Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to James Capanas. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, James thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

The way I learned how to design was through YouTube and experimenting with different things. Looking in retrospect, my learning process could have been faster if I stayed consistent throughout these past years. I essentially started designing since 2017-2019, took a little hiatus, and came back 2021. Some skills that were most essential would be using a computer and knowing keyboard shortcuts. Some obstacles I faced when it came to learning more were my parents constantly taking away my laptop and devices, and also losing a lot of motivation to design.

James, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Honestly, I just started off as a 10 year-old kid who loved basketball and would be on Instagram 24/7 looking at basketball edits. I would watch YouTube videos on how to edit off mobile, as that was the only form of technology I really had access to. When I was 12, my school gave out free laptops as a part of this program. I was able to get Photoshop and learn through YouTube. I fell in love with it, that I would even edit on the school bus. Currently, I graphic design for fun but also do commissions for things such as: posters, banners, clothing, etc. Something that sets me apart from others is that I really am passionate about what I do. I do not give up and I always try to give my client my 101 in every design, and I communicate and make sure they are satisfied. I am really proud of my progression throughout these past 2 years and all the great friends and people I made along the way. Things that I want people to know about me is that I am very flexible and I love adding my own creative input to make a design better.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

As a 13 year-old who is active and always on the move, hearing you need surgery for a part of your body is not the best news to hear. During that time, I was in constant pain and I had no clue why. In March 2019, I went through a turning point in my life. All it took was a popped hip to get rushed to the ER and learn how serious something is. I was diagnosed with hip dysplasia, and I required a periacetabular osteotomy (PAO). For the next 2 years, I was living in constant pain, and dealt with bullying and mean comments. In October 2021, I finally had surgery and the road to recovery was not easy. I really thank the Lord, my family, and my friends for sticking with me and giving me comfort when I needed it the most. After 5 months of recovering and physiotherapy, I was able to return back to school and live a normal life again. There were times I wanted to give up, and times I felt lost, but I never gave up and I believe all that pain I endured during that time was meant to help me become a stronger person.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My goals and missions have honestly shifted a lot throughout these past few years. I feel like I do not have fixed goals because I always try to aim higher every single time. I feel like it can be both a blessing and curse because the feeling of accomplishing a goals is relieving and great, but then realizing that you can aim higher and do better, makes you feel like the job is not finished yet and stressful. I feel like an objective goal of mine that has stuck throughout these few years is making people happy. Whether it has to do with my designing, or talking to people, I want to be able to empathize with others and put a smile on their face.     

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/j.capanas/ 
  https://www.instagram.com/jcpsd/ and https://www.instagram.com/notw.to/