Crafting Through Creative Leadership
I am a Creative Executive with a background in graphic design and animation for film, television, digital, and video games. I’ve directed multi-camera shoots, designed and animated for over three decades, and built and led teams creating projects ranging from brand packages for television shows to massive multiscreen OOH experiences and Times Square takeovers for Fortune 100 companies.
My work philosophy has equal parts strategy and passion, with a dash of irreverence to boot. Sometimes it gets me in trouble, but it also creates a remarkable win rate while winning recognition, nominations, and awards.
And I love what I do.
Design and Story are My Jam
Design isn’t just about making things look good – it’s about crafting stories that pull people in and take them on a ride they’ll remember. When you weave storytelling into design, you’re not just communicating information but creating experiences that stick with people and make them want to return for more.
And I have found a few behaviors that serve me well in creating a well-crafted story.
Learning
Being well informed about your subject matter can be the secret sauce to creating impactful work. I start by asking questions and listening to see what inspiration and insights are revealed that can elevate a project from good to extraordinary.
Flexibility
Surfing requires the ability to adapt to changing waves, and successful projects often involve navigating unexpected shifts and steering toward the best outcome.
Purpose
Purpose separates the merely aesthetic from the truly meaningful. Every element should serve a greater narrative, from color and typography to motion and interaction. Designing with purpose demands intentionality and nuance.
I thrive on turning challenges into innovative solutions. My diverse skill set allows me to approach design with a unique perspective.
30+ Years Should Show for Something:
Ive been doing this for a while now. Having spent the better part of my early career freelancing between A-level design houses and ultimately opening up my own, I have seen a few things, met some amazing people, worked on incredible projects and developed a unique point of view on this industry.
Enter the Start-Up
The New Blank
I co-founded The New Blank with longtime collaborator and best friend Sevrin Daniels. We took all the things we liked from the companies and experiences we had and left behind those we didn't, creating a wonderful and successful design-driven production company focusing on Entertainment based in Seattle. There I continued honing my leadership skills and developed workflow techniques that made it possible to scale to any demand we took on.
Freelance Animator, Compositor, Creative Lead, Director, Creative Director
Digital Kitchen, Yu+Co, Imaginary Forces, and Pittard Sullivan to Name a Few
Having developed my chops in motion and direction, I started freelancing between shops in NY, Chicago, Seattle, and LA. During this time, I forged my love for entertainment-based design, and applying my storytelling and brand skills really came to bear. Being exposed to a wide variety of corporate and creative team structures as well as leadership styles helped form the Creative Executive I am today.
Grace & Wild/Postique
Design Director
Detroit calls! I was hired to direct a newly formed boutique creative group within a massive post-production organization. Honing my skills in animation and design as well as VFX, this position also challenged me with creative leadership. I had some great successes and some amazing failures (in some of the most grandiose ways imaginable), but in the process we created a buzz that made our little division the most profitable for the company through my tenure.
Mackie Designs
In-House Designer
I started my career as a designer in an in-house art department for Mackie Designs, a pro audio component manufacturer. There, I developed my work ethic and learned how to create interest and accessibility from technical source material. I also started my journey into understanding brand voice and brand expression.
What People Say
(Testimonials)
Celebrate other points of view, explore the unknown, raise each other up, evolve and grow. It sounds like a self help speech, but in my experience, teams are stronger, work harder, and win more awards when these basic principles are followed.
Respect, right?
Recognition
(Awards)
Over the years, I have been recognized, nominated, and won a number of awards in this industry, whether from direct submissions or indirectly through client submissions and have multiple projects in the permanent collection at the Smithsonian.
Getting Personal
In addition to my work in design, I am passionate about politics, history, motorcycles, landscaping design, architecture, movies, food, and travel. My range of interests fuels my creativity, inspires my projects, and keeps me thinking.
Interest and Inspiration
I keep a series of Pinterest boards to capture interesting or inspiring things. A sort of mood board for my life. Ranging from motorcycles to architecture, graphic design, and typography.
The Written Word
I read a ton, whether with my daughter, nieces, and nephews or for myself. I usually have about four books going at any given time. Check out my Goodreads lists. And I've been known to write a bit, too. If you are feeling brave, you can check out some of my more recent work on Medium.
The Spoken Word
Movies, television, stagecraft, and oration have been foundational in forming my worldview and the way I express my creative vision. Whether as a source for funny lines, remembering an amazing shot, or seeing through someone else’s eyes, movies have helped inspire perspective. Letterboxd has my list. Let me know if I’m missing something you would recommend.
