Effortless Cool: A Conversation with Evan from Get Born Co.

Imagine getting to create art with someone you genuinely respect and really admire. That’s exactly what it’s been like for us at Social Made Local working with Evan (he/him) from Get Born Co.

Evan is one of those artists with a relaxed, effortless vibe that makes collaboration feel easy, you just know anything he creates is going to carry that same kind of understated cool. Based on Vancouver Island, his work draws from nostalgia, analog culture, music, and song lyrics that stick with you long after you hear them. In this conversation, Evan shares how his approach to illustration and music has evolved, and how those two worlds continue to overlap. His perspective is a reminder that creativity isn’t about overthinking, it’s about expressing it authentically and staying true to who you are.

What first got you interested in drawing and illustration? Do you remember what drew you to it early on?

I was thinking about when I first got into drawing the other day, and the first thing that came to mind was just being a little kid. Whenever we would go anywhere, my mom would give my sister and me paper and pens, pencils, crayons, etc., and we would just absolutely go to town drawing all sorts of random stuff, making up little cartoons and characters and stories and whatnot. I think what drew me to it early on was just the freedom to do whatever you want, you know? Want to combine two animals into one? Do it. Want to draw yourself as a superhero? Do it. There are no rules with art, and that’s the best thing in the whole world, my dude.

Who or what has shaped your style over the years?

I was big into drawing Pokémon back in the day, and I think that sort of cartoon style has stuck with me a lot over the years, even without really thinking about it. I grew up skateboarding with my dad, and the skate and art world were, and still are, so tied together, so I loved skaters who did art like Mark Gonzales, Ed Templeton, Lance Mountain, stuff like that. What I loved about it was that it could be anything you wanted it to be, whether it was a piece in a gallery or something sketched out in five minutes on your griptape using a paint pen.

You’re both a musician and a visual artist—and recently you’ve been travelling a lot for music. How do those two worlds connect for you?

There’s so much downtime touring, so an easy answer for this is that it’s just something to do that keeps you inspired and gets the creative juices flowing in a different way. I find that for me, sometimes writing a song is the best way to get a feeling out or express an idea, but sometimes drawing something does the exact same thing for me and can even be a quicker way to get that emotion out.

Being based on Vancouver Island, how does your environment shape your artistic style?

I’d actually say no for this one. Living on the West Coast is amazing, and I do truly love it here, but I don’t think it directly oozes into my art. I definitely get a lot of projects that are super West Coast-based, and it’s always fun, but I’m definitely more of a desert-leaning lad myself, haha. If I had to give a better answer, I’d say the openness of living here makes me feel like I can create whatever I want and do whatever I want without bounds.

What does your creative process usually look like when you’re drawing or illustrating?

I’m not going to lie, my process is all over the place. Sometimes it’s a full-on start on paper, move to iPad, vectorize, and finalize, and then sometimes it’s straight from the dome to the final digital piece, haha. I’m sort of jealous of people who have a full-on system, but I haven’t really found one that sticks. I will say I start a lot of drawings by jotting down a line from a song or a book in my phone that resonates, and that’s something that gets me rolling because I want to find a way to share that line with people.

You have a real love for vintage film, nostalgia, thrifting, and analog aesthetics—what is it about that world that resonates with you on a personal level?

It resonates with me mostly because I think it’s fun as all hell, and there’s so much room to mess up, and what I mean by that is I might go through a whole roll of film and think it’s killer, get it back and realize I wound it wrong, and I just have to laugh it off and live with it. Same with thrifting, the amount of pairs of jeans I have in my closet that don’t fit because I had to just risk it and buy them without a change room is hilarious, but when you do get a gem roll of film or stumble upon an amazing pair of pants, it’s like the heavens have opened up for you, and I think it’s the imperfections and the willingness for risk.

How do you approach sharing your work and your life online? What’s your relationship with social media as an artist?

I like to share as much as possible, and I’d like to get better at this too, but like, hey, here’s a garbage sketch, here’s me looking dumb doing a workout, here’s me hanging with the homies getting a beer, or here’s an accomplishment and not being afraid to be stoked on yourself online. I think we get a bit too caught up in only sharing when it’s perfect or when we’re doing something “cool,” and I get caught up in it too, but it’s fun to show people your life if you want to. We have the tools so might as well if it’s something you desire to do.

You’ve been creating with Social Made Local for nearly seven years—how would you describe the evolution of that collaboration, and what has kept it feeling fresh over time?

Seven years, damn, that’s so sick, I love to see that and hear that. I’d say it’s evolved so much, like you took a chance with me way back when I first started, and I’ve always loved working together because I feel like there’s been an awesome balance of you having great ideas and artistic vision and input, while also allowing me to roam around and be weird and put my mark on the projects. I feel like we’ve gotten to a really nice place where we can be honest with each other when things look cool and also honest when it’s not totally working, and then move positively into new places, and I think that honesty is honestly what keeps it fresh, plus I think we both are constantly creating and coming up with new ideas and I respect the hell out of that about both of us.

Of all the designs you’ve created with Social Made Local, is there one that stands out as especially meaningful or memorable to you? What made that one stick?

The Anxiety tee stands out for me, haha, mostly because I felt like it was a hilarious look into both of our brains and just came so naturally, and I will say that also getting to work on the Pride Made Local design with you was really cool, just to be trusted as an ally to work alongside you and bring that vision to life was really important to me, plus we had a ton of fun making it happen. Everything we get to do together just feels like homies bringing something to life, and that’s one of the things I’ve cherished most about our collaboration over the years.

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Evan is wearing the Fool Tee, one of his designs created in collaboration with Social Made Local. This piece explores the idea of new beginnings and taking chances, something that felt especially meaningful at a time when both of us were navigating major life changes.

Evan is a visual artist and musician based on Vancouver Island. He tours professionally as a musician and continues to build a diverse body of work through illustration, taking on projects that reflect his unique style and perspective.

You can follow Evan and his work at Get Born Co.