Inspired heavily by games like Okami, The Legend of Zelda series, even Silent Hill, and the likes of Studio Ghibli and Junji Ito, a major goal for my art has always been to capture a similar resonance to the Japanese style Sumi-e.

One of the three major concepts of Sumi-e is breaking something down to its most essential elements to let its true spirit, or 'ch’i’, shine through, accepting any mistakes or stray marks as part of and inspired by the subject. Though I don’t usually work in black and white, I strive to follow this method, applying it strongly in my designs, especially with people. Our world is full of beautiful differences that deserve to be celebrated and protected, not hidden, ignored, or used as an excuse to harm. While I hope the characters I create can help normalize these differences, I also seek out other opportunities to help those who face such struggles in their day-to-day lives.

Another aspect of Sumi-e is a deep appreciation of nature. Every creature, plant, or animal God has put on this planet has a special purpose, even if altered by humans, and deserves to be protected to the best of our abilities. Nature is often strongly featured in my work and themes, influencing all my art in some way or another. Similarly as with people, I aim to prop up these ideas with my art, but find great importance in doing other things to assist in the small ways I can.

A fascination with culture, science, and geography over many years has helped culminate in this way of thinking. While none of us can be perfect, it is up to the little things we do daily to make the world a kinder place and protect what needs protecting.