My heart and soul has always been fueled by the desire to create and a relentless curiosity to learn. As a kid you would most likely find me at home working on an art project - probably with Sailor Moon playing in the background. A group of girls tasked with saving the universe? That alone had me hooked. The hair, outfits and theme song? Oh, I was locked in. Even if I didn’t know it then, culture already had a hold on me.
Every new creative spark led me to beg my mom for fresh supplies - clay, paint, colored pencils, yarn, gimp, you name it. One day, I discovered a “How To Draw More Manga” book and nearly exploded with excitement. I was thrilled I could learn to draw Japanese manga that looked exactly like the characters in Sailor Moon - boldly colored, with sharp hair-styles and big, emotive eyes. I was obsessed.
You may be wondering if I became a master manga artist…not quite. Nor did I continue to pickup clay or the paint brush. But that curious, creative desire never left. It evolved. I taught myself photography, the ins and outs of Photoshop, and became a one-man studio - casting, styling, directing, and shooting fashion editorials with my friends as models. Eventually my creative drive took over and I left a successful biotech career in Boston to make a splash in fashion and production here in New York City - the cultural melting pot mecca.
Now, I’m surrounded by giant hand-painted ads, 30-sheet thick wheatpaste poster walls, pop-up concerts on street corners - all while my AirPods are blasting early 2000’s RnB. And still, I often keep it moving. The city competes for my attention, and so does the digital world. So…what stops me in my scroll? Bold, color-pop editorial images, polished and sharply edited video, behind-the scenes footage, and passionate creators. If it’s beautifully crafted, sparks my curiosity, or resonates authentically, it likely makes me halt.
We are all influenced by the input our senses receive everyday, but true culture shapers take the stimuli and transform it into something fresh. It would be an absolute dream to bring my creative passion, drive, skill, and perspective to the Day One team. That curious kid inside me still looks for ways to consume the world and create stories that resonate - just like Sailor Moon did for me.
If you've made it this far, check out my wonderfully crafted playlist with only 100% organic melodies. I introduce you to: Day 1 Essentials.
