A belated CM Indy Mugshot featuring Art Director Michael Norman Olson.

Michael Norman Olson

What’s your day job?
Presently, I employ myself as a creative collaborator through Art Direction and Design—consulting through advertising, branding, ideation, and UX/UI along with personal projects. Additionally, I pursue roles in education with a passionate engagement in process and divergent exploration. 

What’s your favorite breakfast food?
Fruit smoothies—they are mad science in the morning.

Where’s a place you’d stop on a free afternoon in Indy?
I’m just happy if I can catch some sun on my face. Likely anywhere outdoors, but I’ll settle for obscenely large windows. We’re talking ginormous. If there’s a place where it is appropriate to curl up like a cat in a patch of sun—that’s the place you’ll find me in the afternoon.

What’s one thing you’ve been inspired by lately?
Creative Mornings. I had heard about CM for months since returning to Indy, but had been too busy to attend or found out too late. Finally, a good friend was looking out and sent me a reminder of Sophie Faught’s talk. I was instantly nervous with excitement and inspiration from start to finish—running into fellow creatives, former students, waking up with iced coffee, delicious doughnuts, morningjazz, and a spirited, heartfelt presentation? That’s more than one thing—I failed this question.

In the spirit of June’s theme revolution, was there a time you created a personal revolution that ended up impacting your life greatly?
In the winter of 2012, I held a 30 day sale from my apartment. Posting photos to Instagram and Facebook, as well as inviting friends to visit and browse, I sold off nearly everything. Down to a backpack, a laptop, and a rucksack, I set out to travel with no clear end destination. After visiting good friends in various U.S. cities, I eventually found my way to Costa Rica. There I lived in a bamboo mansion on an organic farm among the foothills of Mt. Chirripo. While rewarding, the revolution was not the travel. It was in the dispossession from so many of my belongings and curated collections of things. The entirety of it was beyond liberating.

Connect with Michael!
Linked In | Instagram | Creative Mornings