20150428_GreatfulDeadLotusStealYourFaceLongSleeveT-2When I was 23 years old I started my own business as an artist, Little Hippie.

My business grew out of a love for live music and a desire to create. Little Hippie was born within a music festival scene that was just then starting to emerge, where I was drawn to the community that was growing with it. Now I have over a decade of experience successfully living life according to my own rules.

I didn’t set out to create a Grateful Dead brand, but when I was offered a licensing contract just a year after getting started, I knew enough to accept the opportunity. Over the years that followed, I evolved my illustration style, creating many designs using the band’s iconic imagery. I developed an original line of merchandise for people of all ages, but particularly for the tiniest among us.

I learned more from the Grateful Dead than any other band out there. Who else has so spectacularly broken the rules and succeeded so gloriously at doing so? They taught me that I could remain independent if I continued to think differently, be innovative, and follow my passion. They taught me that business can be as creative as any art, and most importantly of all, they provided a framework in which I was able to become a professional artist.