R.J. Pickrell Interview Published on: 23, Mar 2026

For years, I thought of storytelling in a very practical way. As a web designer, my job was always to help clients tell their story who they are, what they stand for, and why people should connect with their business.

But everything shifted after the devastating Maui wildfires in 2023. Like so many people, I wanted to find a meaningful way to give back to the community that had given me so much. I began working on a cookbook that would highlight and promote local Maui businesses like Paia Spice Company, while also raising funds to support those affected by the fires.

As the project grew, I realized there were other stories that needed to be told—especially for the children of Maui who were still trying to process and cope with such tremendous loss. That’s what inspired me to start writing Taha the Kava, a story that could both support local businesses and help children navigate difficult emotions.

That moment when I saw how storytelling could help heal, support a community, and bring people together was when I truly realized storytelling wasn’t just something I did. It was something I was meant to do.

Living on Maui changed my perspective in profound ways. The island, what many of us affectionately call “Mother Maui” has a way of welcoming you, teaching you, and helping you grow.

The people I’ve met there have shown me what genuine connection looks like: community, compassion, and a deep respect for life and culture. That kind of environment naturally inspires stories about love, passion, and the ways people connect with one another.

Those themes aren’t something I force into my writing, they’re simply reflections of what I experience and witness every day in Hawaiʻi.

Living in a place as beautiful as Maui makes inspiration almost unavoidable. The island surrounds you with it.

One moment I might be walking along the beach in Kihei, the next diving off Molokini crater, or hiking through the bamboo forest. Each experience brings new perspectives, emotions, and ideas.

The natural beauty, the ocean, the culture, and the people all shape the tone of my writing. It’s like standing in warm sunlight—you don’t have to search for inspiration here. It simply surrounds you.

Maui relies heavily on tourism, and the island has been through tremendous challenges in recent years. First COVID slowed everything down, and then the wildfires brought devastating loss to so many families and businesses.

When I started writing, my goal wasn’t just to create something entertaining—it was to create something meaningful. I wanted my work to contribute in a real way to the community that has given me so much.

If my books can help support local businesses, raise funds, and bring attention to the people of Hawaiʻi, then storytelling becomes more than art. It becomes a way to give back.

The people of Hawaiʻi embody kindness, resilience, and community in a way that is truly inspiring. I’ve seen neighbors step up to help each other with everything they have—without hesitation.

There is also a deep respect for history, culture, and the land itself. That level of dedication to community and heritage is something I carry with me every day.

As both an artist and an advocate, it constantly reminds me that creativity should serve a purpose—not just personal expression but also supporting and uplifting the people around us.

At their core, all three are forms of storytelling.

Web design allows me to help businesses share who they are with the world. Writing allows me to share deeper ideas, emotions, and cultural experiences. Graphic design brings those stories to life visually.

Each discipline strengthens the others. My design experience helps me build stronger branding and visuals for my books, while my storytelling skills help me create more compelling websites for clients.

Ultimately, everything I do is about helping stories—and the people behind them—reach a wider audience.

Before moving to Maui, I had visited the island frequently and built strong relationships with people there. One of those connections was Kristen, who managed Moose McGillycuddy’s in Kihei.

During one of my visits, their website unexpectedly went down. Kristen knew about my background in web design and asked if I could help rebuild it. That opportunity opened my eyes to something important—many small local businesses didn’t have affordable, reliable options when it came to professional web design.

Most solutions were either extremely expensive mainland agencies or unreliable overseas services.

That’s what inspired me to start Kihei Web Design LLC: to provide local businesses with high-quality websites at a fair and accessible cost, while giving them a partner who truly understands their community.

One of the biggest mistakes small businesses make is treating their website like a digital brochure instead of a living part of their business.

Many websites are outdated, slow, or unclear about what the business actually offers. Others rely entirely on social media and forget that they need a strong online home they truly own.

The fix is simple but powerful: invest in a clean, fast website with clear messaging, strong branding, and easy ways for customers to take action. Combine that with consistent content, good search visibility, and authentic storytelling about the business.

When businesses focus on clarity and connection, their online presence becomes a powerful growth tool instead of just another expense.

Branding is really about identity—understanding who something is, what it represents, and how people emotionally connect with it.

When I write fiction, I approach characters and worlds in a very similar way. Each character has their own “brand” in a sense: their values, voice, motivations, and emotional presence.

Design thinking also helps me visualize environments, pacing, and atmosphere. I often imagine scenes the same way I would design a visual experience—thinking about tone, contrast, and how each element guides the audience through the story.

For me, storytelling is one of the most powerful ways to inspire change. People connect with stories far more deeply than they do with statistics or headlines.

Through my work, I try to highlight real issues—whether that’s community recovery, cultural respect, environmental awareness, or emotional resilience—while still creating engaging and meaningful stories.

The goal isn’t to preach or lecture, but to create narratives that encourage empathy, understanding, and action.

The most rewarding responses are when someone tells me that something I created truly helped them.

Sometimes that’s a business owner saying their new website helped them grow or reach new customers. Other times it’s a reader who connected deeply with a story or message.

Knowing that my work can support someone’s business, inspire them, or help them feel understood—that’s what makes everything worthwhile.

Absolutely—though some of those scenes are still waiting to appear in future books.

One experience that stayed with me was being about 100 feet underwater when a 14-foot tiger shark swam directly toward me and locked eyes with me. It was an intense moment, but also incredibly powerful.

That encounter inspired a dramatic confrontation scene in a science-fiction story I’m currently working on. It also gave me a deeper appreciation for sharks and their importance within Hawaiian culture and the ocean ecosystem.

Let’s just say… stay tuned.

One of the biggest challenges is balancing creativity with the realities of running a business—especially in a place where resources and networks can sometimes be limited.

There’s also the challenge of wearing multiple hats: writer, designer, marketer, and entrepreneur all at once.

The way I’ve overcome those challenges is by building strong relationships within the community, continuing to learn, and staying focused on the bigger purpose behind the work. When your goal is bigger than yourself, it becomes easier to push through obstacles.

Do your research and protect your creative rights.

Over the past decade, I’ve made plenty of mistakes working with publishing companies and design services that didn’t have creators’ best interests in mind. Choosing the right partners can make all the difference.

Work with companies that allow you to keep ownership of your work and that support you through the entire process—from formatting and cover design to distribution and marketing.

Understanding your rights and choosing the right collaborators is one of the most important steps in building a sustainable creative career.

Absolutely. AllAuthor has been one of the few platforms I’ve worked with that genuinely delivers on what they promise.

Their promotional tools and marketing resources—especially the seasonal and holiday mockups—make it incredibly easy to create professional content to promote books.

What I appreciate most is that they don’t overpromise or inflate expectations the way many marketing services do. Instead, they provide practical tools at a very fair price, and the results speak for themselves. It’s a platform I plan to continue using for every book I publish.