Meet Nate Mask: Poet, Storyteller, Spoken Word Artist

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

Hi Nate, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Taking risks has been huge in my career. I don’t think you can really get anywhere without taking risks. Like the cliche says, “no risk no reward.” It was a risk to get up on stage at an open mic for the first time and share something I wrote. But without that first step, I couldn’t have known this was something I wanted to pursue as a career. It was a huge risk for Ryan and I to book, schedule, promote, and fund a nationwide tour on our own. But without going out on that limb, I wouldn’t have had those experiences that helped me grow as a person and artist, and I wouldn’t have been able to reach new audiences all across the country and even into Canada. Ultimately, taking risks make life more interesting and exciting. And if nothing else, at least my journey hasn’t been boring. 

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I try to find a balance between humor and a deeper message in my work. I think variety is important, and makes things more interesting. I really enjoy the challenge of making someone laugh and think at the same time, or of using humor to draw people in and then surprise them when there ends up being a moral hidden in the poem. I think this approach, along with making an effort to be genuine and relatable in my art, and hard work has helped get me where I am. I spent a lot of time working on my craft- writing and rewriting, memorizing, performing in front of as many audiences as possible. There was a time where I’d be at like 4 or 5 open mics a week. It was exhausting, but it was great practice and helped me hone my performance and stage presence. It also allowed me to meet and hear lots of other poets who inspired me and helped me grow artistically. It’s still wild to me that just a few years later I was on tour doing shows 3 or 4 nights a week for a month or two at a time, and people were buying my books and I was actually making money from doing poetry. It was like the next progression of going to all those open mics. Touring was definitely a grind, but it was helping build to whatever the next step brings. And it gave me experiences and stories there’s no way I would have gotten otherwise. There’s a lesson in everything. I try to look at everything as a learning experience. Whether is being rejected from a poetry submission or bombing on stage, or getting a standing ovation or winning a slam, there’s lessons in all of it. But I think the biggest thing I’ve learned is that being your authentic self is always more important than just doing what you think an audience wants to hear. Who you are may not be for everyone, and that’s ok. But if you are true to who you are, people are going at least going to respect that more often than not. That’s how I try to approach every story, every poem, every performance- as long as I’m giving my best effort and being honest, I’m cool if not everybody enjoys it because there’s going to be someone who does.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Well, these days I’d tell them to stay home and be safe! (advice people don’t seem to be following very well) But when it’s safe again, I would tell them to eat at Brick Store in Decatur, Fox Brothers BBQ, and get wings from The Local. Doughnuts from Revolution Doughnuts is a must. And for places to drink, hit up Trackside in Decatur, or maybe one of the local breweries like 3 Taverns, Wild Heaven, or Monday Night. I’d recommend checking out the beltline, as long as they avoid it on the weekend when it’s crowded. Little 5 Points and East Atlanta Village are always interesting, and there’s always a concert going on somewhere. You can also find a spoken word or comedy open mic on pretty much any night of the week, depending on what neighborhood you’re in, and those are always a good time. And lastly, my favorite, go to State Farm Arena for a Hawks game!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are so many people who have been supportive, and helped me grow and mature as an artist and person. But I don’t think I would have even started down the path of following a career in poetry or spoken word without the mentorship of Kodac Harrison, Theresa Davis, and Daryl Funn. They were huge in helping me to find me voice and confidence as an artist. I also have to shoutout my fiancee Stephanie, who is always supportive of me, and is just flat out incredible.

Website: natemask.com
Instagram: n8mask
Twitter: n8mask
Facebook: Nate Mask Poetry
Youtube: homegrown poetry, or n8maskpoetry

Image Credits
portraits by Grace Rose Kelly Photography