W+K Studio Blog

Check out studio’s own Jason Murray and some of his work.

Q. How did you get here?
Someone told me Portland was great. Another person told me Wieden + Kennedy was great. I was living in LA, hanging out, and thought I’d give it go.

Q. What do you work on here at Wieden+Kennedy?
I currently work on Levi’s®. I started out sitting in a hallway, working on Old Spice.

Q. Easy question, what do you outside of work?
Physically, I run. I also collect hand written notes I find on the street. Sometimes at the same time. Mentally, I formulate design projects (for myself), create them (for myself), snicker (to myself), and repeat. I additionally curate a wide ranging set of unfulfilled urls. E.g. eatingwhilerunning, tightsaspants, and hobotomcruise .com.

 

Q. What’s a random, fun fact that others would love to hear?
I enjoy to bake. Pies and pastries specifically. My father and grandfather are/were master pastry chefs. My father in the United States, my grandfather in Denmark. I’m Danish.

Q. What do you love to do?
Think, create. Can’t ever turn it off.

Q. Why/how did you choose this profession?
It was my last attempt at a college education. I had initially intended to study veterinary medicine. After a year, I realized I would probably be a horrible vet (it also seemed very boring) so I tried my hand at physical therapy. That wasn’t any more exciting and seemed like much more pressure as I would be working with humans. I had decided to quit school all together, but as I was ready to walk away, I looked into the art & design program. I had always drawn as a kid, mostly sports logos, and thought maybe, possibly, I could make a career out of it. I applied. They let me in.

 

Q. How long have you been doing this profession?
Around 14 years.

Q. What other types of jobs have you done, not related to your current profession?
Jobs, in chronological order:
Summer camp arts & crafts director for the city of St. Joseph, in Michigan. My parents ran the summer recreation program for over 10 years when I was a kid.

Sales associate at Foot Locker. While spending time at a community college in Benton Harbor, MI, I sold athletic footwear and apparel.

Information Technology Assistant. I made the internet work.

A very short stint at a nursery/arts and crafts store. I knew nothing about plants. I was fired.

Summer maintenance and repair worker for St. Joseph Township. The best job I’ve had or will ever have. I drove a lawnmower with a 76 in. deck, with my shirt off.

Q. What was your first job that was connected to your current profession?
While I was in college, I was the art/design director of a business publication. I used Quark.

Q. What is it that you like/love most about your work?
Collaboration. Nothing great is made in a vacuum.

Q. What is the secret to your success? In other words, if you could boil it all down to one or two things, what would it be?
I don’t believe there is a secret or a magic bullet. “Success” takes hard fucking work.

Q. What other works have been most influential in your professional development?
The Ten Commandments. As a young Catholic boy, coming up in the Midwest, the set design and artistry of that film blew me away. I was mesmerized.

Q. From where (or what) do you draw your energy / inspiration / etc.?
Friends. When they’re pumping out amazing shit and succeeding, it’s inspiring. Makes me work harder.

Q. Has your profession impacted you as a person? In what way(s)?
It’s helped me gain perspective on what the important bits are. The job isn’t important.

Q.”What’s the best thing that ever happened to you?”
I don’t know. I was born?

Keep a lookout for some of his shirts showing up on the Goodness site.