Embrace the creative evolution

Welcome to Creatives Anonymous, a weekly newsletter that explores what it means to be a modern-day creative. It inspires, encourages, and empowers readers to take back their creative power.

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As the Greek philosopher Heraclitus said, “The only constant is change.”

While applicable to life, it’s also applicable to creativity. 

Creativity takes many forms throughout our lives. It ebbs and flows, with evolution a natural part of the creative process. 

As we age, it’s natural for our creative interests and the type of creativity we pursue to evolve. Pursuing our curiosity opens us up to new crafts to learn and ways to express our thoughts and feelings about the world. 

Our creative work also evolves. The more skills we gain, the better we get at our craft. The more life experiences we have, the more profound and personal our work becomes. The more we approach creativity with fearlessness, bravery, and courage, the more open our mindset becomes. 

But there is another type of creative evolution: one that is forced by the opportunities available. When this happens, we end up pivoting to pursue something else. But that doesn’t mean we don’t mourn what we had to let go. Instead of looking at what we had to lose, we should look at what we gained. 

As they say, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.

We must approach creative evolution with a growth rather than a scarcity mindset. Doing so allows us to embrace change, find more opportunities, and be optimistic about the future. When we approach our creative opportunities with a growth mindset, we are more grateful, granted more peace of mind, and are more likely to make wiser choices that lead to more positive outcomes. 

Meet Nick Mann. Nick is an artist who resides in Port Townsend, WA. He is the founder of Whalesong Signs. Serving the Pacific Northwest and beyond, Whalesong Signs specializes in traditional lettering and ornamentation, which is applied via gold leaf, carving, and hand-painting.

I’d love to hear a little bit more about your background. How did you become interested in lettering and the sign business?

Sure thing, I'm a Greek American born in Milwaukee, WI. My family moved to Western Washington when I was about 10. Growing up in the Northwest, I played a lot of music, forming my first band in middle school. Throughout high school, I played in numerous bands (mostly punk) and spent every weekend playing shows around the PNW. I also made a lot of flyers for the shows, designed t-shirts, etc. This was my introduction to visual art making (at least outside of the context of school-type activities). 

In 2006, I went to school in Florida and studied marine biology. While I was there, I couldn't find other musicians who were into similar styles of music, thus prompting a creative void I had previously filled as an active musician in bands. This led me to paint and draw more because it was an innovative process that I found fulfilling and internally centering, even if I didn't have a band.

I ended up being drawn to street art and graffiti, and at the time, it was an exciting world where many horizons had not been explored in those genres. Simultaneously, acceptance of the two was growing, and many galleries were showing this type of work. I started showing my work in galleries around 19, nationally and internationally, as I entered my 20s. I then painted murals nationwide and flew to numerous locations to create this work. It was an exciting time, and I traveled extensively to do work. 

Around 2011, I felt drawn toward a more rural lifestyle and moved to Port Townsend. At that point, most other artists in my world lived in cities. I also got disenchanted with the vanity of the art world. Moving to a small town was a sacrifice back then, but it ultimately made my work and life more dynamic. I worked in the boat yard and also got into carpentry. This shift toward “the trades” showed me another side of creativity and work. After a while, people would say, upon hearing that I was an artist, "Can you paint me a sign?"  I said, "Yes," then taught myself to paint signs over time.

Then, about six years ago, my wife and I lettered a boat for the first time in Port Townsend. This set the foundation for my sign business. Today, my niche at Whalesong Signs is primarily maritime lettering, gold leaf, and carved wooden signs. I see sign-making as a trade within visual art—a balanced blend of drawing, carpentry, woodworking, design, painting, etc. Depending on the project, it's pragmatic but can imbue a sense of wonder and creativity. 

How would you describe your art style? What are some of your biggest sources of inspiration? 

Classic, folk, traditional, spirited. In terms of ethos, I am inspired by Fotis Kontoglou. He is a true champion of Greek culture both as an artist and theologian. I love primarily the Macedonian School of Orthodox Christian Iconography. I'm also drawn to folk and traditional Balkans and the Americas art. In terms of sign painting, I love antique fire truck gold-leaf lettering. 

What’s been the coolest or most impactful project you’ve worked on, and why?

There have been many. It typically depends on the client or organizer behind the project. Painting/constructing a muraled food stand in the Navajo Nation, Arizona, was a highlight. But also, just having good, heart-to-heart conversations with interesting clients makes my job fulfilling.

Describe your creative process for each new project you take on. How do you make creative decisions for the art style, colors, etc.?

It's typically a back-and-forth with the client. Sometimes, people already have a vision, and I help them refine it into something nice.

What’s one creative project that you’re working on now?

I'm working on a larger commissioned painting for a client, some carved wooden signage, and some name boards for a boat.

You can learn more about Nick and Whalesong Signs by visiting his website or following him on Instagram.

CREATIVE CORNER

• 🎞️ What I’m Consuming: Rewatching all the Harry Potter movies in order

• 💡 What I’m Loving: Fall candles from Anthropologie

• 🎨 What I’m Working On: Compiling some retrospective things reflecting on my 20s (my 30th birthday is Friday)

• 💭 Weekly Musing:

Thank you 💕

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I’m so grateful for all of your support!

Alexa Phillips is a writer, brand strategist, and multi-passionate creative. She is the founder and Chief Brand Architect at Bright Eyes Creative, a creative studio that helps creatives monetize their zone of genius and creativity.

Where to find me:

• Join the waitlist for my new offer, Musing to Monetized, launching soon!

• Listen to my recent podcast episodes here

• Subscribe to my other business newsletter, Money Moves, where I talk about strategies and tactics for monetizing your zone of genius and creativity

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