We recently caught up with Boston-based designer and illustrator Josh LaFayette in order to get the skinny on his background, the transition to going freelance, and how a positive outlook in all aspects of your life is essential. Click through for the entire interview and a roundup of some of his work.

CB: We love your work, but (shamefully) don’t know much about how you got started. Can you give us a little Josh LaFayette history?

JL: Thanks! I started college pursuing a degree in Biomedical Science. Two years in I realized that “Graphic Design” was a thing and I’d been doing it for fun since I was a kid. I changed my major and graduated with a BFA in Graphic Design from Auburn University in Alabama. I worked as a designer at a handful of places and had a lot of fun doing so. In 2011, I realized that I was hand-rendering all of my solutions, so I left the ad agency I was working at to be a full-time independent illustrator. My wife and I moved to Boston in early 2012, and I’ve been freelancing ever since!

CB: What’s been the most challenging part of freelancing for you in the last two years?

JL: Man, it’s been a crazy time! (Almost three years—1,019 days to be exact :)) When I left the agency where I was working, I didn’t have any clients, and I was making the transition from “designer” to “illustrator,” so my online portfolio/presence was kind of hard to understand to people who didn’t know me. I didn’t get any work for close to six months. So, short answer, “getting work/finding clients.” Doing daily drawings is what really started to bring work in.

CB: We recently listened to the episode of What’s Your Story? that you were on. We really loved the part where you talked about being positive and nice and how it is often a conscious choice on your part, both IRL and online. Do you think your choice to project positivity in all aspects of your life has brought you more work? Or more of the type of work you like to do?

JL: Thanks! I’m glad you liked the interview—Meighan is great. Being nice has helped open doors to projects for sure. Most people don’t like to work with jerks. Being positive has brought in the type of work that I’d like to do. My style is playful and humor is a big part of my personal work—a lot of the work that I’m contacted for calls for that, so I reckon people are noticing! Also, I think positivity is a key ingredient to living a happy and fulfilled life. I’m only here (you know, like, on this planet) for a short time, so there’s no use in being a grump about stuff. Some situations aren’t going to work out and some (most) things are going to be difficult, but I can choose to smile all the while.

CB: We think you’re on the right track! Your fun and positive outlook has also gained you quite a few tumblr followers. Was there a single post or series of posts that gained attention and kept people coming back, or has it been a more organic journey?

JL: There was a series of posts/events that created a sort of perfect storm that really launched my “tumblr-career” into full blast. I started using Tumblr in early 2009 at the behest of my friend and former classmate, Greg Leuch, and by 2012 I had amassed a whopping 100 followers. Near the end of 2012, Tumblr offered to include me on their Illustrators Spotlight (which I eagerly accepted!) and around the same time, a (very bad) drawing of mine was on the Tumblr Radar for the first time. Then I started getting on the Radar about once every month. So in about a year’s time, I went from 100 followers to 100,000 followers like magic. But I’d like to give a message to those reading: lots-of-internet-followers does not equal $$$$!

CB: That’s very true! While followers may not be paying your bills, it’s still nice to know that people out there appreciate what you’re doing. We hear you’re in grad school for your MFA, how’s that going and what else is on your horizon?

JL: Yes, that’s definitely true!

You heard right! I am in the Hartford Art School Low Residency MFA in Illustration program and just finished my first contact period at the end of July. It’s a wonderful program run by amazing illustrators, and I’m very excited to be a part of it.

As far as the horizon—my bff, Lou (who I happened to be married to), is 37 weeks pregnant, so there’s gonna be a lil dude in our lives real soon!

CB: Congrats on your upcoming initiation to #dadlife! Good luck with grad school and thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to chat with us.

Josh has a brand new shirt on CB today. Check out all of his design’s here or follow him on twitter/tumblr.

Editors note: Josh and Lou have since welcomed little Henri into their lives. Congrats you two!

Designer Cameron Sandage recently moved from Portland, OR to Austin, TX to join the team at IBM Design. Over the past seven months he’s had five shirts for sale on our site, two of them successfully going to print. Cam is never one to shy away from ambition, which became evident during our interview. More after the jump!

