Four Years of Happy Monday Tribe: My Journey from an Idea to an Artistic Brand

Four years ago, I started Happy Monday Tribe. The idea came to me one morning on my way to the gym when the guy behind the counter greeted me with an enthusiastic "Happy Monday!" He actually meant it, and that energy stuck with me. At the time, I wasn’t in love with my job or my overall quality of life, and I found myself wondering—what would it take to actually enjoy Mondays?

That question sparked the idea for a company that encouraged people to embrace Mondays with excitement. I figured having a clothing brand would be a cool way to spread that message, so I jumped in—without a clue what I was doing.

The Early Days: Memes, Pop Culture, and Thumbs-Up Art

I started by hitting social media hard, posting whatever I could think of. I made memes using pop culture references, always tying them back to Mondays or my branding at the time—a simple smiley face and a thumbs-up.

A couple of weeks in, I had an idea: take the classic Reservoir Dogs standoff scene, replace the guns with thumbs-up, and swap the faces for smiley faces. I wasn’t great at Photoshop, so I thought—why not just draw it? That single experiment turned into an obsession. For the next year, I created over 50 hand-drawn versions of this style, pulling inspiration from movies, hip-hop, and pop culture.

As I kept drawing, my skills improved, my equipment got better, and my artistic direction became clearer. Around November of that year, NFTs were booming, and I wanted in.

This is the first piece that I have ever done. It is crazy seeing the level of quality (or lack there of) in this image.

Finding My Mascot: The Birth of the Duck

I knew that successful NFT projects had strong mascots, and I needed one that fit my brand. My colors were yellow and black, so I wanted something that matched. Then, it hit me—ducks.

Ducks are fun, ducks are yellow, and duck rhymes with… well, you get it. At the very least, I figured it would make for some good marketing puns. So I created a template and started customizing ducks in the same pop-culture-inspired style I had been using before. Once again, I fell in love with the process and went all in.

In January, I set an ambitious goal: draw 100 ducks in one month. I had no idea how intense that would be, but I was determined. Some days I drew one duck, other days six. By the end of the month, I had completed the challenge—and my art had improved dramatically.

Unfortunately, the NFT market took a dive, and my project didn’t take off like I had hoped. But I kept posting my ducks on social media, even though traction was slow. Then, one day, everything changed.''

The origima; duck image which was later refined.

The First Viral Moment

Someone requested a duck based on a TV show I had never seen. I figured, why not? At worst, I’d gain a new follower. That one request blew up—50,000 views overnight. After months of barely cracking 1,000 views, this was huge.

I realized the key to growth: engagement. I started taking more requests, creating ducks based on what people asked for, and my account took off. I was gaining 10,000 followers a month and drawing 1-3 ducks daily, editing and posting videos in the same day. I was living on TikTok.

Themed Months & Defining My Niche

The game-changer came when I started doing themed months:

• October: A Halloween series, where I drew one horror character a day. Horror fans started following me.

• November: A Fallen Artists series, where I drew hip-hop artists who had passed away. Unlike Halloween, I was personally passionate about this one, and it showed in my work. This was when I truly found my niche.

By January, I had 115,000 followers. But then, burnout hit.

The Struggle with Consistency & What Comes Next

I got tired. I had mastered my template, and while I loved drawing, I wanted to try something new. But I was scared—what if people didn’t like it? What if I lost momentum? That hesitation led to inconsistency, and my growth stalled.

But looking back, I realize that I’ve done it once before. I’ve built an audience from nothing, figured out what works, and learned how to grow a brand on social media. That experience has given me confidence—I know I can do it again. The same tools, strategies, and creativity that got me here are still in my hands.

This time, I’m approaching it differently. I’m going to keep creating some of the art that originally helped me grow, but I’m also much more open to experimenting with new styles, new ideas, and new mediums. The goal isn’t just to grow—it’s to keep things fun and exciting for me. Because at the end of the day, the best work comes from passion, and that’s what I want to bring back into everything I create.

Key Lessons for Growth

If there’s anything I’ve learned from this journey, it’s this:

1. Engaging with the community – Listening to my audience is what made my art take off.

2. Finding a niche – When I focused on what I loved, my passion showed, and people connected with it.

3. Consistency – The times I stuck to a schedule were when I grew the fastest.

I started Happy Monday Tribe because I wanted to love Mondays. Now, I’ve built a brand around something I’m passionate about, and I know I have what it takes to do it again—this time, in a way that keeps me inspired.