Next up on my Choice Kids list is the awesome Jo Klima of The Darling Tree + August Empress. Hit up the first interview here if you missed it!

Describe yourself in 5 words.
Creative, honest, independent, curious, darling

What are you working on at the moment?
A variety of branding, blog and web design projects for clients, starting to work on a complete website redesign for The Darling Tree, and an exciting new project which is still under wraps…

Do you have personal projects on the go as well as you freelance/client work?
I’m always trying to make some time to work on my own projects, I think it’s necessary for me to stay motivated as a designer. Recently I’ve been brewing projects that are an extension of my business like my blog design workshop, Your Darling Blog. And by having my own blog, August Empress, I can occasionally be as free and creative on there as I like.

What’s the last typeface you used?
I just used Saissant for a blog post and other project, it’s a fantastic calligraphic font that’s a bit edgy, one of my new faves. (Check it here)

Whats one of your wildest dreams?
To spend more months of the year traveling than working.

What are you afraid of?
The creation of online businesses and blogs continues to grow from strength to strength at the moment which provides so many of us web designers with a living. I do worry about where it will go in the future, what will the industry look like over the next decade or so with so much advancement. I wonder what will happen in web design and will I be able to continue doing what I love.

Whats your dream project? if you could work with anyone, or do anything you like… no limits?
I’ve always been drawn to the idea of having a line of textiles or products with patterns I’ve designed on them, so I think it would be awesome to be commissioned to design a set of penguin classics novels book covers or something of that nature.

Do you have a ritual, somewhere you go, or something you do when you’re stuck for ideas or you just need to escape the screen?
I take the dog for a walk or swim, or I make a smoothie and go drink it sitting out on the front deck in the sun.

My guilty pleasure is:
Reading in bed for a few hours of a morning knowing I have lots to do that day. But really, I don’t feel that guilty about it :)

Best TV show ever?
That would have to be Six Feet Under, the last few minutes of the very last episode still gets me.

If you had a pet lion, what would you call it?
Salvador.

The last photo on your Instagram, or on your phone (if you could send it to me too), whats it all about?
I posted a photo of what was currently on my computer screen, some work in progress for a new client.

Any parting wise words that you’d like to pass on? the best quote you’ve ever heard, or a quote you live your life by?
Recently tweeted by the clever Marie Forleo – “When it comes to money, love & creativity, there’s always more where that came from.”

You can find Jo here: The Darling Tree | Your Darling Blog | August Empress | Twitter

Images: Lion | Six Feet Under

This is a brand spankin’ new series I’m starting here on my blog, called choice kids. Its a series of interviews with rad creatives (and maybs even some non creatives), from all over the globe.
These aren’t your usual ‘how did you get started, what inspires you’ interviews.
I’m getting down to business to find out why they do what they do, what they’re afraid of, and maybe even what they ate for lunch.

First up is dude that I’m stoked to be able to call a friend, Carlos E. Lang.
He’s an all round creative kid with killer skills in everything from photography to illustration to advertising.
Here’s a blurb from the man himself, about what he does.
24 year old Mexican filled with wanderlust. My office is Starbucks. A couple weeks of ago I got an amazing job and became the photographer of my city’s mayor… I had to move back from Los Angeles / San Fran to do so. Now my plan is to move to China, keep my best client and do the same thing but over in Asia. The best thing is that I could travel and work anywhere, trains, hotels, coffee shops. I lived in Los Angeles for 3 years, that’s where I got involved in arts. I studied graphic design in Querétaro, México at a University called “Marista”.

Describe yourself in 5 words.
Eccentric, dreams, details, passionate, caring.

Team player or lone ranger?
Lone ranger errrday.

What’s the last font you used?
Bebas Neue, wide kerning +10

What do you live for? What gets you more stoked than anything else in the entire world?
Traveling, new people, weird food, rainy days all over the world.
Stoked: Sharing it with those who don’t know, and motivating them to go do.

What are you working on at the moment?
Paperwork for China, daaamn Visas maaaan…

Do you think there’s one ultimate ‘meaning to life’, or do you think its all up to each one of us to work it out for ourselves?
The meaning of life is to give life a meaning, cheesy but I think each one has it’s own meaning, to some it could be an economic end, some others could just want to transcend after life.

What are you afraid of?
Looking at an old man through the mirror reflection and saying “I could’ve done it better”

Whats the biggest risk you’ve ever taken?
Giving it all up in California for a huge project with mexican politics.

Who do you look up to?
Stefan Sagmeister, Andy Warhol, my dad.

Whats your dream project? if you could work with anyone, or do anything you like… no limits?
Live anywhere in the world, doing big projects related with music, movies and photography.
Working with people I admire, inspiring people all over the world. Pushing everyone to do what they love.

Do you have a ritual, somewhere you go, or something you do when you’re stuck for ideas or you just need to escape the screen?
I love going to the movies by myself, choosing the worst movie based on the poster, and thinking on the huge responsibility the designers had over the movie. Finding that most of those movies are amazing. Not sharing my nachos, lovely.
But my biggest ritual I think is my Alto Willow Blend with an orange cake from Starbucks while working, I’ve tried it in different countries and cities. It’s amazing to realize how flavors can change so much, I always wonder if it’s the taste that changes so much, or is it me? The best one I’ve had was in 33rd St and 5th Avenue, in New York.

Best place to people watch?
Angel’s park in Los Angeles, I found that place before 500 days of Summer ever came up, I inspired them or something haha.

If you had the chance to jump on a plane to anywhere in the world, tomorrow, and you could take one person, where would you go & who would you take? Why?
I’d go to Venice, Italy, take my dad with me and prove him that his pasta is better than the one over there.

Mountains or beaches?
Mountaaaaaains!

Any parting wise words that you’d like to pass on? The best quote you’ve ever heard, or a quote you live your life by?
“Aquél que se deduce a lo que ama, está condenado al éxito.”
He, who does what he loves, is for ever condemned to success. (Anonymous)
I found that quote when I wanted to leave the design career to something else where I could find a job easy.

Yew, thanks Carlos!
You can find him on the interwebs right here: Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr | Flickr

I’ve got a stack more awesome interviews lined up with some super choice kids, so stay tuned for more goodness.

Images: The Black Keys | Tiger