About

Creative Strategist. Problem Solver. Lifelong Artist.

“There are more solutions and options than there are problems.”

That thought came to me in a dream, but it’s become the mantra guiding my entire career.

I’m Gary Carbon—an award-winning Creative Director and the founder of Carbon3Sixty. I’ve built a career around finding smart, unexpected solutions for complex B2B marketing challenges, especially in the healthcare and manufacturing industries. I’ve led brand and marketing initiatives for Fortune 100 companies like Abbott Labs, Baxter International, Mead Johnson Nutrition, and Caterpilla, and a bunch more that are less fortunate, but nonetheless great companies—always with a focus on blending strategic thinking with conceptual creativity.

Early on, I wanted to be a writer. But with undiagnosed dyslexia and dysgraphia, written language became a challenge. So I leaned into the visual arts and pursued design and illustration at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. That challenge turned out to be a gift—it trained me to think in pictures and systems, to connect ideas holistically, and to approach problems with agility and empathy.

My creative path has been anything but linear. I started designing T-shirts for Panama Jack in North Carolina, became an art director for a publishing house, and then jumped into agency life where I contributed to campaigns for Campbell’s Soup, Disney, and Marvel Comics. Along the way, I explored everything from educational toys to retail advertising and event marketing—each stop adding a new tool to my creative toolkit.

I’m also a lifelong illustrator and storyteller. My art appears in books like Thrilling Adventure Yarns, Phenomenons, and Athena Voltaire, and I’ve contributed to classic pulp titles like The Spider and Sherlock Holmes. I work in both traditional and digital mediums and share that side of my work at garycarbonart.com.

Today, I help clients—from startups to global enterprises—craft bold, effective brand stories. Whether you need a strategic roadmap, a visual identity, or an idea that’s never been done before, I’m here to help you find more options and better solutions.