Today we’d like to introduce you to Justin Cory.
Hi Justin, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My journey to the place I am now took a lot of turns and had its fair share of dead ends. I have always been excited my creating art and music and throughout playing in various bands I would often be the one to design, illustrate, and create our visual identities. It started with logos but evolved into shirts, album illustration, poster/flyer layout, and beyond. I worked in restaurants and bars all throughout my late teens, twenties, and up to my mid thirties to subsidize my touring musician lifestyle.
In my late 30s I went back to college for design after realizing that I was unhappy with my professional life and at the encouragement of my wife. It was a strange time completing my degree during a pandemic and in my late 30s but I managed to get my Associates in Graphic Design at Portland Community College and then my Bachelors in Graphic Design at Portland State University. Throughout this, I tackled every freelance design or art job offer that came my way and accumulated a toolbox of skills and a business sense that I had never known I needed.
I still play in several underground punk and metal bands and handle visual identity and design for us (Nyx Division, GETHEN, Usnea), but my day job is web design, digital marketing, and UX/UI.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Going back to school later in adulthood is always a challenge. For a long time I thought my opportunities had passed and that I was too old to change careers. I was afraid of not working full-time and being too broke to focus on school. I was also afraid that I wasn’t creative or talented enough to make a creative career happen.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I definitely have an aesthetic that I bring to my work but I was also trained as a designer to be able to put aside my own aesthetic tastes and meet the client where they are. When musicians and DIY small businesses come to me for design work, they are often aware of my part work and my punk/metal/dark illustration and design style and want that kind of work. That said, I have also worked on very minimalist, elegant, and clean design – especially when working on websites or in my professional work for larger companies.
Any big plans?
I am hoping to continue creating design, music, and art and growing every step of the way. The beautiful thing to me about this kind of work is that it is always new and theres always so much more to learn and be inspired by.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://justincory.design/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flowers_n_fire/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-cory/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@justincory
