Today we’d like to introduce you to James Rao.
Hi James, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I got started on my path during my junior year of high school when I took my first graphic design class and really learned about my love for digital art and expressing myself. Once I took my screen-printing class, I realized how much fun it is to make things with my hands. Once I got my first job I saved up and worked as much as I could so I can buy my first vinyl cutting machine and made my first Etsy shop. Since then, I learned how to do more and more stuff like shirts and buttons. During the time in quarantine, I used the time to learn more about photography and my graphic art as well and made so many new projects. There is so much to learn and so much to make and I’m excited to keep going!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It hasn’t been a smooth road, there’s been a lot of struggles along the way and times when I felt like the stuff I make is not being noticed. One major struggle is trying to make product or an Etsy shop that stands out from everyone else trying to sell similar products. Since I started my time on Etsy, I changed my shop name 2 or 3 times and made a whole new shop as a way to rebrand myself so I can stand out a little more. Photography and digital art have some challenges, I love the creative control photography has but after a while it gets hard to not take the same photos over and over or take photos that have been taken by someone else. There have been multiple times when I have a major creative block and can’t think of anything new.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My favorite art to make is polygon portraits which is what I specialize in I usually do characters from tv shows or movies like the Scarlet Witch and recreate the photo using hundreds maybe thousands of triangles to form the likeness of the person. I am also proud of my photography lately I have been into creating black and white images but what I’m most proud of is the photos I took during my time in Japan.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
Luck has had a good role in my life and business, equally good and bad I would say. The role luck plays in my life and creating my business is just that luck, I wasn’t lucky enough to be accepted into the photo contest I entered but in the same week, I was super lucky and got the email from you guys at the Voyager. So, no matter what good or bad luck comes my way I’ll gladly take the good but won’t let the bad stop me.
Contact Info:
- Email: jamesrao723@gmail.com
- Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/PersonaFactory?ref=seller-platform-mcnav
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jr_photography1812/?hl=en
- Other: https://www.behance.net/James-Rao
