Creative Partners

Gabriel comes from the Central Valley of California but moved in his 20s to Seattle, where his career as a graphic designer began. He started at Amazon, creating digital advertisements, then went to Starbucks, where he illustrated gift cards, coffee packaging and in-store displays. He has since built an impressive portfolio creating brand identity systems, illustrations, and websites for companies such as The American Cancer Society, University of Washington, Marine Conservation Institute, El Centro de la Raza and more. The work Gabriel has done for El Centro de la Raza is on permanent display at The Sea Mar Museum of Chicano/a/Latino/a Culture. In his free time, Gabriel hones his skills in type design and enjoys cooking and photography.

Learn more about Gabriel and the creation of our logo and branding elements

Learn more about Gabriel’s graphic design practice, pley.ground

Before launching my own business as a freelance illustrator, I worked at a graphic design company where I enjoyed my work and gained valuable experience. However, I often found it challenging to fully express my artistic vision on certain projects. This led me to start my own visual brand where I could create a space to fully pursue my ideal art form.

When I think about my artistic career, it is not just about creating art but about my exploration of a visual journey, which I hope will evolve into a brand. My mission is to create unique designs that showcase my ideal art form, while still maintaining a fun and enjoyable atmosphere for me to work in.

When it comes to the design of my illustrations, I focus heavily on the composition of the image. I spend a lot of time sketching out the skeleton of the image and playing with simple shapes to create a beautiful and effective composition. By focusing on the essence of image making, I aim to differentiate myself from others in the industry.

During my career as an illustrator, I gave a name to my business, STUBBORN SIDEBURN, which is a visual brand focused on creating unique art/designs while maintaining a fun and enjoyable atmosphere for me to work in. I differentiate myself by focusing on the composition of the image and simplifying the design to highlight its essence.

Learn more about Junichi’s piece, Community Emblem

Learn more about Junichi’s business, Stubborn Sideburn

Junichi’s head shot by by Winifred Westergard.

Brave Space Media is a multi-racial, women-led, radically collaborative creative team seeking to decolonize storytelling and outdoor culture both in front of and behind the lens. Championing traditionally underrepresented voices, their work seeks to amplify character-driven stories that heal our human relationships to each other and to our planet, with a focus on socio-ecological justice, ancestral knowledge, regeneration, and compassionate living.

Learn about video storytelling with Brave Space Media

Learn more about Brave Space Media

Erin (she/her) is a filmmaker and photographer working to cultivate healing and build community through storytelling. Her work aims to amplify stories of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color through narratives of healing in relationship to nature, antiracism work, intersectional feminism, and environmental justice. Erin has a background in visual journalism and non-profit work and is the founder of Brave Space Media. Her latest documentary “Expedition Reclamation” has been awarded Best in Festival at the 2022 No Man’s Land Film Festival and has been featured in over a dozen film festivals where it’s won Best Climate Documentary, Best Environmental Film, and Best Cinematography.

Samara is part of the Michoacán diaspora, raised between the lakes and tierra caliente regions of Michoacán and occupied Coast Salish territory of the Pacific Northwest. Samara identifies as a P’urhepecha descendant reconnecting with her ancestors, and grounds her multimedia storytelling work in decolonial frameworks that uplift Indigenous people’s self-determination. Samara is the producer and creative director of Raíces Verdes (Green Roots), a multimedia platform dedicated to archiving and sharing the experiences of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color across diasporic experiences reconnecting with their “green roots.” Green roots are defined as our ancestral connection to the earth that embodies our relationships with all living and spiritual beings.

Rebekah aspires toward holistic stewardship of wildlife and natural areas while advocating for accessibility, inclusivity, and equity in the spaces that she occupies. She enjoys constantly asking questions, sharing knowledge, and being in relationship with human and more-than-human communities. Rebekah is a transracial adoptee from China and is currently caring for habitats along the Salish Sea.