Hello!
I’m Executive Creative Director at Optimus Design in Chicago.
I’ve been telling stories with video, design, and animation long enough for it to be called a career. Along the way, I’ve been able to make, manage, and champion creative work that I’m incredibly proud to share here on this site.
More than the work itself, I’m proud of the relationships I’ve built with the fellow artists I have worked with and the talented agency & brand partners I have worked for. I am a creative leader and mentor, and I live by a golden-rule ethos of treating others with utmost respect, especially those daring enough to stare at a blank screen and build something from nothing.
In a field that is rapidly evolving, I remain relentlessly curious about how to help good people make great work.
Areas of Expertise
“An expert is an ordinary fellow from another town” — Mark Twain
Creative Direction
& Project Leadership
I translate client briefs into a clear path forward—one that showcases problem-solving in motion. It starts with listening carefully and creating realistic expectations for the client and for our team.
Throughout the process, I offer constructive feedback and thoughtful creative direction to support the work and the artists behind it.
The result is delivered on time, with precision, and with a sharp attention to detail.
Compositing & VFX
This is where my career began—and where I’ve been supporting my team most recently. Compositing will always have my brain. It’s math. It has to be exact.
It’s the essence of creative problem solving. Sometimes that means new tools and software (hello AI). Sometimes it’s old tools used in new ways.
That’s the fun—pushing pixels, and asking questions like:
“What if we used the hammer to change the tire?”
Motion Graphics
Motion Graphics will always have my heart. It’s the fastest path to WOW
—the tingle of something new, the spark of invention.
Type. Characters. Type as characters. Graphic doodads and textural grunge. It’s a playground that never runs out of slides and monkey bars.
Good motion graphics tell stories and communicate messages. The best ones go deeper—they make you feel the message as an experience.
Words to live by: