When I was about six my father took me to see a friend of his who worked as an artist. The details are fuzzy now, but I remember an airbrush booth and a really cool poster of a Jeep he was creating. And I remember the decision I made after that experience: “I’m going to be an artist!” I don’t know if my classmates ever became firemen or astronauts, but for me this career has been a dream come true.

I’m not a big fan of labels. To some people if you’re really good at one thing it means you can’t be good at something different. When you accept the label you just buy credibility in one area by selling it everywhere else. Many will assume if you excel at copywriting you can't be great at art direction. If you're an expert at product design you couldn't possibly have a head for marketing or brand strategy.

But having knowledge and passion in one area doesn’t prevent you from developing in another, related area. That’s why I love roles that don’t arbitrarily limit the influence I can have on a team or a project. And I truly feel that knowledge about how something is made is critical to generating the best ideas, so I treasure the time I spent early on honing my craft.

Along the way, I took a chance on people other companies might have overlooked, and helped them develop into artists I admired. Those experiences changed what leadership meant to me. It became less about being in charge and more about helping someone see what they were capable of.

I’ve held a lot of titles over the years: Designer, Retoucher, 3D Artist, Art Director, Creative Director, Vice President. I’m proud of the people I’ve helped along the way, and I still love sharing what I know. These days, though, I’m choosing to spend more of my time making things myself. Working with light. Paying attention to the details. Making something feel right.

That kid looking at the Jeep poster just wanted to be an artist. After all these years, I still do.