Today we’d like to introduce you to Nate Ross.
Hi Nate, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My story truly begins with my Great Grandfather – he was an artist. He animated for several years for both Disney and then later Hanna-Barbera working on some classics like Peter Pan and the Flintsones. After his animation years he evolved into an oil painter. He traveled the American Southwest, photographing landscapes to use as inspiration for his works which carried themes of cowboys & indians, vast beautiful landscapes, California ranch scenes, and more, but mostly cowboys. My family has a small collection of original paintings. He also would travel in a van doing pop up trade shows selling his art on the road, as well as in galleries.
As for me …. I was always drawing. On my notes in class and all over my homework assignments, and even on my arms and legs during school. I didn’t really hone in on art until the end of highschool during my senior year. I suppose I had a natural talent for it, and I really enjoyed the process of creation. This little spark pointed me towards my major, Graphic Communication, at Cal Poly here in San Luis Obispo.
Confused as to why I was spending my days learning about paper, ink, and printing machines … eventually I made it through the “boring” technical components of my major and arrived in the more “fun” classes such as book design, magazine design, and other more artistic and creative focused.
My major at Cal Poly gave me a very wide tool belt, I like to say. It gave me an intro into so many different skills. Photography and Photoshop, Graphic Design, Color Theory, Typography, Print Technology, Social Media, Advertising & Marketing, Packaging Design, Book Design, Magazine Design, 2D Design, Web Design, and more. Enough to get you started and let you blossom in the direction of your passion.
During college I actually began doing some small freelance gigs … designing a resume, designing a business card, building a simple website, and taking senior portraits for students. I took a liking to photography and mainly because I good friend let me use his camera for a number of years. I even dipped my toes into a Black and White Film photography class. I was really building out my photo portfolio through these years. I began building my first website to showcase the projects from Graphic Communication – aka GrC.
Towards the end of college I began painting as well. I was going to events like music festivals and small winery weekend concerts to display and live paint. I was displaying both paintings and photos for sale. Beyond this I worked in a local photo studio learning the ropes of studio style photos and editing with models, apparel, and other products.
Eventually school came to close, and I had my degree. I decided to travel to Nicaragua to chase the surf. I lived there for about 3 months. I surfed, and ate tacos, and took loads of photos. It was a dreamy adventure. I returned home inspired and I wanted to continue traveling and fully dive into launching my freelancing career.
I came back to the Central Coast area and I decided I wanted an old van. That’s when I discovered school bus conversions. I found myself a 2002 short school bus and converted it. I taught myself everything by learning online. I completely gutted it and built out a tiny home on wheels. It was a long process, but eventually it was complete enough for the road!
I was FINALLY ready to go…. and that’s when the Covid-19 Pandemic hit.
I waited around in SLO for a while, but by late summer I decided I was going for it. I was mostly going to be wilderness camping anyhow.
I traveled the American Southwest and took tons of photos. I didn’t meet too many people as I originally imagined. The world was different then. Covid really made people afraid.
I eventually returned back to SLO area after months of traveling. Covid life had diminished enough by then and it was time to get back into chasing my freelance career.
I took on a few gigs, but I wasn’t happy. I wanted to be outside. I wanted to work with the land. I did a huge pivot and I worked in Landscape Design & Construction for about 2 years. It was awesome.
I was still creative on my free time during that stretch with some photos and paintings here and there. One day a friend saw my artwork and said, “Wow! You’re so talented. You should be doing this for a living” and then another saw all my photo work and said, “Wow you’re work is so creative and inspiring!”
That’s when it all hit me, Oh Ya! …. I’m an artist. I felt the call. It was time to dive head first into being an artist and creative.
It was about this time in summer of 2024 when I finally put it together that I had bought a “van”, traveled the American Southwest, photographed some of the same epic landscapes, displayed my artwork, and even sold some of my pieces – just like my Great Grandfather. I was literally walking in his foot steps without even knowing it. It wasn’t until this year in 2024 when I learned about how he traveled in a van, photographed, and displayed at events. I guess I just thought he was painting at home in L.A.
