Can you give us a brief bio?

I’m third generation Japanese (my parents were both born in Canada) and I grew up in Vancouver. I’ve got a diploma of Fine Arts from Langara College and a Bachelor’s degree in Media Arts from Emily Carr University. I spent a year working for Electronic Arts as a graphic designer/concept artist, and I’ve been freelancing completely on my own for the past three years.

How has Vancouver shaped you as an artist?

I definitely have an appreciation of nature and the wildlife here—I love camping and enjoy the mountains. I’m not sure how that’s manifested itself in my work, but maybe next week I’ll suddenly be painting like Bob Ross.

What’s a typical day from start to finish look like for you?

Work all day on designs; work all night on my blog.

Describe BOOOOOOOM?

I designed BOOOOOOOM to be a place where people could come everyday to get their creative juices going. There is an endless amount of visual inspiration as well as collaborative art projects to get involved with. In less than a year it has become one of the most popular art-related blogs on the net. Monthly page views are now well over 1.3 million.

Best part of getting into the blog world?

It allows me to travel! I went to New York recently all because of the blog. I really get to do things I couldn’t otherwise do, and it’s totally unlike anything else I’ve designed because those other things stay the same. The snowboard I designed last year will always be a snowboard, but the site is already different from what it was when I started it. Even while I’m sleeping new people are discovering it, it’s growing, and that constant change is exciting. It’s like having a kid—a quiet, well behaved kid.