Every story has a beginning. For me, it wasn’t a college art class or some fancy studio. It was Moose Camp in Alaska, when I was about seven or eight years old.
My mom had bought me the real deal, those giant fine-tip Crayola markers. None of that RoseArt shizz (If you know, you know). She even threw in a Crayola sketch pad. Of course, every single marker had to go back in its exact spot in the box after I used it because that’s just how my little artist brain worked.
Around the campfire one night, I sat there and drew what I thought was the perfect picture: my Cabela’s tent, nestled in the trees, a campfire in the middle, and this insane Alaska sunset dropping down behind it all.
When we got home from camp, my mom made a copy of that drawing and mailed it to Cabela’s. To my surprise, Cabela’s actually wrote me back with a letter and a $50 gift certificate. For a little kid, that was basically like winning the lottery!
So there I was, sitting on the couch flipping through the Cabela’s paper catalog (Yes, catalog. Talk about feeling old just typing that). I was hoping for toys, but of course nothing was exactly what I wanted. So my dad stepped in and picked for me: a left-handed reel for my fly rod.
And just like that, my very first “art” had earned me something real.
I still have that picture to this day. Looking back, it blows my mind that even as a kid, I got a taste of what it felt like for someone to value something I created. That tiny spark lit a fire. The kind that made me realize art wasn’t just doodles. It could be loved, shared, and even worth something.
Fast forward to today, and here I am still living that dream. Except now it’s not markers and campfire doodles. It’s designs, tees, hoodies, and custom art that honeys all over get to wear, hang up, and rep in their own lives.
It’s crazy how something so simple can plant the seed for a whole future. And for me, it all started with a sketchpad, a pack of markers, and one unforgettable Alaskan sunset... and my Mom. Shout out to her for seeing something in that picture.