How do you say your last name?
“bill-ups-bro”
Where are you from?
I’m lucky, I get to be “from” a lot of different places. I was raised between Oakland and San Francisco, CA. One of my parents was born and raised all over the Southwest, one in LA County, and I have ancestors from Jamaica, Vietnam, and the Southern and Eastern U.S. I spent five years in Seattle before moving to Brooklyn to pursue my graduate degree in urban studies.
How did you get into drawing?
I’m a self taught artist, and I don’t remember a time when I wasn’t drawing. It started with comic strips and doodle commentary on my homework and has grown into a skill I use in my communications work.
Comics, maps, public space, which is it??
Listen, it’s all related. Illustration is about telling a story, and hopefully it resonates with someone. Equitable placemaking/placekeeping work involves being able to listen and communicate with community members from all different backgrounds. To be effective at both means to be observant and to communicate in an accessible way. All these things overlap in my favorite projects.
Can I answer any other questions?