"Everyone says I talk and act like I'm 35 -- or 45," he said.

A typical email from him goes something like this:

I was just exhibiting at Artomatic in Arlington all May..

http://www.flickr.com/photos/22024929@N00/470801472/

I got accepted to this Cuba poster design challenge thing thru AIGA. I'm one of 8 designers from America participating with 8 designers from Cuba.

http://www.shared-dreams2007.com/

I just started a new position at AOL. It is really exciting, I work with the Key Experiences, UI & Prototype Team.

Really fun stuff ...

Or this:

I have had the most insane last 2 weeks, so first I was in southbeach with my girlfriend, friday til wed

http://www.jess3.com/blog/2007/10/south-beach-miami-october-2007.html

then on wed morning I fly to havana and she flew back to dc. I met up with my aiga crew and toured the city for a few days etc then we went to the icograda congress which was amazing. http://www.jess3.com/blog/2007/10/havana_28.html

then flew back friday and leslie picks me up at 630pm and we go to startup weekend.. where we stayed til 2am

http://www.jess3.com/blog/2007/10/startup-weekend-dc.html

And so on.

Calling him a go-getter would be an understatement. This guy works day and night seven days a week -- and loves it.

I discovered his art about a year ago when looking at the Busboys and Poets website, which he designed. The site led me to his own, which displays row upon row of creative work, from web designs to graphic art to skateboard designs, art shows and blogs, plus links to his various accounts -- Flickr, Linkedin, del.icio.us, twitter, upcoming.org, ImInLikeWithYou ...

I have been trying to get an interview with him for the past year and finally caught him on his cell while he was driving home to Tyson's Corner from a business meeting in D.C.

He talked a mile a minute, bursting with ideas and stories.

Coffee much? It's Red Bull, he said. He would make a great advertisement for them.

While in Cuba, he took about 1,200 photos and 100 videos. A lot of them are on the Internet now, as he pretty much uploads them directly from his phone while he's leaving a meeting or on his way to the next.

"I carry my laptop with me everywhere ... It's a way for people to stay connected to me," he said.

He travels a lot because "every time you create a web design, you're invited to learn about the business," he explained. So in the process of creating sites for clients, he has learned about numerous companies -- and has gained skills in marketing and PR (he loves that aspect of the business, too).

How did he get here?

How does this happen? With AOL and numerous "freelance" projects that never seem to end.

By the time he was in high school, he had tons of web ideas and "clearly saw the demand" for websites.

Look at it like cars in the industrial revolution, he said. This is the information revolution. It's the equivalent of watching cars roll out on an assembly line. In 2060, how many websites are there gonna be?

"I didn't graduate from college, I don't have a degree ... and a reporter wants to interview me on my career," he said, excitedly.

He has done graphic design/art shows in D.C., Virginia, New York City, as well as one for skateboard designs in Columbus, Ohio.

(He doesn't skateboard though, and said he's basically a wuss and doesn't like to fall, though he's always had a fascination with surf culture and the bohemian style of things. "Sublime ... It's such a big part of how I define my soul -- their music, their culture. Sublime isn't just about music anymore." The sun on the album art for "40 Oz. to Freedom" was a particularly vivid inspiration for Thomas.)

"I love the digital art, animation, 3-D, printing ... there's just not enough money in that," he said.

He's worked with everything from the Saudi Arabian Industry to Best Buy to local reggae bands (originally from Arlington, Va., Thomas is a huge fan of Soldiers of Jah Army and has created several of their designs, from album covers to posters and PR materials). You have Busboys and Poets, "one of the most liberal places in D.C.," he said, as well as a blog for Rob Bluey, director of communications for The Heritage Foundation (robertbluey.com/blog).

"So, it's across the board."

I asked him to tell me a story about a time he failed, and, of course(!), he couldn't.

"I remember once when I was working at Qorvis, a few years ago, I had (an) opportunity to design the sporting goods manufacturers' association website -- 15k scope of work, simple stuff -- and they needed it quickly. I thought it was gonna be great. Then I got a call from the client saying they couldn't work with me because I'm a freelancer and they'd had bad experiences with freelancers."

They went with a small agency instead, but, two weeks later, Thomas got a call informing him the small agency wasn't able to deliver the product, so they asked if he was still interested.

"Typically, my bad stories end like that," he said.

Fair enough. If you've got luck and the stuff to back it up, go for it. But doesn't he ever get tired? Drained of creativity? Stress, meltdown, overload ... Doesn't he ever need some good sleep?

"There's your personal life and your sanity," he said. "You don't want to kill the golden goose -- which is yourself."

To see his art, go to Jess3.com. Follow the many links from there.