We had the good fortune of connecting with Mason Madson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mason, what’s something about your industry that outsiders are probably unaware of?
Dedication, hard work, and late nights may be the most challenging tasks of being in this industry, but what most people are unaware of is how hard it truly is to be creative. Though we are creatives, we have to be creative around the clock. With that being said, creative block happens more than we like to admit and making sure we have an outlet for when this happens.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
In 2017 I started my own photography business; following this, I started my career in graphic design and attended Waukesha County Technical College for an associate’s degree in Graphic Design and Print & Press certification. I also received a marketing and business certificate from WCTC. After graduating, I pursued my business and rebranded it to fit my years of creative experience. In 2020 I started M2 Productions LLC, first based in Milwaukee, WI, now soon to be based in Phoenix, Arizona. Unlike any other production company, we make sure we experience creativity together. From the moment I picked up my camera to opening Adobe Illustrator for the first time, I never wanted this career for money but experience. After a decade of failures and successes, I am at the point in my career where I can do whatever I want. Because of this, I am now the Creative Director at Colordyne Technologies and a business owner with two employees and one intern. I was able to achieve working with C4, KIA, Adobe, United Masters, and many more companies by never allowing the stereotype of “artists don’t make any money” to affect me but by encouraging me to prove the people using the saying wrong. I would be lying to you if I said it was easy because it’s not, but I would be doing a disservice if I said you couldn’t do it because, since 2016, I was made fun of for my art, I was picked on for the videos I made, I was discouraged by old friends, but challenges are what makes artists produce their best art. My life’s motto is “Create, don’t follow” I suggest living by it, and you will always overcome any challenges your career or life throws. How do I know that? Because I made the saying, and I believe in it so much, it was my third tattoo ever! So create more, strive for greatness, believe in yourself, and never follow always lead.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I firmly believe that life is all about taking risks, and if I told you that I wanted to be a Lawyer, Cop, or Cook, you’d probably never believe me after meeting me. However, that’s the truth, and the only reason I started my career was that I needed one art credit to graduate high school. So yeah, I was forced by the universe to start taking art classes. Though it was a rough start, I found that art isn’t just pen to paper, brush to canvas, or hands to clay; it’s whatever you can create from an idea within your imagination. After the first semester, I started to unlock the deadbolt we subconsciously put on our imagination as we grew up. Don’t get me wrong; it took some time to pick the lock, lots of trial and error, criticism, and disbelief from others. However, my family, friends, and colleagues encouraged me to keep going. Thank god they did; I wouldn’t be where I am today without any of them, from my parents buying my first DSLR (canon rebel t5i) to my friends reposting my work on social media. More specifically, my friend Connor Duggan, my first retaining client, was my biggest supporter. He saw something in me that I didn’t see until years later, he knew I could do it, and he knew he wanted to help me every step to ensure I was set up for success. I interned with Connor at CDugz LLC as the Creative Director, where I started honing in on my niches.

Website: https://www.m2designsonline.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mason.madson/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/masonmadson/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAtuQ7fzIVNGPUz_1QlKhAg

Other: https://linktr.ee/_M2_

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