Meet Colson Horton | Art Director, Visual Storyteller

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

Hi Colson, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I believe that risks are necessary in so many ways for growth. You can not learn without failure from risk, or expand and develop your craft. I also believe that taking risks should be celebrated. One of the biggest risks that I took recently was being able to submit for a large project that would be a career milestone. The reward was that all of the steps that I had taken in my business up until then had allowed for me to be able to do so confidently and was presented personally to a relationship that had been developed over time. Take the risk to make connections, to submit for the job, to stretch your creativity!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
The first half of my life I was a musician. I studied classical viola and moved to Nashville to continue my education in music and begin my career. I was in an accident that steered my life away from music and with that loss I had to re-group and find something else.

I found myself going back to school in New York at Parsons School of Design and immersing myself in a different type of creative world. I plugged quickly into the fashion industry and was fortunate to work in PR and Advertising with some of the most elite luxury brands. I believe that the energy and work ethic of those brands, as well as their attention detail really helped to hone my skills.

Enduring through the challenge of such a physical and emotional loss paired with another personal tragedy sculpted out a deep appreciation for being present. Here at ADR Creative, I say that we are visual storytellers. I think it is such an honor to be able to design and help bring a vision to life. I believe that focusing on and appreciating the little details are what make all the difference.

I’m so grateful to say that our portfolio has expanded to cover film, video, print, & publishing. We have work that has been on The NY Times Best Seller List, and on Grammy winning albums.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I love being outside, so I would definitely explore Cheekwood Botanical Gardens and then take a walk at Percy Warner Park. Centennial Park is always interesting to take friends to because no-one expects to see an exact replica of The Parthenon. It’s quite impressive!

Some favorite sit down food spots are: Rolf & Daughters, Cafe Roze, Epice, Henrietta Red, and Bastion.

For easy quick eats: Radish, Lady Bird Taco, Avo (must grab an avocado margarita if you have time), Vui’s Kitchen, Juice Bar

And for the real creative energy source… Coffee shops: Frothy Monkey, Honest Coffee (in Franklin if you can drive), Taylor Street, Crema, Barista Parlour, Sam and Zoes, District Coffee, Stay Golden, Falcon

Music is certainly a staple here in Nashville, so get out and take a listen! : Station Inn, Bluebird Cafe, Rudy’s Jazz Club, Robert’s Western World

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
First, I love this! When I was first moved back to Nashville from New York, there was a colleague named Katie who I had never worked with, but had known from mutual acquaintances. She was gracious enough to put my name forward for a contract position with an exciting new brand. 5 years later, I still work with this brand and with her. That particular opportunity allowed me to network in so many other ways and extend my career where I didn’t think it was possible. I’m ever so grateful to her for her risk on me.

Website: www.adr-creative.com

Instagram: @and.delight.reigned

Image Credits
John Shearer, Aña Monique, Alex Ferrari, Taylor Ballantyne, Paul Costello