Hello, I'm Jerome
I’m a designer, animator, and storyteller with a passion for creating work that is both purposeful and visually compelling.
More about me
My little brother Shawn, my Dad and I. Blakely Rock, WA 1999
My creativity was shaped early on, growing up in a home where imagination was encouraged and curiosity was second nature. My two brothers and I spent our childhood outdoors; climbing trees, building forts, and learning to see the world with wonder. My father, an avid fisherman and artist, taught us to build and fix things with our hands. My mother, a Cambodian refugee, taught us resourcefulness, resilience, and how to appreciate beauty in simplicity. Together, they gave me the foundation for a creative life rooted in exploration and intent.
Today, I continue to carry those values forward. I still find joy in making things—whether that’s animating a complex scene, sketching with my kids, or building something useful with whatever’s on hand. My wife and children are the heart of everything I do. My upbringing and growing family inspire me to be present, to think generationally, and to use my work to build a legacy of creativity, character, and service.
I find great joy in challenging myself, both professionally and recreationally. Tree work has been a constant in my life, joining my uncle and father on jobs as a kid and now performing that work as an adult. It's made me comfortable with the uncomfortable and it has influenced the way I approach every obstacle.
BURIEN, WA 1995
80' Double SpaR, Douglas Fir. Bucoda, WA 2025
It takes intention to push me outside my comfort zone, yet I often find myself in situations that do exactly that. Some of this comes from the nature of what I pursue, but much of it is deliberate, a commitment to keep learning and growing.
“The world is your oyster,” I was often told growing up. It's true—there are countless paths a person can take in life. For me, the most meaningful path has been one rooted in connection: to other people, to community, and to living life, as author Dylan Tomine puts it, "closer to the ground". We live in a natural world full of wonder and wisdom, and I have found both in abundance.
I happily continue the family tradition of making trips to the coast, procuring razor clams and making use of the Puget Sound for a healthy diet of salmon, crabs and shrimp.
Though life can be busy, I make time to engage the part of my brain that enjoys tinkering. I enjoy bringing old machines back to life, especially restoring bikes, a hobby I’ve pursued since early high school ("A family obsession" some have said). I’ve also worked on motorcycles, chainsaws, and other carbureted engines. Much of what I know about mechanical and electrical systems was learned out of necessity. Whether repairing equipment, working on vehicles, or figuring out how something was built, each challenge became an opportunity to learn.
1998 Specialized, Hardrock | Resto-Mod
Along the way, I developed a genuine appreciation for the creativity, innovation, and engineering behind the tools we often take for granted. Though I tend to favor vintage and well-worn objects, I enjoy understanding how things work. Learning the principles behind a system not only makes you more capable in the moment, but often reveals lessons that can be applied elsewhere. I've found that knowledge is rarely isolated; skills gained in one area often become useful in another.
Like my parents before me, my focus is on raising kind and considerate humans. I hope my children find the same inspiration I did—in family, creativity, and the wonder of the natural world. The people who invested in me, along with countless hours spent outdoors, taught me that there is wisdom to be found both in community and in creation.
I don’t always know what new interests will spark my curiosity next, but I remain open to discovering them. In the meantime, I aim to be present in all that I do, whether I'm on the floor building legos with my kids or focusing on the work in front of me. I believe presentness is a virtue that yields meaningful results.
My Artistic Journey
My earliest memories of art begin with my father sitting beside my brothers and me, teaching us drawing techniques and core principles that helped us translate the images in our minds onto paper. Throughout elementary school, we entered art contests and earned top placements at the local, district, and state levels.
By the time I reached middle school, digital art tools like drawing tablets, Photoshop, and Flash were becoming more accessible. At 13, I got my hands on a copy of Macromedia Flash and began learning the basics of animation and vector art. I quickly discovered the magic of CMD+Z, the fill-bucket, and other features that opened a new era of creative expression for me. I began sharing my work online, connecting with artist communities, and learning from others through conversations and feedback.
UNiRilla. Macromedia Flash 2004
Puppy Portrait.
Graphite on paper, 2005
Graphite on paper, 2005
While exploring digital art, I continued to refine my traditional skills—sketching daily and working on independent projects purely for the joy of creating. In my junior and senior years of high school, I enrolled in the Running Start program, attending community college to earn both high school and college credits simultaneously. Through Highline Community College's VICOM program, I learned the fundamentals of graphic design and became familiar with Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign.
I worked the usual teen jobs—lifeguarding, roofing, stocking dairy freezers; but it wasn’t until I became a Sign Artist at Trader Joe’s that I began to truly understand how to use my skills practically and how to adhere to an aesthetic other than my own. The growth and success I found there gave me the confidence to pursue a bachelor’s degree, something I hadn’t previously considered.
During college, my artistic exploration came to life. I majored in Interdisciplinary Art, a degree that combines study and practice across different artistic disciplines. Though my college experience is not reflective of the work I do today, the interdisciplinary mindset has traveled with me into my career as a digital marketer and artist, using a diverse set of approaches to come up with the most effective solutions.
Whether I’m designing for a client, volunteering in my community, or exploring a new medium, I believe in leading with curiosity and creating with purpose.