The Orbit

Elias Higham set out to pursue his dream of becoming a screenwriter in Los Angeles, and it hasn't been easy. However, through persistence and staying true to himself, he managed to work his way into the writer's room of an upcoming animated series. In this interview, we talk about the ins-and-outs of getting work in the entertainment industry as a writer, and what it means to Eli in terms of landing the right job.

Abbey St. John (also known as "oatmeat" on Instagram) is an illustrator that is finishing up her degree at the Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland, Oregon. Her drawing style is a bit cubist, really whimsical, and always changing. In this interview, we discuss what goes on at art school, the importance of mentors, and how she goes about each of her projects. 

This week, we're talking design, art, and reason with Lito Nicolai. As a programmer by day and an art boy by night,  Lito often puzzles over what makes things beautiful. This led him to become interested in the architect Christopher Alexander, who wrote several books that attempt to capture what makes buildings and spaces feel good. One of those books is "The Timeless Way of Building", which outlines a strategy for making things through an emotional argument. Lito combines his personal experience with his reading of Alexander's works to come up with a better understanding of the parts that make up a good piece of art.

Following his fascination with architecture, inside and out, Marshall Steeves specializes in design photography. Specifically, he is drawn to cafes in Portland, Oregon, which all have a unique pattern language that overlaps with web development trends. Garnering a following of over 7k on Instagram, Marshall's work captures the minimalist beauty of cities in parts. In this interview, we discuss his work and what his plans are as a younger creative looking to carve out a career somewhere in the mix of technology, design, and life. 

Kevin Wright is the founder and captain of Wright Hand Twill, an online storefront with a focus on specialty denim. Kevin has a ton of experience in indigo dying, fabric production, and old-school jeans, and today he talked about what it is like retailing products from small, independent manufacturers. Using his extensive product knowledge and hands-on involvement with his customers, Kevin operates in a niche that very few are able to navigate well. 

Nina is an illustrator (under the moniker "mis0happy") that has a knack for product design. Through her online store, she sells t-shirts, enamel pins, prints, washi-tape, and more featuring her own artwork. Though she features some art theft from time to time, she manages to travel North America to set up shop at festivals to sell merchandise to  her community. We talk process, inspiration, and social media in this interview.

Pikarar draws doggos in hoodies, remixed Pikachus, and more. Currently she balances her side hustle and her day job, yet manages to travel across the country to various festivals to pop up shop and sell her merchandise. In this interview, she shares her history, challenges, and advice for folks trying to make money with their art.

Jordan makes art tutorial videos on YouTube, a hobby that turned into a business that spans Instagram, Shopify, and Patreon. We talk about her challenges, what she enjoys about her work, and what others in her field can do to optimize their creativity. 

An interview with Trevor Ford on the various subjects of shoes, startups, social media and vision. Herein lie some contradictory (and highly useful) viewpoints on staying positive, ‘making it’ in the world of New Media, and escaping the life of a Barista.

Now that they have published their book "Sustainable Loops", Connor and Cheyenne talk creativity, the internet, and entrepreneurship. Cheyenne gained a following through Tumblr and YouTube which allowed her to pursue illustration full time in 2017. Together, they discuss the challenge of running a business by yourself.