I have always been creative, and I always knew I wanted a career in which I could use my creativity. I wanted to be a cartoonist. I wanted to invent, draw and animate my own unique characters. I wanted to work on Saturday morning cartoons and Disney movies. I wanted to produce visual effects for things like Terminator, Jurassic Park, and Star Trek. Later, when I discovered graphic design, I created my own movie posters and VHS / DVD packaging. I remixed my favourite songs, and I made mix CDs and custom artwork for them.

Drawings by Kevin (left) and one of his children (right)

My parents encouraged me along the way, never suggesting that I pursue anything more academic that could lead to a “real job.” Naturally, my wife and I now have that same attitude towards our two children. Early on we certainly were open to the possibility that they may not be creative like their parents, but it soon became clear that they are.

We are a creative family. I am a graphic and motion designer, and my wife Natalie is the Lead Designer and President of CPI Interiors. One of our kids has wanted to be an architect since age 10. The other’s path is less clear so far, though he may be the most creative of all of us.

Like me, they both started drawing as soon as they could hold a crayon. Throughout their childhoods, we’ve spent countless hours drawing, painting, building Lego, and making our own Halloween costumes. I honed my videography and editing skills by creating home movies of all our adventures. As they got older, they started contributing and we’ve made short films together.

Our kids are teenagers now. One of them has recently learned to sew his own costumes to wear at Comiccon, while the other keeps trying to find new ways to create online content, and make money doing it. I love seeing how they are continuing to flex their creative muscles, and I am very excited to see if and how their creative passions can lead to career opportunities in the coming years.

As for me, I still draw and paint in my spare time as much as I can. At Initiate, my focus is increasingly on motion and video production. Exploring new filming techniques, massaging a scene until the edit is perfect, and syncing the on-screen motion to flow seamlessly with the music – these are the things that continue to inspire me and my work.