I was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii.

 

If I had to point to one thing in my upbringing that paved the way for me becoming a graphic designer, I’d say it was never learning to ride a bicycle. I had a Big Wheel that I could bomb hills with, so learning to ride a bike did not appeal to me. When I finally outgrew the Big Wheel, I did not have the bicycle to fall back on so I grabbed a skateboard.

 

Getting a skateboard introduced me to skateboard graphics, and more importantly getting a skateboard introduced me to skateboard magazines. Flipping through Thrasher™ and Transworld™ were the next best thing to skating, and for some reason I noticed that the two magazines were designed very differently. Once I started paying attention to the design, it felt like there were only two options for me: Become a professional skater, or become a graphic designer. The dream of becoming a professional skater died rather quickly, so I learned how to get a job at a magazine so maybe one day I could work in the skate industry.

 

I am still waiting on that job at Thrasher™.

 

Thankfully I still have not outgrown a skateboard.