Welcome to Our House
Welcome to Our House
Kristen Rebelo & Cade Robinson
December 12, 2019 | Photos @ openHAUS Coworking, Portland OR
IT’S THE END OF A DECADE AND WE’VE BEEN QUIETLY WORKING OUR ASSES OFF FOR YEARS. NOW WE HAVE SOME THINGS TO SAY.
Who are we?
We’re House of Rebelo — but more importantly, we’re Kristen and Cade. Both from Virginia (born-and-raised), we met working for the same design company in DC in our early twenties. Fast-forward to now; we’ve U-hauled across the country to live in Portland, Oregon, adopted two cats, and live every day as our best queer, artist selves. We’ve built House of Rebelo from the ground up, and we’ve learned a lot. About how to best work with our clients, how to carve out a space for ourselves in this industry, and how to use what we do (branding, design, creative strategy) to serve a larger purpose.
What are we doing?
We’ve started this online space to build a corner of the internet that doesn’t suck. As a way to speak directly to and have conversations with the people in our creative community, and with those who may be seeking to work with creatives but don’t know where to start. What will this look like? Writing, audio, art. Whatever we want, this is our house (and yours.)
We’ve started this online space to build a corner of the internet that doesn’t suck. As a way to speak directly to and have conversations with the people in our creative community, and with those who may be seeking to work with creatives but don’t know where to start. What will this look like? Writing, audio, art. Whatever we want, this is our house (and yours.)
Who is this for?
Whether you’re a client who works with us already (hello!), you run an organization, or you’re building something new, we see the work you’re putting in to get your ideas off the ground. We’re here to offer you more insight into “what do you artistic people actually do??” and how this creative work is crucial to supporting your mission and building genuine, lasting connections with your audience.
And if you’re a creative — especially if you’re young, if your identity makes it harder to exist within or be taken seriously by the world, if you feel eaten alive by your industry, you belong here. It’s through honest conversations and thoughtful collaborations with each other that we realize how much power we hold with our abilities of artistic expression.
How do I stay in the loop?
You can sign up for our newsletter, where you’ll get a capsule of everything we’ve posted here each month, plus some super-secret-inside-stuff. And of course, there’s instagram, follow us at @houseofrebelo for our view of the world.
Kristen
Cade
*BONUS!* LIGHTNING ROUND WITH KRISTEN & CADE:
Quick, who are your creative heros?
KR: Ava DuVernay for her storytelling, point of view, and for constantly being driven by her mission. Elaine Welteroth for revolutionizing Teen Vogue for young readers and then walking into Anna Wintour’s office and quitting to do her own thing. (Anna, I also love you, in case you’re reading.) And Patti Smith. Because it took her a long time to find her creative voice, and when she did, it was fearless.
CR: Mr. Rogers for creating media that emphasized patience and empathy over derision. Andrea Gibson for using poetry and performance to encourage sensitivity and introspection — ultimately leading to our truest, queerest selves. Brian Eno for producing media in close collaboration with artists, pushing limits, and revolutionizing how emotions are communicated in music.
If you could only use one writing or drawing tool for the rest of your life it would be…
KR: a black felt tip pen
CR: charcoal pencils
What’s a piece of media you recommend to everyone?
KR: The Jungle, by Upton Sinclair. Every American worker should read this book. If you read it in high school, read it again.
CR: I recommend everyone watch Joseph Campbell’s The Power of Myth. People tend to get caught up in symbols — reading metaphors literally; losing the nuance and lessons passed down over time. Campbell examines mythology and how it relates to every single one of us.
What’s something that always clears your head?
KR: Traveling, dancing, being in water.
CA: Wandering aimlessly with a journal in natural settings, far away from other humans.