Michael Van Huffel is an award-winning Santa Cruz-based photographer, animator, and musician. His creative career began with Prince at Paisley Park and later as a Creative Director in Hollywood. His current work centers around the limitations of MECFS.

Van Huffel's career started as an in-house graphic artist for Prince, where he contributed to album layouts, music videos, and more, earning two RIAA Gold Record Awards. He later worked in advertising for clients like Nike and MTV before moving to Los Angeles to design motion art for film and TV, eventually becoming a Creative Director.

In 2008, a life-changing diagnosis of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (MECFS) led to his current work. Confined by his illness, he began a photo-a-day project, finding creative possibilities within his limited surroundings. This practice evolved into a new artistic direction, making unusual, abstract images that often resemble paintings. His work is a testament to creating through and with limitations, finding ways to be productive and creative within the windows of functionality his illness allows.