CB: Hey Cam! You recently moved to Austin, TX. What's the transition been like?

CS: The transition from Portland to Austin has not been that bad, it was the journey to get here that was kind of crazy but I guess when you get in a car for four days it’s a little taxing. Overall, of what I can see, both are very similar in a lot of ways. They are both quirky, love food trucks, great beer and you can rock a beard with no shame. My only complaint thus far is the heat and humidity. But Austin does have breakfast tacos, which are awesome. Torchy’s is probably my favorite as of right now.

But all in all it’s been good, different and similar at the same time but good none the less. One thing I have noticed is both cities have a keep it weird slogan / battle of who is weirder. It’s no longer a contest, I'm sorry Portland, but Austin wins. I grew up in Portland but I’ve seen some things in Austin already…

Once I finish up with “camp” at my new job I am hoping to dip my feet into the creative scene a bit more and start meeting people like Ryan who you just interviewed and also just moved to Austin. And just figure out the creative community here in general. Coming from Portland, I had a pretty nice network so I am looking to gain something similar here.

CB: Austin is definitely the Queen of “keeping it weird” - glad to hear you’ve found great breakfast tacos already! We’ve found our local Creative Mornings branch a great place to meet new creative peeps and network with like-minded folks. Will you seek out groups like that to get connected with your new community? Or will it be more organic?

CS: Yeah there is someone in the studio that is on the committee for Austin's CreativeMornings, I only went to a few in Portland. They’re fun but the tickets go quick and also with the schedule I am currently working I will have to pass on CM for the time being. Hopefully in the future I’ll get to check them out…

But to find like-minded creative people I will probably do a lot of what I did when I was still at student at Portland State looking to wedge myself into that creative community. Basically this means tapping into my local AIGA chapter, in Portland I was apart of the communication team. Also Austin has a AD2, we tried (and failed) to set up a group in Portland so I am excited to check out the organization and to develop connections with some marketing / advertising people. Also, probably what I am most stoked on, is going to one of the (or many) Austin Initiative for Graphic Awesomeness events ran by the talented UnderConsideration team.

That’s the more detailed version of how I am going to try and get myself more ingrained into the Austin creative community. But I also am one of 78 new hires to the studio so I also have that network I can tap and the other designers already working in the studio also. Hopefully I won’t have problems making new friends and finding new ways to be creative in Austin.

Lastly I am also a fan of doing different kinds of art / design based shows, anything from ArtCrank to a Timbers Army inspired show called ArtTakeover, to a skateboard show I am currently working on, to building a LED birdhouse for a show in Portland last summer with a friend. I like to break out of the day to day and see how I can push myself. This is also why I started to do shirts on Cotton Bureau. I’ve got to meet some awesome people from these shows / projects (both digitally and IRL), developed my network in Portland as well as abroad, and I am hoping to continue to do that in Austin once I get out of camp.

CB: Sounds like you’re going to have a great network of friends and peers in no time. Tell us more about the Skateboard show you’re working on - that sounds awesome!

CS: The show is kind of interesting in the sense that it’s a traveling show, initially started in Portland before I left. It will collect more decks and land in Chicago at the end of August. The show is called ArtDeckCo, I found out about it via my buddy who was in the Portland show and just asked the organizers if I could be a part of it. But with the move I have not had a lot of time to focus on my board art, I had a pretty interesting idea on how to do a halftone graphic that would be CNC’d etched into the board on top of a gradient color fill. Kind of hard to explain via words only, but basically the tech to do it isn’t feasible at this time I guess so I’ve got to come up with another idea. May try my hand at doing a wheat paste if I can come up with a compelling idea, but really it’s just an excuse to get away from the digital world and see how I can try something new.

CB: That sounds really cool! Thanks for chatting with us Cameron. Make sure you send us a picture of the finished product - we’d love to see what you come up with!

To keep up with Cam on his new adventure (or take him out for tacos) follow him on twitter.

Christopher Michon is a graphic designer, dad, and husband living just north of Boston. Back in May we convinced him to do a t-shirt with us and his Hot Dog tee went to press just in time for Memorial Day weekend. We checked in with him recently to hear about where he finds inspiration and how to juggle #designlife and #dadlife. Interview after the break.

