About Us
Pieter and Michael are the team at Pod Creative. We work with emerging to mid-size businesses and local NGOs in the Comox Valley and surrounding communities. With over 15 years of experience in online development, publishing, and graphic design, we are confident we can offer solutions for your business or organization’s marketing needs.
Pieter Vorster
After graduating from the University of the Orange Free State with both a distinction in Communications and the Andre Du Plessis-prize for best Dramatic Arts student, Pieter obtained a diploma in Creative Writing from the AAA School of Advertising (Cape Town, South Africa) before spending 3 years cutting his teeth as a professional copywriter for Saatchi & Saatchi.
Feeling the need for something more…moral…Pieter traveled to Taiwan to teach English to a beautiful bunch of crazy kids that taught him almost as much as his entire formal education did. However, the pen turned out to be mightier than the dry-erase marker, and in 2005 Pieter became Managing Editor of FYI South – a bilingual city guide focusing on the southern region of the island. Following 21 lucrative months of deadlines, designs and community events, he left behind the publication to travel further and start the move to Canada.
Since arriving in the Comox Valley in late 2008, Pieter has been working on his home-based business (now Pod Creative) – aiming to help small business and non-profit organisations establish and maintain professional up-to-date communications systems and empowering members of the public through personal, practical guidance in basic online tools. He is passionate about making a difference, skiing (and most other adventure sports), traveling, graphic novels and on-line communication opportunities.
He now calls the Comox Valley home and lives there with his wife Caila and his daughters Juniper and Wren.
Michael Holding
Michael is the Designer at Pod Creative, where he helps clients bring their ideas to life online. With more than twenty years of experience in graphic design and digital media, he combines creativity with technical skill to craft websites that are both clean and functional. He enjoys teaching clients how to use WordPress and the Divi Theme, making sure they feel comfortable and capable of managing their own sites. Michael holds an Honours degree in Fine Arts and Cultural Studies from York University, and his career has spanned everything from print and web to video, events, and brand identity — always with an emphasis on clarity and purposeful design.
Clients appreciate Michael’s thoughtful approach and his belief that great design should not only look good but also work seamlessly.
When he’s not designing, you’ll often find Michael behind the decks as em.ash, producing and performing underground house and techno, painting bold abstract acrylics, or enjoying a round of disc golf.
