We recently connected with Nkem Warner and have shared our conversation below.

Nkem, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Do you wish you had waited to pursue your creative career or do you wish you had started sooner?

I firmly believe that my creative career started right when it needed to. Not a minute too late or too soon. A lot of things needed to align before I could comfortably step into this role and that is a realization I’ve come to now that I am here.

For starters, I needed to be mentally ready for what I was about to take on and I don’t think that the me of 5 years ago would have been able to manage much less acknowledge that. I was taking a huge leap and no longer playing small or trying to juggle my business as a side hustle. This leap was happening when I didn’t have everything figured out. Nobody knew who I was, I didn’t have a following or even a recognizable name. But I was choosing to leave the comfort of a traditional workplace, a place where I knew exactly what to expect, and step into a world that’s filled with uncertainty and still largely unknown.

It took a lot of planning to get my priorities in order but I’m grateful for the time it did take because there were lessons along the way that I needed to learn that have helped me stay motivated and in good spirits today.

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.

My name is Nkem Warner and I’m the owner and designer behind For Tha Masses Design. My studio specializes in hand lettering, mural, and graphic design. I like to describe the work that I do as the missing link that helps individuals and businesses communicate their thoughts and emotions with effective design. A lot of my work is centered around mental health, social justice, and communicating the struggles that everyday people experience in their daily lives. As an artist, I’ve had my share of battling anxiety and imposter syndrome and my journey to overcoming these struggles is actually where the story behind For Tha Masses began.

When I was a kid, I always had a fire in my belly to express myself in any way that I could. Whether I was singing in my church choir, doodling my favorite Disney or anime characters, or through my sense of style, I longed to live a creative life. Unfortunately, my passions and desires did not match my mental state. Deep inside, I simply didn’t think I was good enough and had a hard time visualizing myself as an artist much less calling myself one. Kids my age were all so talented and from my perspective, they were just born with that gift. I didn’t see that their talents came from dedication and continuous practice, a misconception that many would-be artists have.

I knew what I wanted and where I wanted to go but my desires didn’t match my personal beliefs. I had to make a change and begin the process of healing and that’s when For Tha Masses came to fruition. It started as a safe space where I could explore, chase my curiosity, and be vulnerable. It was where I discovered lettering and started using the power of words and art to jumpstart my healing journey. I gave myself permission to discover my interests and started taking the positive messages I was lettering to heart. I learned to be self-compassionate and slowly began dismantling limiting beliefs. Over time, I got the courage to take my business seriously and took steps to build the foundation of For Tha Masses Design.

Today, my business has become my full-time job, and every time I get an opportunity to work on a special project or someone purchases an art print or stationery item from my shop, my heart smiles. I love that I’ve been able to find ways to weave my personal story with my art. I know my younger self would be proud of how far I’ve come. It’s rewarding knowing that I didn’t give up on my dreams and found my way toward actualizing the life that I wanted to live. I hope that my business is used as a vessel to help others actualize their dreams. Whether that’s through working with me on a mural to liven up a business and get people talking or through an inspirational art print that helps someone challenge negative self-talk. I want people to feel hopeful about whatever circumstances they may be facing and know that they have the power to heal and overcome it.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

My main goal at the moment is to support individuals and businesses in pursuing their ideas and giving their vision a chance. There are countless amazing ideas out there that never come to fruition because people talk themselves out of it or believe they don’t have enough knowledge. However, the true magic happens when we become vulnerable with ourselves and focus on the long-term goal of creative expression rather than the short-term goal of seeking virality through hustle culture. I want to assist others in sharing their story through visual storytelling, lettering, and design and conveying that message to the people who need to hear it.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

Not specifically with my journey but with the creative journey itself. Too often I hear the phrase “I’m not creative” or “I don’t have a creative bone in my body” and I just don’t think that’s true. Creativity is expressed and experienced in many forms but regardless of what form your creativity takes, there is ongoing time and effort that’s put into it whether consciously or unconsciously. No one is born being “creative” it is a muscle that has to be worked and built over time. So I want more people to recognize that whatever skill you think you don’t possess, I guarantee that if you spend a month, 2, or 3 months working towards getting better, it’s impossible to not improve even if it’s only in the slightest. Progress is still Progress and every ounce of progress should not be undervalued.

Contact Info:

• Website: forthamasses.com
• Instagram: @forthamasses
• Facebook: facebook.com/nkemftm.design/
• Twitter: @forthamasses
• Youtube: @forthamasses