I'm Shawn, and my story started in a coastal town in the true north. My mother is from Curaçao and my father Canada; this led them to travel and raise us in many different places. In my teens, we settled on Aruba, where I grew up surfing the waves and making music. Aruba, as many countries are in the Caribbean, is a beautiful mix of different languages and cultures unified by it's moto "One Happy Island". This guiding light allowed everyone there to be themselves in our pursuit of happiness.
Moving to Holland, I failed my entrance exam at 18 for music school. Determined to make something of myself, I got into Graphic Design School that same year. Always having that creative itch and being a very social person, Communication & Multi-Media Design, my chosen field, was the perfect place for me to find my voice and ways to express it. A few years later, I achieved my initial goal and got into The Conservatory of Amsterdam, which brought me a lot of travel, unique experiences and insights. One of which: though music is what you enjoy and think of when you remember a musical act, the story, the feeling, and the act's underlying emotion are what actually make you a fan.
Family brought me back to Toronto, Canada. My grandfather was born there, and this world city intrigued me. As in the Caribbean, Toronto’s melting pot has influences from all over the world. When I arrived, this multiculturalism seemed real and authentic. Always having worked in restaurants on the side, I started working full-time in the hospitality industry while I helped my family. Toronto has an amazing restaurant scene. An array of styles and atmospheres, and I am so lucky I got to experience its many different environments. Something that all these restaurants taught me is that atmosphere, personality and identity are the brand. A restaurant without a clear identity is just food service. A business without a clear brand is just a product...
In my newest chapter, I have arrived in Hiroshima, Japan. My first child was born here and what an exciting adventure this has blessed me with. Over the past few years, because my creative urges had been nagging at me, I had gotten back into Graphic Design, Branding & Visual Identity, determined to find a new way of making a living. Studying once again, Creative Strategy, the concepts of shikake and exploring a whole new world of Japanese design…my inspiration continues to spark.
