Today we’d like to introduce you to Nathan James.
Hi Nathan, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself
Well back in the Myspace, Xanga & Black Planet days—I wanted to figure out how to make a BAPE character of myself. Soon not only did I make the character I “photoshopped” him into a picture of myself wearing the same outfit. Later, I started doing flyers for friends around the neighborhood & as time continued and more flyers got made, I had to figure out what I was going to do after high school. With college being the goal my Grandparents always pushed me towards, I also had to figure out what I “wanted to be when I grow up”. And because Video Game Design confused the hell out of me, I decided to go with the only other thing that brought me joy & could bring in money–Graphic Design.
After spending some time at Northeast Lakeview Community College, I ended up in the Communication Design program at Texas State—San Marcos, where I discovered there was a Branding & a “little thing” called the Advertising Industry which I then latched onto wanting to be able to make a living creating. The program taught me so much & I made an impression on some of my Professors to get an opportunity to have a PAID internship with McGarrah Jessee who’s a pretty big agency out in Austin. While there, I got a taste of that agency life & got to work on a TX fav Whataburger & met the man who designed the Spurs logo–Which is pretty big deal being that I’m from San Antonio. Later, when I graduated my animation Professor got me an opportunity to freelance with this new agency called PREACHER. During this time using the skills I’ve picked up–I would also begin freelancing for some friends, family & more within my community. Which to even this day is some of my favorite work because the pride & confidence it built for them & their businesses.
When my Grandmother who was a child-care provider needed to bring in more kids it brought me joy knowing I could offer my skills to help her achieve this goal. My first job would come later working for Drumroll in ATX for the next two years where I got to work on some Microsoft & got an award for some company playlist designs. Next, I made my way back to PREACHER where I spent about 3 years working on Fanta, Vimeo & more gaining even more experience. Recently after a terribly enlightening 2020–I decided to transition to working for myself, wanting to take an opportunity to reset & get back to doing the work the type of work that initially brought me joy. Which is equally terrifying and exciting.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’s been a challenging path I’d say. Anxiety is a fun struggle in general. It constantly has me overthinking my work & how it will be received by the client & my peers, especially since there’s so much good work & talented creatives out here. Earlier in my career I felt it would take me longer to get a project finished because I would doubt my work so much and would want to get it “perfect”. But that’s why we have deadlines, and nothing’s ever going to be perfect so you just have to make a decision, trust yourself and be open to feedback. Being in an industry that doesn’t have many people in it that look like you can be difficult to navigate and adds another level to anxiety. Always running interactions & work through a separate filter internally & externally at times. Never wanting to feel like a token, but also wanting to make sure you utilize your voice when it matters, especially nowadays. Burnout is also something that happens while I’ve been in the Advertising industry–finding and keeping the motivation can be challenging. But the more I accomplish projects and see thing’s through, it can help fuel that inspiration. Taking a few days to myself, enjoying nature, family, friends, video games & I love a good concert though we can’t do that right now due to COVID19.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m a creative, that specializes in design and art direction. I’ve spent six years working in the advertising industry, but recently decided to bet on myself and pursue freelancing and as well as other projects that I want to take on while I’m young-is. I specialize in branding, typography & illustration always looking to get more experience with different skills so I can be more effective. I’m known for bringing quality work and probably some good song recommendations. The Fanta work I completed at PREACHER seems gets me noticed by recruiters & agencies which is great for new opportunities. I’m most proud to have the skillset & knowledge to help businesses grow using my creativity and an outlet to express myself using that same creativity. I believe we all bring a certain perspective to our work & our journeys help set us apart. So I feel just being me sets me apart which is a pretty general answer.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
It’s cliché but, you’ve got to believe in and be patient with yourself & the progress you make. I tend to always look back on my journey surprised at the progression. I never imagined working on some of the projects I’ve been a part of, or even presenting the work to clients to get them onboard with the direction, which is half the battle because everyone has different tastes–and I’m an introvert so being social and presenting can be quite draining.
Contact Info:
- Email: njames91@gmail.com
- Website: nathanjames.net
- Instagram: nathan_m_james
Image Credits
Alison Narro – Portrait of me
Sam Cook – Unveil Your Reality shirt (Next to design)
Darryl Diggs Jr – Unveil Your Reality (Photo with backdrop)
