Hi I’m Otis, a Creative and Writing Director. I’m an Aries who loves noodles, long runs in the woods, and the Oxford comma.
The shortest distance between two people is a good story.
Well hello. I'm Otis, a copywriter and creative director with 20+ years of experience turning words into stories and stories into impact for brands, products, and the people behind them.
I've led brand writing at Dropbox, partnered with agencies and in-house teams on work for Google, YouTube, REI, adidas, Nest, PayPal, and Yakima, and spent a lot of time in the space between shower thoughts and the finished product. I believe the best creative work starts with great questions—and that getting to those questions is more than half the job (also maybe the most fun).
Beyond the brand work, my writing has appeared in Bicycling Magazine, Bon Appétit, Saveur, Epicurious, and Portland Monthly. My poems have been published in Poetry International, Inkwell, and The Clackamas Literary Review, among others.
I grew up surfing, climbing, and riding BMX in San Diego, then moved to Portland for college and stayed. I was a University Fellow at New York University, where I earned an MFA in Creative Writing, ate a lot of ramen, and fell in love with lots of things. I miss New York all the time, but she understands.
Nice things
about me
New York University Fellow, MFA Program, Poetry 1997-99
Can drive a forklift. Excellent knife skills. Good with a cocktail shaker.
Master Sommelier dropout—but still pretty strong with a wine list.