IAMNAOS - Kenta Thomas Naoi

How-Dee-Do!

My name is Kenta Thomas Naoi &

I am a 'Poetectographer'.

based out of the beautiful city of San Francisco.
Currently I act as a Creative Strategist, Director, and Gallery Manager at Big Umbrella Studios. I illustrate, photo compose, write, drink lots of tea, cat nap with my two cats, design, connect communities, and instigate and enable multiple projects. At the core of it all, I am a story teller. Would you like to sit down and catch up?! Feel free to contact me at ; hello@iamnaos.com! Or feel free to swing by BUS.

I am always more than happy to consider new clients. Say hi! (currently open for freelance/contract work)
Maybe ... Frequently Asked Questions;

On a scale of one to awesome, what do you do for fun?

... Awesome. Also, I like to spend my free time skim-boarding or swimming at Bakers Beach. I actually meet a lot of interesting people there. So, if you ever see me there, come talk to me! Hm, the idea of fun and free time is odd for me. I think a lot of designers can relate when I say, I work a lot, but work is often fun, so even though at times it gets stressful ... my free time is often filled with work (aha). Other than sitting in front of a desk and attempting to be creative, I find myself exploring the city, often ending up at Dolores Park, or at a friend's house cooking and sharing good conversations.

How do you balance out so many projects?

Actually this a question I do get asked quit often. You know, to be absolutely honest ... sometimes I have no idea (aha)! I do get overwhelmed from time to time, but that's expected, I am only human. I guess I have always been one of those crazy people that thrives in chaos. I have a personal work flow philosophy that reads; efficiency + effectiveness = goodness. I keep myself highly organized utilizing; Trello, Evernote, Mac Calendar, and Note Pad (which are all synched cross platforms). I also enjoy the old fashioned way: pencil/pen, black book, and post-it-notes. I set goals on a yearly, monthly, weekly, and daily level. I try to align everything I do with the greater picture, the grand vision. I scope from the big idea down to the day to day. Everything should work towards and with something. I give myself a time frame, something to work towards, but I don't fear the dead line, I try to embrace it! If anything, I have a system, and I really think everyone should have one. A working system should be flexible and I would say if you can't stop what you're doing and enjoy a stretch, it's not a good system. Don't tie yourself down to time, but be aware of it. Oh geez … now that I'm answering this question, I just realized that I can go on and on about productivity (aha). I was listening to a talk by Yves Behar, and he was mentioning how one should be in love with the process. I suppose all of this productivity and work flow management is exactly that and I love it. If I get the urge I'll write a full length article about productivity.

What music do you listen to when working?

It depends. When I am thinking out loud ... I usually like classical or instrumental music of some sort. If I am in the groove and designing I like to listen to Hip Hop or Jazz, something up-tempo. If otherwise, I am an avid listener of Folk and Blue-Grass, though Bossa Nova and other forms of international music have been tingling my ear buds as of late.

Cat or Dog?

Cat Dog, easy.

Any creative inspirations?

I love Swiss and Minimalism. I also enjoy Bauhaus, but then I like to get all DaDa at times. Hand crafted design is always a love of mine, and I often like to pencil, pen, and water color my designs out before vectorizing (if I do so choose to vectorize). Really though I had a professor in college by the name of David Soutar who was very influential in challenging me to experiment. With that said, I really look to being influenced by designers or works that catch my eye and make me feel. If it does anything, I'll try to take what I felt and replicate it. It's not about stealing a style at all, it's about wanting to put yourself in their shoes and practice an aesthetic that spoke to you. I've come to a point where I work within my own 'style' that changes by mood, client, etc. So it's more about challenging yourself to explore and experiment in order to push your creative boundaries. This process, I have found, has been at the core of my personal development in terms of 'style'.

What other things do you?

I am also a writer, usually spoken word poetry. I open mic. I love making music. I am a dancer. I love eating what my friends cook. I love cooking as well, but more eating. I am a beach bum. I love the out doors. I love meeting new people, and sharing stories. I am a talker. My friends will laugh at this. I get interested in a lot of things, and I do them. I am a connector. I love helping people manifest their goals. I am passionate about alternative education. I am a photographer and videographer. I am working on a few start ups, one of them being a Creative Lifestyle Magazine and collaboration platform called, Creators Unlocked. I love love love my friends and community. Um, I do a lot of things.... and that's me!