I currently work as an art director, focusing primarily on branding. What first drew me toward becoming a designer was my love of fashion and music. I was fascinated by the glamorous world of creating CD covers and fashion catalogues. I spent seven or eight years doing that kind of work. I found it exciting, and I believe it was reasonably well received. Over time, however, I began to feel that what I created was simply being consumed. No sooner had I made something new than the next new thing was expected. What looked cool today would feel dated the following week. It felt as though everything I made was being used up, one piece after another. I followed trends, worked with the creators of the moment, and continually brought clients the latest information. I had effectively become a medium for carrying what was cutting-edge.

Of course, I am not dismissing that kind of work. But I began to ask myself, ‘Couldn’t anyone do this?’ and ‘Is there any real meaning in my being the one to do it?’ Instead, I wanted to work with things I genuinely believed were good, and with the people making them, even if they had not yet received much attention from the wider world. I wanted to use the design skills I had developed to shine a light on the appeal of those people, companies and products.

At the time, I did not even fully understand that what I was moving toward was called ‘branding’. Perhaps I was simply heading there by instinct. From that point on, I read everything I could, studied the work of those ahead of me, and spent about ten years going through my own process of trial and error. That is how I arrived at the style I have today. If you ask me what branding ultimately means, my answer is: ‘grit, guts and vibes.’ There is no shortcut that beats putting in the steady work.

I grew up in the United States, so for a long time I never had a place I could truly call my hometown. Now, after living in Sangenjaya for around fifteen years, I think of this neighbourhood as home. That is also why I established the office of my company, Mr., here in Sangenjaya. I live here, I go out for drinks here, I work here, and I create here. To me, that is a form of richness. Because there is no clear on-and-off switch between my work and my life, spending both in a neighbourhood I love makes life itself feel fuller and more intense. I also see that as part of the branding of Mr., helping the company generate a positive vibration.