We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Nick Franklin a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Nick, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I’ve been into Art and business since I was a kid. My mom had a lot of influence on me. I began drawing and painting at an early age, maybe 7 or 8. Back then it wasn’t any social media out and I felt that making it as an artist or creative would be hard. Around Middle school, I still dabbled and enjoyed art but wasn’t serious about it then. I knew I liked streetwear and loved to look at Art. I appreciate art a lot. In Highschool I took Art classes and film and TV courses in my Junior and Senior years and then I knew I wanted to have a creative career or at least dabble in Art part-time. It was fun. One of the things I like the most about doing art is seeing what I can come up with. Fast forward to adulthood, I was 23 or 24 and I realized I wanted to get back into art and creating clothing. So I started doing art and clothing under the brand name Mask. I bought some new art supplies and figured out how to get some clothing printed. I’m still creating art and clothing every season. I love it. I want to reach more people.

Nick, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Hello everyone my name is Nick Franklin. I am from Griffin, GA. (South of Atlanta) I am 28 years old. I’ve been into Art and Business my whole life. I was influenced by my mom she also pursued a creative career. I am currently studying to finish my business degree at Mercer University. I paint canvases, design clothing, record videos, and take photos. My brand Mask solves problems by creating stylish and desirable clothing and art pieces for my customers. I’ve also been skateboarding since a teen so you can say I’m influenced by the skateboard culture also. I am most proud of myself for continuing to do what I love. I want my followers, clients, and fans to know that my main goal in creating my brand and being creative is to make an impact and show the world how important the creative culture is to many of us.

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

The one thing that drives me the most on my creative journey is the ability to make a positive impact on society and the culture. When I was a kid, I got inspired by seeing artists and designers put out their work or clothing. It was cool to me. It’s many kids, teens, or adults out there who want to pursue their creative passion but haven’t yet or may need a little bit of inspiration. When everyone who’s into the creative culture has a piece of my art or piece of clothing in their possession then I think I’ll be somewhat satisfied.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I’ve always been kind of good with technology. I used to build websites, edit pictures, and videos before social media became as popular as it is now. Honestly, I just started posting my art, clothing, and photos promoting my brand. I started using Instagram stories pretty frequently around the time I started growing my social media presence. I returned to social media around 2018-2019. I posted 3 or 4 times a day just trying to grow all my Instagram pages. I paid to run ads on Instagram and Facebook frequently. I also started to give my followers a little of my personality as well. Not just posting something for them to buy. I wanted to interact with my followers, clients, and fans. Some advice I can give to anyone trying to grow their social media presence is to promote whatever you’re doing but also interact with your followers. I feel that people want to see the real you sometimes and it’s cool to be you regardless while you’re on social media.

Contact Info:

• Website: maskcompany.bigcartel.com
• Instagram: themaskcompany11 and nickfranklin34
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nick.franklin.359126 https://www.facebook.com/themaskcompany11/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCupPwbVgPlktvrEGmPkYCDw

Image Credits
Some photos were taken by Ben Webb Photography