A Love Supreme: My Adventures in Building
From Cinephile, to DJ and Design Intern
“It is wonderful to create.” — Akira Kurosawa
“As far back as I can remember I always wanted to be a gangster.” — Ray Liotta, Goodfellas
For as long as I can remember, I’ve always wanted to do things on my own terms. A long time ago I promised myself I would always follow my gut through thick and thin, and always find work that was expressive (even if that meant that I would be dead broke). I was determined — one way or another — to carve out a niche for myself and find a way to live off of my own creativity.
I’ve been a creative soul since my youth but it wasn’t until my twenties that music, film and design really became my primary focuses in life. I’ve been striving to work within those mediums ever since. Not everyone is able to incorporate their own personal hobbies into their job/s. So, I must say that I’ve been extremely fortunate thus far in that regard (though it didn’t happen overnight).
As the saying goes: Every man needs a hobby. I have several which have helped shape the person I am today. The first is record collecting. It’s more of an infatuation actually, one which started about twenty years ago. I started out buying Hip Hop, then eventually moved on to Soul, Funk, Jazz, Reggae, Punk, Electronic and Psychedelic Rock. Collecting all of these records is what ultimately led me to DJing which has been my bread and butter for the last ten years (curious about my style? check out some of my mixes).
Music may well be my primary infatuation, but film comes in at a close second. I think I’ve been a hardcore film enthusiast since my mom was pregnant with me and went to see Alien. At this point in my life I’ve seen thousands of films (this makes choosing a favorite nearly impossible, but when asked off the cuff I usually go with ‘Big Trouble in Little China’ — I grew up on it and can quote it verbatim).
DJing at local clubs and bars on weekends afforded me the luxury to indulge my film fetish by working for the Salt Lake Film Society. Though it paid pennies, the decade I spent with the film society adequately satiated the cinephile in me. While there, I had the privilege of rebranding the logo for the Tower Theatre (SLC’s oldest operating movie house). This was huge for me as I had been watching movies on its screen since the 90's.
All the while I was devouring music and film, I was also immersing myself in graphic design (what I had initially studied after graduate school). My design interest was first piqued when I started collecting jazz records and discovered the Blue Note album cover art of Reid Miles. Some of my other design inspiration includes vintage collage work, pulp fiction paperbacks, street art from luminaries such as Eric Haze, Futura 2000, Barry McGee, Stevie Powers and of course the classic movie poster art of Saul Bass.
My own personal graphic design work had always been very selective (mainly film and music based) coming mainly from like-minded individuals for their own creative projects. It helped pay the bills, but the bulk of my income still came from DJing. However, it was only a matter of time before I began to feel a bit disenchanted with the idea of spinning records for a living. As much as I loved it, I came to the realization that I wouldn’t be able to keep doing it until I was old and gray. It seemed only natural to start focusing more on graphic design.
This is where Struck enters the picture. When I heard about an internship opening, I immediately jumped at the opportunity. This would be a new challenge, unlike any I had encountered before. Luckily the good folks at Struck saw fit to give me the chance of a lifetime (I promise, they didn’t make me say that). Talk about jumping into design life head first! My first day in the Struck Salt Lake City office was akin to a child getting their first glimpse of a huge toy store. It’s a workspace like none other, chock full of creative minds. Just an explosion of vibrant imagination from all sides!
Witnessing the day-to-day workings of a creative agency firsthand has been a glimpse into an entirely new world. I’ve had the chance to watch the collaborative process of people working hand-in-hand to produce some pretty amazing projects. The first week has not only been a big eye opener, but has also provided a different way of looking at the craft altogether.
So here I am, turning the page to a new chapter in life and seeing where it takes me. I look forward to what it may bring. So, to all you at Struck, please don’t hesitate to ask anything of me! I am up for the challenge — that’s why I signed up. And if I don’t know how to bust something out, I’ll just fake it until I make it…right?
James Ramirez is a DJ, freelance graphic designer and cinephile. When he’s not digging for used records he’s searching local strip malls for the best ethnic food. Right now he’s also the summer design intern at Struck.
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