1) How did you first get into design?

I can think of three major moments that shaped my appreciation for design.

Keith Haring made a Christmas-themed station ID for MTV when I was 10. It’s a brilliant piece, and I’ll never forget the first time I saw it. A Christmas present opens to reveal a dance party, turntables, and an adult cradling a small child. One color and ten seconds was all it took for him to say that music, friends, and love are the most important gifts of the holiday season.

It was the first time I understood that something doesn’t have to be visually complicated to make an emotional impact.

The next year when I started middle school, all of my friends began skateboarding. There were a lot of 8-balls, skulls, Stussy S’s and screaming Santa Cruz hands in my sketchbooks. The more I copied those icons, the more their sensibilities worked their way into my own stuff. I stopped putting the little dudes I would draw into scenes. I stopped drawing backgrounds. I would just draw a skull in the middle of the page - imagine it was a shirt - and call it finished.

It was the first time I understood that drawings - the right drawings - can stand on their own.

The third big moment was when I found the work of Geoff McFetridge. I was in San Francisco and came across two of his shirts: Hold on to Young Ideas and Pointlessness.

It was the first I’d heard of him. His work - taken with the other two big moments - really pushed me towards exploring design and illustration in a serious fashion.

2) How you would best describe your work?

Sick

3) What inspires you the most?

I’m inspired by everything BUT design and illustration. I think that’s the way it goes with the arts. If you’re in a band, and all you do is listen to records, you’ll have nothing to sing about. You need to go to the aquarium, you need to talk to your parents, write down your thoughts, read, savor friendships, on and on.

If I’m ever feeling really stuck, nothing beats a good long walk. The universe has a history of showing me exactly what I need to see to get me going again when I’m walking.

4) How do you normally start work on a project?

Break the project down. You are there to solve a problem, not decorate. Find a clear, simplified solution and get it on paper. Once you’ve got that understanding of a project, all the targets you need to hit, you can present your work intelligently. A thoughtful, strategic answer makes everybody happy. You can recognize the opportunities inherent in the project and where you can shine.

5) On average, how many hours a week do you spend on design?

Does getting dressed count? Dressing yourself is a lot like designing, except instead of clearly communicating an idea, designing an outfit is more about ensuring a solid make out sesh at the end of the day. If getting dressed counts, then I spend all of my hours a week designing.

6) What style music do you listen to when you work?

I listen to a Rolling Stones record, a Bob Dylan record, and a Clash record everyday. Without fail.

7) Who do you admire the most and why?

Steve Martin.

8) Favorite website(s)?

WolfgangsVault - an online catalogue of live concerts. Dire Straits playing the same week Brothers In Arms came out, The Walkmen singing folk songs in a studio in Oregon, The Stones, The Band, Aretha Franklin, on and on. Thousands of free shows to listen to and killer editorial contextualizing each set.

9) Any words of wisdom you would like to share with us?

“Just know that the universe and god are opening up everything you desire and an abundance of love to your perfect spirit.”