Today we’d like to introduce you to Juliana Mason.
Hi Juliana, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I moved to Nashville & started my small business, Festigyal, in November 2024, after leaving Sewanee: The University of The South due to discriminatory disadvantage, financial, & ethics concerns. I have since traveled across the United States to sell & display my own art as well as many other artists work at large scale events, markets, music festivals, & burns. Festigyal has now expanded to an artist collective, SwirlyGurlies, with 12 artists (and counting!) involved, from states in every area of the country. Opportunities involve both vendor booth participation as well as interactive art installation involvement.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has been in no way easy to grow the business, especially in the first year. After leaving university to focus on my art career, money was tight, and I often found myself in & out of housing, traveling constantly to different events to get my name out there. I needed hands on experience, to learn how to be a successful vendor and artist, so I paused my focus on my own art and sought coaching from others. By working under larger brands for a summer, I learned the secrets & pro tips of the trade. By Fall 2025- I began to focus my efforts towards my own brand again. After almost a year of living in my car & sprinter vans traveling to different festivals back to back, I finally started breaking ground financially at the beginning of 2026.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My work & the work of the artists I have chosen for the artist collective focuses on sustainability, nostalgia, & out of the box style choices. Our old school meets new age art styles often have psychedelic themes, and specialize in festival, music, & rave culture + ideaology. We are known for being one of a kind, environmentally conscious, communal, & interactive. Our goal is to connect, grow as individuals and artists, & open the mindsets of ourselves and those around us-and we achieve it through freedom of expression.
I am most proud of my ability to sustain on almost entirely secondhand resources, and for giving countless artists opportunities to get their art & their brand known in creative communities they can’t necessarily tap into as easily on their own.
What sets swirlygurlies apart from other artists is the community & intention behind it. Every artwork sold or displayed within the collective has a story. It went through trials to get where it is today. It took grit, courage, determination, and most of all perserverance to be brought to life. Nothing good in life or art comes easy, myself and my colleagues are putting our souls into our work, and that’s why it connects with the viewer. Swirlygurlies is a healing journey for myself and all the artists involved.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
The biggest risk you will ever take is not taking any risks. Walk the path less followed. Carve your own path. Every risk I have ever taken has contributed directly to my success. Every single event, artist, or individual you meet, post you make, comment, connction, email, or dm sent, is important for building the artist community, the collective, and the brands & individuals within them.
I take risks every day, and at every event. From the beginning, risk taking has paved the way to my brand being what it is today: dropping out of college, moving out to be fully self sustainable, living out of my vehicle for a year just to travel, learn about entrepreneurship, and what it takes to be a traveling vendor & artist is what has put me farther ahead at the age of 21. Nothing but risks are taken when you’re chasing big dreams.
Taking chances on new, unknown opportunities at every turn is the key to growth & success. Collaboration is how we as artists continue unlocking new doors. We are in it together. Working with others is a risk you should always be taking, to learn & grow in your art & your personal life journey. If your goal is to grow to be an independent artist & entrepreneur, I believe you must do what others are afraid to do. Go against the grain. Remember your dream, take action immediately, take the jump they are too aftaid to, & don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Because they will. To be where I am today, I had to do what everyone in my life was telling me not to. My parents, family members, my mentors, teachers, and professors, all discouraged and doubted. They feared. They might give up on you, and you might have to leave some behind. But Artists will be there every step of the way.
I knew that to achieve true life fulfillment, I had to go after what I wanted, not what others wanted for me. Only you know your true needs, wants, & your own capabilities. You cannot let the limitations & doubts of others cloud your sight of what is to come. Live for you, create for you, choose you, the viewer can feel that. And it’s powerful.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/swirlygurlies
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/swirlygurlies
- Other: https://linktr.ee/festigyal
