WHY I CREATE

Graphic designer, artist, interactive designer, t-shirt guy… I’ve gone by all of those titles and a few more, but no matter which one I happen to hold I always seem to view myself simply as a creative professional. That’s it. I love to create. Whether I’m designing a website, screen printing a t-shirt or drawing in my sketchbook I believe it’s my inherent nature to want to give people something to look at… and hopefully something they can use.

AN EARLY START

I took an interest in all things imaginative when I was very young. I remember as a child my mother always seemed to be sewing, drawing or refinishing old, discarded pieces of furniture. Meanwhile my father would be in his workshop turning a pile of lumber into a family heirloom. I loved the sense of accomplishment I got when I helped my parents with these projects. Since working with my hands seemed to come naturally to me my parents encouraged it. I could draw, paint, sculpt and build whenever I felt the urge.

My father was a mechanical engineer in the Navy, so by the end of high school my family had lived in six different states (some of them more than once). Most people think that moving as much as we did sounds insane, but I can’t imagine life any other way. I was able to experience a variety of lifestyles during some really impressionable years. From beach communities and big cities to small towns and farms our scenery changed often, and so did my interests.

Growing up in the Virginia Beach surf community lead me to skateboarding – skateboarding guided me to punk rock and “zines”, which lead me to the friends who would introduce me to graffiti and hip hop. When I dissect my past I notice the pattern in these interests is always rooted in subculture. Subculture always embraces imagination, and art in its most simple form is just the manifestation of the things we imagine.

MAKING A LIVING MAKING THINGS

I was never trained or educated as a designer. The time I spent in college was geared towards fine art. My first job as an artist was for a small screen printing company in Terre Haute, IN. I had a friend working for the company and he was leaving to pursue other opportunities and when asked if he knew anybody who would be interested in the position he gave the manager my name. I didn’t have an actual portfolio… just a sketchbook and some photos of my paintings. The “interview” consisted of the owner quickly thumbing through the book and asking me if I knew how to use Corel Draw. Of course I didn’t, but I assured him that I was a fast learner. I spent the bulk of my energy for three and a half years trying to absorb everything I could about “The Graphic Arts”. I would be consumed with layout, output, choke and trap, film positives, frequency and screen angle. I became obsessed with getting the perfect print and streamlining all of the processes that lead up to it.

The job in Terre Haute gave way to another opportunity in the apparel industry. This time I would be working as a production artist for a much larger company with a much more demanding client list. The hours as well as the workload were grueling. Only four weeks into the job and I had already seen two designers resign. I put in the necessary hours and learned everything I could about the company’s process. Within four months I was promoted to Design Team Leader and was given the opportunity to hand pick my own staff.

I worked vigorously towards creating an efficient and more lucrative art department. By implementing repeatable processes, developing an archiving system and hiring the right people I was able to turn what had been a four to five person team into a team of two with occasional supplemental help.

CURRENTLY

After seven and a half years in the apparel industry I simply needed a change of pace. In July of 2008 I decided it was time to leave the garment printing business and see what I could learn within the interactive industry. I currently work with the most inspiring group of people I have ever known. MediaSauce is never short on challenging projects or big ideas. I still learn something new everyday.