Hi, I'm Lisa.

I'm so glad you're here.

I'm the person behind every illustration, every dry humor line, and every design you'll find at Capy Life.

By day, I work in a high school mathematics department. By night (and honestly whenever inspiration strikes), you'll usually find me sketching, playing guitar, working on a new Capy Life idea, or thinking about how I am going to transform the yard for Halloween.  If there is one thing that has always been true about me, it's that I love creating experiences.

When I was growing up, I was constantly drawing cartoons. My favorite character was a spiky little guy named Fuzzhead, who has even made a few appearances alongside Gene. I doodled on everything....including a favorite pair of jeans that I covered with my characters. One day they mysteriously ended up in the washing machine. My mother insisted it was time for me to own a normal pair of jeans. I'm still not entirely convinced.

I also spent my middle school summers at a performing arts camp, where I studied drawing, painting, and theater. Looking back, those three things probably explain a lot about who I am today. I've continued performing in one way or another ever since, including trying stand-up comedy a few times. I still love to sing, I'm learning to play guitar, and I take art classes whenever I get the chance because I believe there's always something new to learn.

But drawing was never the whole story.  What I've always loved most is creating experiences.

Growing up, I even built my own Disney-style ride in our basement (not nearly as impressive as it may sound, you had to sit on a skateboard to "ride it").  Every October, our family transforms the front lawn using skeletons into a giant Halloween display with a completely different theme each year (now everyone fights over the theme). Whether it's designing a lawn display, telling a story on stage, or dreaming up a new capybara illustration, I love creating things that make people stop, smile, laugh, and remember the moment.

I've also been known for my shenanigans for as long as I can remember. If you know me well, that's probably not surprising. Somewhere along the way, I realized Gene and I have quite a bit in common.

Gene entered our lives after my family traveled to Taiwan to adopt our youngest son. Early on in that trip I discovered capybaras...and completely fell in love with them. They are quirky.  They are different.  And they are surprisingly lovable for the world's largest rodent.  We brought home a stuffed capybara that eventually became Gene.

At first, Gene was just a stuffed animal that traveled everywhere with us.  Then he started having "observations of the world" and he became a drawing.  Now he's on shirts, mugs, journals, totes, or whatever else his thought might make sense on.  One day he might even challenge Mickey for the world's most favorite rodent....

Today, every design still starts exactly the same way.  It either starts with a phrase that popped into my head, and I'll draw it later, or a funny pose for Gene that I'll think of the words for later. 

If you've spent any time exploring Capy Life, you've probably noticed a theme.

I love quiet moments (even though I am an extrovert).

I love being silly and getting into shenanigans.

I love dry humor.

I love cozy life moments.  

I love golf (even though my handicap says that I don't).

I love celebrating the wonderfully weird parts of being human (as a very weird child growing up).  

People always ask me, "Are you trying to make money with Capy Life?"  Honestly, no.  I really just want Gene to be out there in the world.  I want someone to wear the shirt, or pick up a journal and smile.  And it would, of course, be cool to see him "in the wild" and know that was my little, humble drawing.   If that happens, then I've accomplished exactly what I set out to do.

One of the best things I hear at the local fairs I do is either:

"That's so me."

or

"I know exactly who needs this."

Thanks for stopping by my little corner of the internet.

I hope Gene makes you smile.

— Lisa