1) Where are you from, where do you consider home, and why?

I'm from Virginia, though after living in Vermont the last 4-5 years I'd definitely consider it home. I love all the amazing outdoor activities and community here.

2) What would the news headlines be for your top 3 adventures?

I feel like news headlines usually mean something went wrong, so hopefully there wouldn't be one! I've been fortunate enough to go on a ton of amazing adventures over the last number of years, two of my favorites were trekking in rural Nepal and a climbing trip to Puerto Rico.

3) Did art find you or did you find art?

I think art found me? From as early as I can remember I was always doodling and drawing. My parents always encouraged me as well by giving me art supplies and notebooks for birthdays and Christmases.

4) How do you carve out creative space?

It can be tough to carve out space, especially with everything going on in the world right now. I'm not great at it, and could definitely be doing better. It's kind of cliche, but setting some goals can be really helpful, even just something general like create one new piece of art each month.

5) Who and/or what has been some of your biggest influences on the creative path?

In high school, a friend showed me Alex Pardee's work. It blew my mind. It was so weird and out there and seeing someone who had created a "career" out of being himself and doing weird art stuff really changed my perspective on what the possibilities were for a job in the arts. Then, in college, I got really into some of the classic art nouveau artists and their influence on 60s psychedelic poster artists like Wes Wilson and Victor Moscoso. I started screen printing which led to discovering this whole world of incredible modern gig poster artists like Ken Taylor, James Flames, landland, and many many others. Now, living in Vermont, I think the landscape and natural world have become a huge influence on the things I'm interested in depicting through art.

6) What's one of your favorite doorways or connections created by your art and where did it lead?

I started climbing when I moved to Vermont and absolutely fell in love with it. I went to a CRAG-VT (Vermont's climbing access organization) meet-up at a bar, mentioned I could offer design assistance if they needed it, and have now designed their shirts the last three years which have helped them fundraise and continue the amazing work they do. Merging my passions for art and climbing has been really amazing.

7) What's an obstacle you faced in pursuit of your art and how did you overcome it?

I think my biggest obstacle is just balancing all the different aspects of life and work with being creative just for the sake of being creative. For me, taking time off and getting out in nature or traveling always gives me a renewed perspective and inspiration to create more.

8) Any words of wisdom for others trying to cultivate more creativity in their life?

It's so hard to give advice without sounding cliche! Don't put too many expectations on the outcome, just sitting down and creating something is the most important piece. Most of the time, those things you have the least expectations for, end up being the things that turn out the best.

Bonus Question: If you were a superhero, what would your superpower be and what would be your catchphrase?

I've always loved the idea of being able to fly. I don't think I'd have a catchphrase :)