Interview by Rachel Gottesman
Hello Thomas, congratulations on another win! You're on a roll! But you just knew, deep down, that you were going to be chosen for that Loves competition. Am I right?
Hello Rachel, thanks a lot!
To be completely honest with you...Yes, you are right. I did initially think it had potential to win but you never get your hopes up until it actually happens, especially because so many amazing designers produced such great work for that particular competition. I was extremely happy upon seeing the final score and the amazing response it received from the voters, not to mention, nearly collapsed when i got the winning email! =)
The prize package includes a bunch of aromatherapy and spa products. Are you the kind of guy that likes to pamper himself? Haha!
Are you kidding? This is the perfect prize for me! Way back when I was a mini-Montro I used to eat soap, drink shampoo and fart bubbles on command. Iīve lost my skills but not my love for bath products. Plus, Lavender WILL help my scores skyrocket. I can feel it.
What's your design background? Are you an art school alum like so many of us on Threadless?
I started out doing 4-year advertising program in the Dominican Republic which was... archaic but quite demanding, and ultimately beneficial. Then I moved to the US, specialized in Digital Media and abandoned advertising for good. Soon after graduating landed an internship-turned-job at MTV Networks Latin America in Miami where I learned everything I know and later on switched to an amazing motion graphics studio (Third-eye design group) and had my first Threadless experience. Finally my dad died so I came back to my home in the tropics, opened up my own design studio along with my sister and have been designing our cares away since.
How long did it take you to come up with all the creatures for your "Many Many Monsters" design? And speaking of complicated, your "Confessions of a Jock" sub must have taken a year to make. I'm impressed with your eye for detail.
I spent many many hours creating those silly monsters. Last time I counted 111 was the final number, but there could be more. I never really thought about any of them until I was actually drawing each one individually. Very random process. As far as ĻConfessions of a JockĻ goes...well, itīs a special design for me so I took my time. It was created for the awesome blogger competition ĻAlumni VS BaronsĻ (which the Barons won but we got a print =P) and it was inspired by my first real romantic experience with a long-lost friend. I kill the nerd but the evidence is laying around somewhere in our past, covered by vines. So emo.
Rachel, I need a hug.
(Note: commence e-hug.)
You're a veteran designer on Threadless. What's it been like for you to watch the community continually change and grow for so long?
All this time Iīve been on the edge of my seat. Hope, frustration, excitement, hissy fits, trolls, talent, bad grammar, fabulous prizes...Iīve seen it all.
Tyra may have taught me how to smile with my eyes but through Threadless Iīve learned something way more important.: how to draw a sammich car. And less importantly, how to become a better designer and a useful member of our community.
You call yourself the "statistics diva coach extraordinaire" on the blogs. What's the motivation behind all these lists and breakdowns? Let me guess... You're writing the first ever Threadless almanac?
I wish! Ever since I joined I couldnīt get enough of Spencekarlīs stat blogs and top-20 lists. It was so interesting to me to see how the general voterīs mind worked and how designers adapted to the (frequent) changes in trends. Then one day he went *poof* and I took over. Iīve had great help from Chelly in some of the lists, especially the 5+5+5 one which was a top 100 score list. Grueling work but great learning experience. I hope other designers can benefit from these lists, either way I will keep making lists until 2012 which is when our current society collapses and the one-world government takes over.
Thanks for letting me chat with you. Keep on truckin'!
Much love!
Interview by Rachel Gottesman
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