This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Oregon chapter.
Meet Austin Powe, this week’s Campus Celebrity. He’s a creative director at the Emerald’s Venture Dept., a writer for Quackd, an all-around amazing artist as well as the owner of a doughnut blog. Professors always say it’s impossible to multi-task, but how is it impossible when this guy exists?
Name: Austin Powe
Age: 22
Major: Journalism – Advertising
Minor: Digital Arts
Year: Senior
Hometown: Yamhill, OR
Follow Austin on Twitter @yo_powe or his portfolio.
What does your position at the Venture Dept. entail?
I’m the creative director, so my job really varies from day to day. Some days I work mostly at an administrative level, meeting with clients or making sure that the right creatives are assigned to the right projects. Other days I oversee the creative direction of Venture’s projects and give feedback. Sometimes I’m writing scripts and designing, which can sometimes be the most fun.
What are some things you can see yourself doing after graduation?
I really want to move somewhere sunny… I’ve lived in Oregon my whole life, so I’m definitely ready for some warmth. Other than that, I really want to get a job at an ad agency or do some freelance illustration/writing/design work. If I could get paid to blog about feelings or draw pictures, I’ll definitely jump on those opportunities. Also, I want to get a shiba inu or a corgi and name him Buddy.
Five things that are inspiring your art right now.
This changes pretty much every week! Here are some of the things from this week:
1. Andrei Robu, one of my favorite typographers. Everything feels organic and smart and perfectly-planned. There’s so much movement in his letterforms!
2. Sam Alden, a Portland-based comics artist/illustrator. His stories are amazing, try Haunter, Eighth Grade, or Backyard. His pacing and art style are both impeccable.
3. Bonobo’s Black Sands. This is one of my favorite albums to write and make art to, I come back to it every few months.
4. If On a Winter’s Night a Traveller by Italo Calvino. Really strange book that was basically a neverending series of curveballs. Made me want to write every time I finished a chapter.
5. Twitter. (Especially @dataisplural, @eliyudin, @biorhythmist, @nsumida, @meganamram, @radiomaru)
What is your favorite medium of art?
I can do a lot of damage with a brush pen and a moleskine. Usually I scan those drawings and then digitize them, so my favorite medium is… mixed medium? Maybe that’s cheating.
What is something you love to do in your free time, besides blog about doughnuts?
Napping, trying new kinds of beer, playing boggle with my roommates, not exercising, making my sister roll her eyes.