Today we’d like to introduce you to James Junk.
Hi James, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
The beginning of my graphic design story can be pinpointed very easily. The world was on Month 9 of lockdown and, like most people, I was desperate for some kind of metamorphosis. I had taken months off from social media because I had become a chronic doomscroller and perennial content consumer. My classes for the semester were finally over (I still have war scars from taking Accounting 2). Needless to say, I had nothing to do.
I had been reading Matt Haig’s Notes On A Nervous Planet at the time, and he wrote something about just going for it—whatever it was. Evidently, I felt called out and was enamored with the idea of going for it. The gag was that I didn’t have an “it” to go for. I was stumped.
And as though someone from the expanse of the universe were listening to my thoughts, I thought about starting an Instagram account to share my graphic design creations.
I was never one to “show” my work unless asked, so posting my designs on the internet for all to perceive? Yeah, that was about as plausible an idea as assault weapons and high-capacity magazines in this country actually being banned. And as a perfectionist from birth, there was no way I would just flippantly make a design account ‘just cause a book told me.
But Matt Haig’s voice kept ringing in my brain—go for it, go for it, go for it.
And for it I went. I called the account James Junk—a nom de plume that means nothing. I wish there was a profound meaning behind it, but honestly, I was just reading another book and happened upon the word “junk” and really kind of fell in love with it. And I knew I wanted an alliteration of some sort, and James was the closest J name I had in my pocket. So James Junk it was. Or rather, James Junk I am.
It’s only been two years since that moment, but, in the best way possible, it feels like it’s been about ten. I’ve tried so many graphic design styles—minimalist, maximalist, psychedelic, type-forward; so many techniques—risograph, motion graphics, illustration; so many eras—vintage, 80s, futuristic. The pendulum has swung back and forth many times. But one thing has stayed the same: keeping it funky fresh, keeping it true to myself, and most of all, fun.
I respect anybody who’s pulled an idea out of their mind and fully brought it to life. All my life, I’ve always been creative—whether it be dancing at the school talent show, writing short stories in my journal, doodling on my notebook, trying not to doze off in high school Chemistry, or glittering placards for my campaign for student body president—but I’ve never used it in a way I’ve used James Junk. That sh*t is incorporeal. To know that it stemmed from a dry, tedium-ridden day in quarantine and now it’s turned into a community of over twelve thousand people who love the same things I do, it’s crazy. Crazy and humbling and all of the above.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Being a creative is fun, but not without any hiccups—I’m sure I’m not the first one to declare that being a creative in this digiconomy comes with its own unmalleable catalogue of ups, downs, lefts, and rights. And being an internet presence just exacerbates the inherent cons of it all. It’s a perpetual back-and-forth, and the imposter syndrome is higher than ever. There’s a lot of “Why do these people follow me? Isn’t the next guy more worth their time?” But this isn’t a psychotrauma column, so let’s stop while we’re ahead.
I’ve also trained myself not to look at others as competition but as community, but it’s human to sometimes compare myself to another designer, especially when I’m inundated with their designs every time I go on Instagram. This coincides with me being someone who likes to dip my chip in every dip, which is tabulated on my Instagram; if you scroll through from the top to the bottom, you’d see the number of styles and design stories I’ve explored through my designs. It’s both a blessing and a curse because I fancy myself a design chameleon, but it can sometimes get wearing on me because I put pressure on myself to try the Next New Thing.
I think a good way that I’ve found to alleviate these pains is to be gentle with myself. Affirmations and self-sentiments help a lot with that—“I don’t have to do it just ‘cause I see other people do it. I don’t always have to be moving and scheming. I don’t have to do everything. I can just sit here, still, and enjoy where I am. It’s a good place to be. It’s a place I’ve never been to until today. And it feels good.” And that’s just it, isn’t it? If it doesn’t feel good, then why am I doing it? It’s become quite the yardstick for my projects; if it doesn’t make me happy, I don’t do it.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am an independent graphic designer and creative director, and a lot of my work surrounds mental health, activism and allyship, and the queer POC reality. I’m proud of my work for Impact Media—where I have worked as a Senior Designer since 2022—the digital destination for young people shaping the future. At Impact, I have the privilege of creating designs that communicate complex and nuanced subjects to eyes and minds of all shapes and sizes, from explainers that break down complicated political events to content about the intersection of pop culture and social justice.
And I’m proud of James Junk. It’s taken me to places I never thought I’d be, introduced me to people I genuinely classify as friends who inspire me every day, and it’s connected me to a higher version of myself. The version of myself that young me never expected: someone who makes his own rules, lets his mind run free, and his imagination come home. Someone who thinks not outside of the box, but rather thinks like there is no box.
I subscribe to the belief that my best work is always ahead of me. I am unafraid to level up, push the envelope, and forge ahead of my only competition: myself. I specialize in not specializing. Poster design, video storytelling, content creation, branding, and strategy. There’s so much I love and so much I enjoy—and so much I have to yet discover—and it would feel like a kick in the balls to pigeonhole myself into one label when I can just be labelless.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
People can support me by interacting with my Instagram page (@jamesjunk.co), as my practice is social-first. I like to work with brands with a personality, so if that’s you, don’t be afraid to hit me on DM or email at howdy@jamesjunk.co. Let’s boogie!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jamesjunk.co
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamesjunk.co/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreidominiq/
- Youtube: youtube.com/@jamesjunkco
Image Credits
All credits go to James Junk.
