EVERYONE IS HUMAN

W: Historically have you found yourself feeling the most creatively fulfilled by the work you do professionally or outside of that?

C: I wouldn't say I've found one or the other more consistently fulfilling. This may be because the lines get a little blurred by my process. Most of the time when I am hired to do an illustration, the first thing I do is flip through a sketchbook to see if I have anything that might somehow relate to the prompt. It's rare (though it happens!) that I have an existing sketch that fits perfectly, but I almost always find something that sparks an idea for how to approach the job. I find it much more inspiring than, say, scrolling through a Google image search or something. I think there's some benefit to being your own source of reference material. In terms of personal fulfillment, it really just depends on how good I feel about the work.

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W: What types of design or art do you partake in to fuel your need for creative outlet?

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C: Well, as mentioned above, I'm a firm believer in maintaining a sketchbook, but I also think it's crucial to initiate your own projects instead of waiting around to be hired for your dream job. Just create the dream job at whatever scale you can afford! My wife (Liana Jegers, illustrator) and I have always loved printed ephemera and type design, but we just don't have the technical training or job skills to ever be hired to do magazine design and layout. So we decided to start our own monthly newspaper, The Smudge, where we would have complete creative control. It's really empowering to have a space to collaborate and be as experimental as you want.

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