Interview With The Very Creative Rick Caballo
July 3, 2020 | Courtesy of Divine Magazine
We’re thrilled today to be able to interview award-winning web and graphic designer Rick Caballo about his life, his aspirations and his wonderful creativity.
Equally at home on stage before thousands, or working up designs for cutting-edge brands, Rick Caballo is nothing if not creative.
Now based in Nashville TN, Rick was born and raised in Wollongong, near Sydney, Australia. This accomplished singer-songwriter, artist, photographer and designer has a rare combination of charisma and ingenuity which means he is constantly in demand.
Rick is the art director and co-owner of Dead Horse Branding with his wife, Melissa.
We love to tease our guests with some silly questions to break the ice and Rick is no exception. Here we go.
If you had to describe yourself as a car, what would it be?
1978 International Scout. Go anywhere and fit in anywhere, plus it gets better with age. That car is in its edgy class, similar to its commercial cousin the Ford Bronco, but in its lane.
What’s your favorite item of clothing beginning with the letter B?
Bandana
Do you shout out the answers at the TV whilst watching quiz shows?
Sometimes
Do you live by any motto or philosophy?
Necessity is the mother of invention
What horror fiction character scares you the most?
Otis from Rob Zombie’s House of 1000 Corpses- still freaks me out!!
Now to the more serious ones
Musician, graphic designer, painter, photographer, guitarist, fashion guru, author and designer of hand-crafted furniture…is there anything you haven’t done but still want to give a go?
Designing and building motorcycles, which is already in motion 🙂
You are sought after in many industries and have made a name for yourself world-wide. Tell us a bit about this journey and why you choose to conquer so many creative activities.
To me, the design is just bending lines and mixing textures. I just follow my heart to design what I like or design to improve. Finding the right pieces that fit and finding a solution is what keeps it fresh for me.
What does a typical day for you look like, given the diversity of projects you work on?
Every day and every project has the same design process, no matter what it is I’m working on. I dig deep into the story and history behind the project to pull out the best pieces and create a brand around that. Managing client’s expectations is key. Anything above that expectation is over-delivering for the client which is always good. I do get to perform a variety of jobs from photography, to creating websites, to graphic design.
You wear many hats. If you were told you could only choose one to focus on for the rest of your days, which career would you choose?
Overall art direction, specifically for any project that’s cool!
You recently won yet another award from American Web Design for your acclaimed design of the new Baha Men website. Tell us a bit what went into the thinking for this design?
I’ve been doing it so long it becomes like a paint by number when a brand /band has so much history and story. I can’t take the credit for that, I’m just the needle and thread pulling together great art. It’s their award as much as it is mine. For the Baha Men, my main goal was to modernize their look, while still staying true to their Bahamian roots.
Renaissance man is a phrase used to describe you and appears as such on your website. What do you feel contributes to this ability to be described as such?
I just have a go, take the bull by the horns and go for it.
I don’t put boundaries on what I do, the design is design no matter what.
Rick, thanks so much for taking the time out to answer our questions and tell us a bit more about you. We wish you every success in your diverse career, and may 2020 bring all you wish it to.
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