A short history of me

  • 2003: Dipped a toe into computer science II at the university. Dropped out real quick. Switched to communications design – a much better fit. 
  • 2003: Started freelancing as an illustrator. That never really stopped.
  • 2009: Graduated Dipl. Kommunikationsdesigner from HBK Saar. I illustrated Joanna Newsom’s song “Monkey & Bear” as propaganda posters.
  • 2011 – 2021: I explored leadership roles on the visual side of the games industry: concept artist, art director, team lead, creative advisor, talent scout, design director.
  • 2010s – 2020s: Taught design and concept art in various schools. I like sharing stuff and had the opportunity to do so there.
  • 2025 april – august: Selling strawberries, ’cause before starting university was the best time to try something completely different.
  • 2025: Let’s try the magic reset button in real life: started a dual study program in career guidance (Beratung für Bildung, Beschäftigung und Beruf – HdbA Schwerin, Agentur für Arbeit Berlin Süd
  • 2025 december: I quit the dual study program.
  • 2026: I guess it’s back to freelance

Currently

I’m always going through books, albums, and other things – here’s what stuck lately:

  • w51 2020

    It’s the first day of my end-of-the-year vacation. There will be two more posts this year of course but I wanted to say some quick thanks to all the people who stuck with me through the personal challenges of this year. Thank you to all of you who stuck around when I decided to just draw goofy animals for the rest of the year. Thank you to all of you who helped and continue to help me navigate through panic attacks & severe depression and who helped in so many ways from just being there for me to aiding me to find professional help for mind and body. Thank you to all the artists that I get the opportunity to work with (and producers & management). Thank you to all of you who expressed your sympathies when we suddenly had to let go of our dog, Elmo. Thank you to my extended family and friends. Thank you to my wife.
    And last but not least, thank you to all of you who suffer through my dad jokes.
    What do you call a fly with no wings?
    – A walk.

  • w50 2020

    One of my favorite things to do as a child when we were baking Christmas cookies was to dip things into sugar sprinkles. Didn’t matter what kind of cookie it was, in my eyes, every cookie benefited from sugar sprinkles!

  • w49 2020

    With temperatures dropping it feels appropriate to do a winter themed illustration. No snow on the horizon yet in Berlin though, unfortunately. I prefer snow-white winter over just grey wet cold winter berlin.

  • w48 2020

    One of the best dishes to eat not only but especially when the weather turns colder again.

  • w47 2020

    This one goes out to all my fellow artists dealing with imposter syndrom, depression, anxiety issues or even just struggeling with the idea of self-promotion.
    Remember that by” not doing art” no one benefits. Not you, not your friends, not your fellow artists, and no one else. You are preventing yourself from creating something that has the potential to be enjoyed by yourself and if you decide to show it, to be seen and enjoyed by many others.

  • w46 2020

    I was so preoccupied with work that I completely forgot to make my routine 12:00 image post. Better late than never I guess.

  • w45 2020

    Like many others I’m doing home office right now. In style.

  • w44 2020

    Sometimes life might be a bit more intense than anticipated, don’t let that stop you from taking the ride altogether though.

  • w43 2020

    Sometimes a weekend just isnt enough to get you out of a slump.

  • w42 2020

    On Monday afternoon we had to suddenly say goodbye to our best friend, Elmo.
    Elmo was not the smartest cookie in the jar, but he was the sweetest. His sense of smell wasn’t worth much, but his imagination must have been glorious because he would create pools of drool long before he ever came close to finding whatever treat we had misplaced for him. And while we taught him silly things like “Sit”, “Paw”, “Wait”, and “Search” he taught us important skills like patience, attentiveness, appreciation for the joy of the moment and seemingly endless love. Elmo and I broke two chairs together, we decimated hundreds of amazon cardboards, spent at least an hour every Sunday afternoon possible napping together. There never was a vegetable that he could not intimidate into submission and we could not put together a puzzle for him that he was not able to solve through a deliberate, energetic pounce. We spent hundreds of euros on dog-toys and in the end his favorite one was an Ikea-bag. He was a goofball, he was amazing, he was lovely. He saved my life when I was at my darkest place earlier this year. I will miss the morning tummy-rubs, his midday reminders to us that there is no need for a clock because he knows when it is time to give him his food. I will miss his snoring, his derpy expressions, his huffs and puffs and his warmth against my feet when he was sleeping under my table while I was working. I will never get the chance again to turn my head and see him snuggled up to Maike on the couch. I miss him so much and there is a huge emptiness now where there was security he gave us through his presence in our lives.
    I often asked you “Who is a good boy”. I’m glad I told you just as often “You are the very best boy”.
    Thank you Elmo, for all the moments, all the memories, all the joy you gave us. Thank you for your love. You will forever be the very best boy.