So I left my job in the fall of 2024. I revamped my website, and I fully launched myself into freelance offering “Creative Media Production”
Yet this time I have a refined world view, and a narrowed focus. I launched myself into this work again aimed at working with artists, entrepreneurs, small businesses, and organizations who I actually align with in terms of values. My desire is to help these entities tell their stories creatively. I want to bring light into this world by using my skills and talents in art, design, and creativity.
My work seems to continue to snowball. I’m learning more and more as I go, of course. 2025 was good, and 2026 is turning out great so far. I created a short promotional film project for CCSPA, Central Coast State Parks Association, in the spring. For me this felt so aligned to work with an organization that is truly focused on connecting people to the land and expanding experiential education, and advocating for better land stewardship practices.
After that I began a similar project for One Cool Earth. They work with schools all over the county to bring school gardens and outdoor education to life. It’s such important work, and I’m so thrilled to be able to create visual assets for them that will help them secure more grant funding in the future.
Outside of these projects I’ve worked with a wide variety of individuals. Artists and musicians, to global retreat leaders, to an ceremonial leader from Alaska.
I’ve been mainly focused on creating media for other people, but now that I’m feeling more settled in that flow, I am ready to expand my own personal creative projects. I am, of course, gravitating towards paintings because of my Great Grandfather, but I have dabbled with so many mediums such as wood burning and sculpture.
I’m currently in the development of a new evolution of my work, or a means of presenting it. It’s called Luminate Earth.
The concept at large is to use my art to inspire positive change. Artwork will be sold to generate funding for real and active positive change projects focused on initiatives such as reforestation, clean energy, clean water, community development, sustainability, eco-construction, land stewardship, environmental protection, and more.
I am here to create. I am here to inspire.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I’ve been extremely lucky and very privileged to have received the education I did, to have traveled as much as I have, and to have been given opportunities to learn and experiment that so many folks don’t get.
However, embarking on the freelance journey is not easy. I think there’s a lot of great artists out there in this world, yet are not good at business. It’s true for freelancing and all sorts of businesses now, you must be more and do more than just your craft. You can’t just be a good carpenter, you have to be a social media influencer and internet personality. In order to run your own business you have to wear so many hats, and you are the boss!
I think one of the biggest challenges for me is actually a mental one. It’s so difficult to be able to “shut off” my mind from work.
It can be really tough when you experience a slow season, and you don’t know when or where you’re next job will land. I didn’t have a steady stream of clients knocking on my door when I first started. I had to start posting online, sending emails, sending DM’s on social media, having conversations, and just hustling to get gigs, but eventually my work has trickled out and I’m being seen more, recommended more, and trusted more.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I specialize in creative direction. I have skills of varying degree in photography, videography, graphic design for print and packaging and apparel, web design, and social media content creation.
I’m not really a specialist in anything, but a jack of all trades. I am consistently growing in those areas with each project, but my speciality is truly a role as a Creative Director, because I understand what the overall aesthetic and vibe needs to be for my clients, and I know how to speak the language of all of those trades : photo, video, design, etc. so I can work with a team.
I would say I’m most proud of myself for simply following my heart and chasing this life as an artist as there is no guarantee of income – it’s all up to me, and frankly that is just too much pressure for most people.
I believe what sets me apart from other creators … is that I am a soulful & heart-led.
This isn’t a money making machine for me. I do this because I am passionate. I do this to serve the world, to make it a better place. I take my time to understand the soul of my clients.
Enjoying my time on set or in the office is so much more important to me than being worried about efficiency and profit because at the end of the day, this is real life, and how we treat people matters, our bodies and our possessions break down into dust. I go slow with intention. I go with a smile on my heart.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I was super curious and adventurous. I was climbing up trees, jumping off rocks, and going fast! I loved to move. I tried all the sports … basketball, baseball, soccer, football, skateboarding, surfing, snowboarding, rock climbing, and more.
I was good at school, but I just didn’t love to sit still. I think I was really frustrated with school because I couldn’t connect the learning to application.
I was shy around parents, but wild and free amongst my friends. I loved to play and laugh. I think I was interested in a lot of things, but my Sagittarius side was always seeking a novel experience.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.nate-ross.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luminate.earth/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nathan.ross.5661
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@luminate_earth
