Big question here: What is your favorite part about being a professional creative?

I'd have to say getting to do for a living what I always said as a kid I wanted to do when I grew up. (OK, I REALLY wanted to play in the NBA but come on...we all did...) I really always had a love for art and creating so to stick with it enough to see it turn into what I spend my life doing is a pretty amazing thing. I feel incredibly lucky - creativity isn't something I had to learn to love or something I discovered I enjoyed late in life, it's simply been in my DNA from day one so really my favorite part about being a professional creative is that I feel like I'm getting to always really be myself day in and day out.

the whole growing up to be the adult you knew you'd be as a kid is a very fulfilling aspect to me as well. I always knew I was going to be an "artist" and confidently told anyone that show'd interest.

Do you feel like you're doing what you wanted to do when you were a kid? Like for me, I was convinced I'd either be a famous painter or comic book artist, which of course I'm neither.

I'm not sure about that...the specifics were always vague to me. One day I wanted to be a comic book artist, the next day I'd be intrigued by the thought of a life as a painter, as I got older and learned what graphic design was I thought I'd design logos. Now I feel like I do a little bit of all of that, sort of...

Changing course a little bit though and to give another answer to the original question, another favorite part for me about being a professional creative person (I can't bring myself to use 'creative' as a noun, sorry) in the capacity that I am (independent) is the freedom I have. Being in control of my schedule is a serious blessing I try never to take for granted.

Managing your time can be tough, when you don't have someone looking over your shoulder. How do you balance your work & pleasure, as far as art making is concerned?

For me, it seems like I really have to force myself to make things when a client is not involved. I know you do a lot of "personal" work which you end up using for sale on your store. Sort of as though you are your own client... What motivates you to make that stuff beyond sales?

Since we took over the restaurant in 2010, I've had to shift the way I get projects done. It used to be I could screw around all day having fun, and then work at night, or take a few days off completely and then cram to get a project done. Now, I have to be somewhat focused and use my evenings and weekends more effectively.

I have to say, while I misse being able to sleep in, I like the more focused work schedule.

The best thing about being a professional creative is the total freedom I have and the absolute control I have over just about every aspect of my life. I've gotten far enough where I no longer have to be told what to do — I direct others, and it's usually for what I think is best. Although I find it incredibly difficult to take time for myself, I know I can, and that alone is enough to keep my sanity.

I just like that I get to draw all day, sit in a cool studio that I designed myself, and listen to metal at whatever volume I want. Oh, and I can take a 3 hour sandwich break if I want.

My favorite part of being a professional creative is the craft.

Process is what holds my interest. And making better things tomorrow in a new way than I did today. Expressing my weird, little, esoteric slice of the human condition as best as I can, and better, over time.

Curious about how, if at all, client work affects your personal work.

Client work has always pushed me in new directions. Typically a company approaches me because they like like my visual language. But often what they want me to do for their brand, doesn't really work within my language... say they want details / shading / patterns in a way I don't typically work.

I end up absorbing whatever aesthetics I have to learn for them into my personal work. I can go back and look at my art portfolio and note specific shifts in my style based on client requests for commercial projects.

I actually can't think of the last time I did any kind of "personal" work. Anything I've ever done in the past 3 or 4 years that was personal, I basically turned into something I could manufacture. I think it's a sad thing that I haven't found the time to develop "something for nothing" and definitely feel like my creative muscles are suffering because of that.

If there's one thing being in the creative field does to hurt you, it's making you tired at the end of the day and thus gives you a much smaller desire to create anything in general.