust shares something with us we take interest in it.

Sharing on social media doesn’t have to be limited to reposting an artist’s post. It can also include things like sharing a photo of their work that you took yourself at an art gallery or art show. That lends a personal touch that extends to your friends and followers that will have a positive impact on the artist you are promoting.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

For me, the reward is truly the act of accomplishing the creation of something new. When I come up with an idea, put in the work, and it comes to fruition there is a sense of achievement that is hard to beat. This goes hand-in-hand with other people enjoying the work that was created.

At the end of the day, my passion for creating is a part of who I am. The medium may change, but it is at my core to make new things and bring them into this world. If people can connect with these things and find enjoyment in them that only elevates the experience.       

Contact Info:

• Website: www.seventhink.com
• Instagram: @seventh.ink
• Other: I just launched a new Kickstarter campaign for my ’23 Summer Line! It’s a very exciting project that I’ve been working on for some time now. The photographs included are from this campaign, which ends in June. You can find the project here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/seventhfury/seventhink-summer-line-2023

Image Credits
Arturo Rivera and Gerard Duffy