For me, it usually starts with a blank page.

That's probably why I've carried a sketchbook for most of my life.

It's where ideas begin—before they become books, brands, packaging, or stories.

It's also where I ask questions, try things that don't work, and occasionally discover something I never would have found by staring at a screen.

Whenever I travel, a new sketchbook comes with me. It becomes part journal, part sketchbook, and part collection of whatever catches my attention. I sketch architecture and folklore, tuck in a favorite wine label or postage stamp, jot down an unusual name from an old cemetery, and write down whatever surprised me that day. More often than not, those observations find their way back into my work.

Looking back, I think that's what captivated me about picture books as a kid. One book has stayed with me for years. It was about a boy who lived beside an old sea captain in a weathered house by the sea. I can still picture one quiet room inside that house, and I remember wishing I could step through the pages and live there for a while. That's the feeling I hope to create today—not just something people look at, but somewhere they want to spend time.

Creating those kinds of experiences has also taught me something about the creative process itself. They grow from conversations, rough sketches passed across a table, unexpected ideas, and people building on one another's thinking. That's still my favorite way to create.