An Offline Encounter with Nate Brown

Our next conversation is with Nate Brown, a NYC-based creative director who’s worked with Beyoncé, Calvin Klein, and Nike for over 15 years. He’s also the cofounder behind Rosaluna Mezcal. Most recently, Nate launched Handstand, his agency fueled by curiosity.

1. Creativity can be so subjective, what does it mean to you?

Finding the answer to the unanswered questions.

2. How do you suggest finding and nurturing your own unique creative voice?

You already have the voice, creativity is the act of revealing it. Reveal it by making things, failing at it, learning and adjusting, and making more. Enrich yourself by learning about as much as you can, and surround yourself with people who show you new things.

3. How do you connect to yourself? (offline, no screens!)

Meditate, write, and sleep.

4. Who is someone in your community who reminds you to look up?

I am always inspired by one of my best friends (we also co-founded Rosaluna together), Terry Lee. We’re always sharing books, music, travel, food and more together, and we’re never on our phones when we hang out.

5. Bonus question: You mentioned you’ve been experimenting with making a concerted effort to spend less time on your phone, even deleting social media from your device. Have you felt this impact the way you approach your world, if so, how?

It has, reality is what you want it to be, so my reality just shifted, and you adopt pretty quickly. I use social media, though, it’s a powerful tool that has connected me to many talented people around the world in ways never possible without it. But I took it off my phone to break the habit of mindlessly opening it.

Stay tuned for more six more offline encounters happening this month :)