CB: Hey Christopher! The designs you feature on your website are bright, simplistic, and frequently come with thick bold lines. What inspires your illustrations and design aesthetic?

CM: Hi! Thanks for having me. I would have to say that my biggest inspirations come from my childhood. Things like cartoons, drawing books, and building blocks. I have always been obsessed with building things from basic shapes, and I believe that is the basis of my design aesthetic.

Growing up I was always playing with Legos or drawing from an Ed Emberley book (both of which I still do today). They taught me how to see things differently. How to break things down, and then build them back up again. How to find the most basic form in something complicated. I credit both of them with how I approach any design or illustration.

CB: Simple designs don’t have to be boring and you do a great job of showcasing that in your work. Speaking of Ed Emberley, you do a #makeaworld series on post-it notes via Instagram based off his Make A World drawing book. You’ve been doing this series for over a year now. How’s it going? What’s been the best part of it for you?

CM: I appreciate you saying that. It’s a little cliché, but I like to think that making something simple can sometimes be more difficult than making something intricate. It’s easy to get bogged down in the details, but knowing which parts to take out to make the piece successful is a lot of fun.

The Make A World project has been a lot of fun for me. I started it because I realized I wasn’t drawing as much as I used to. So I picked up a copy of Make A World, and started doing one drawing a day from it. I am posting them on Instagram to keep myself accountable.

Overall the project is going very well, and it is still lots of fun for me. I’ve had mostly positive feedback, which is great since I started doing this solely for myself. I’ve done over 200 drawings, and I am getting very close to the end of the book, so I’m trying to figure out how to transition into something else.

The best part of the whole thing was being able to meet Ed Emberley himself. I had met him numerous times as a kid, since I grew up in the same town he lives in, but being able to connect now was a dream. I was ecstatic that he had seen the project, and enjoyed it. He also reiterated something that I hadn’t realized, that even though I’m drawing from his book, and his steps, they are still my drawings and have a completely different life than something he would do.

CB: He makes a great point - so much of design is influenced by people who came before you or from something you see out in the world, but each persons individual take can be drastically different. Obviously, you’ve produced a design for a t-shirt with us, have you ever done other work of that sort? Prints? Tees? Album cover art? What kind of projects keep you busy in your free time?

CM: Very true. It’s something I remind myself of daily. That it’s not about whether you could do a better or worse job on something, it’s that your outcome would be different.

The hot dog shirt wasn’t the first T-shirt I designed, but it’s definitely the one I’m most proud of. I was ridiculously stoked and humbled every time someone posted a picture of them wearing it. And as some people know, I designed a sticker and pin to be included with every order as a thank you. These are the type of things I love to make. Stamps, stickers, pins, cards, etc. There is usually such a quick turnaround on these types of things, that it’s easy to come up with an idea, get it printed, and then have something to trade by the end of the month. And it thrills me to share these things with people and have them be as excited about a sticker, or whatever it may be, as I am.

I’ve done various other things outside of my day job, like album covers, logos, and posters, but honestly when I have free time, I like to spend it with my family. My wife and I are busy with our two year old son, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. They really help keep me grounded, and my priorities in check. I do, however, usually have some Field Notes in my back pocket just in case.

CB: How much has having a small child around the house changed how you get work done? You often post #dadlife shots to your instagram feed; sometimes those include you working while caring for him. Is it difficult to balance those roles since a lot of a designers job can (conceivably) be done at home?

CM: The easiest times to get things done is while he’s asleep. Right now I work from home one day a week. He mostly wants me to play with him instead of being stuck behind the computer, so it’s tough. He understands that I have to do work, but I try and balance it with breaks where we play. Overall it’s difficult, but anything worth doing usually is. I’m extremely lucky and grateful that I get to spend some extra time with him, even though I'm working.

CB: You’re right, having that extra time at home is a real treat, you’re lucky to have a job that has that flexibility! Thanks for chatting with us - it’s been fun.

CM: Great to talk with you Sara!

You can find more of Christopher’s work on his personal site, his tumblr, and his instagram feed. If you’d like to see his Hot Dog tee have a second run, you can request it here.