On the surface, Grovemade is pretty straightforward. We design and make stuff. Stuff for your desk, for your person, for your home. Through the efforts of our team and a bit of luck, we’ve been able to share our products with folks around the world. It’s been a richly satisfying ride, and over the years we’ve been able to dig deeper, exploring the lessons learned through experience, as well as talking to friends old and new about work and life and the intersection of the two. To put it simply, we’re all about finding what matters, and our conclusion is that no matter the task, it’s all about the people behind the process.

Which brings us to the talented young folks at Nomad Film Co. A team of filmmakers from Southern California, they sent us an email earlier this year detailing their summer project. Like us, they were on the hunt for inspiration, and to gain it they were embarking on a West Coast road trip, putting some miles on their tires while gaining insight from fellow creatives along the way. We thought it sounded like a great project and invited them to our shop to film.

Which brings us to William Anthony. William is a Portland-based photographer and a longtime friend of Grovemade. He’s done a bit of everything, all with camera in hand. His most recent personal project, Time Slip, led him to the oiled asphalt of the Portland International Raceway and the annual drag racing series they host each summer. Trading in his digital camera for analog in black and white, he let the story develop before him, gaining access to a tradition of roaring engines and burning rubber that stretches back into the arcana of America. We thought his project, his skill set, and passion for documenting was a perfect subject for the Nomad guys.