What inspired or motivated you into your career?
Bad advertising. The more I saw, the more it bothered me that people were actually paid for their lack of imagination. Then I found a book about DDB’s classic Volkswagen ads and realized you could get paid for doing good stuff, too.
Who were some of your greatest past influences?
I’m influenced as much by someone’s inner fortitude as by their outsized talent. So while I’ve been guided by the creative vision of advertising icons like Bill Bernbach and Tom McElligott, I’m also driven by their ability to fight for their ideas whatever the obstacles.
What interests do you have outside of your work?
My passion for vintage films and rare books has led to countless hours of intellectual and emotional bliss. I’m drawn to biographies of the weird and wonderful, the clever films of the silent-era comedians, and the treasures of New York’s art galleries and museums.
Where do you seek inspiration?
A conversation, a sentence, a photo, or a lyric. Sometimes inspiration seeks me. More than once, a particularly vivid dream has triggered the left side of my brain.