Jonatan Balderas Cabañas
CREATOR SPOTLIGHT
Can you tell us a little about yourself and how you started your journey as a graphic designer?
The Churchies
Hello! I'm Jonatan Balderas Cabañas, a Mexican graphic designer passionate about God and all kinds of creative stuff! My journey in the design world began in my adolescence, creating videos on YouTube—yes, YouTube videos. I made sketches, covers, challenges, videos of all sorts, and I always loved video editing and speaking in front of the camera. However, it was when I started working on thumbnails for the videos that I truly discovered graphic design. Later, I began creating many presentations for high school classmates and designing web pages for various school projects. I put that on hold until my university years when I enrolled in chemical engineering, which I obviously left because it wasn't my strong suit. During the process of leaving the chemical engineering program, I discovered the work of designers creating graphics for churches and Christian artists.
That's when I said, "I want to do this for the rest of my life."
Jony Balderas
How has your career evolved from when you first started to where you are now in the field of graphic design?
The Churchies
I believe it has evolved in ways I never imagined. I started designing on a very basic computer with limited knowledge, and seeing how far God has taken me feels like a dream. From not knowing what my life would be, not believing I could make a living from this, to now working with hundreds of churches and amazing people around the world. If someone told my 15-year-old self where we would be now, I'm sure I wouldn't believe it, and I give all the glory to God for everything!
Jony Balderas
What or who inspired you to specialize in creating content for churches?
The Churchies
Primarily God, as He is the creator by definition, and one of my goals is to preach the gospel through design! Obviously, there are many designers who have inspired and shaped me into who I am today, such as Álvaro Flores, Alex Cross, DNG Creative, Joe Cabazos, Jorge Salzares, and many more!
Jony Balderas
Where do you usually find inspiration for your designs for church-related content?
The Churchies
I've got two ways to find inspiration: - Digitally: I'm really picky about who I follow on my Instagram because I like to only follow people who I feel can feed my creativity. So, I always follow musicians, churches, pastors, filmmakers, designers, creative directors, and anyone who can inspire me in many ways! I also use other well-known platforms like Behance and Pinterest. - Analogously: I like to take a few minutes for myself, I enjoy going for a walk with my headphones on! Music is essential for me; I'm into all kinds of music, always listening to something, whether I'm working, reading, or cleaning—it's truly crucial in my life! As an extra, I love going to art galleries; that's where I find more originality, and I enjoy incorporating that into all my designs!
Jony Balderas
How would you describe your design philosophy or style, and how does it resonate with church themes?
The Churchies
This will always be one of my favorite questions! I believe one of my design philosophies is "behind every decision, there should be a justification." I don't like creating just for the sake of it; I prefer every element in a design to serve a purpose on its own, not just to beautify a graphic—though that's entirely valid too. I enjoy being able to argue for every decision I make in a project; to me, that makes it more comprehensive and purposeful.
Similarly, a few words that define my design style are: - Minimalist - Surrealistic - Contrast - Typographic Art - Detail-oriented I have it all well-defined, and it makes me very happy because it took many years to build my current style. However, like everything in life, it's still in constant evolution.
Jony Balderas
What are some of the unique challenges you face when designing for churches, and how do you overcome them?
The Churchies
I believe one of the most constant challenges is versatility—learning to work on any type of project, from simple to complex, whether it's designing a single ad graphic or the most important conference of the year. In the end, this is only solved through a lot of hard work and practice; remember, practice makes perfect! I assure you that after a year of working every day and constantly seeking improvement, you won't be the same designer. You'll be much more versatile, effective, and resourceful!
Jony Balderas
Can you share a project that you are particularly proud of and explain the concept and process behind it?
The Churchies
Yes, specifically this one (posted below). The project was to create branding for the annual theme of a church, and it was a very enriching process as I worked with amazing people. Whenever they express trust in my work and judgment, I believe that's when a project turns out best. The direction was quite specific; this is what they mentioned in the request: "This year's design didn't really impress us. We want something fresher. Personally, I think the current design looks outdated. I saw your work, and I really liked it. We'd need just the cover for 2023. I'd also like to keep the concept but improve it. Maintain the idea of a sea, a staircase, birds, and such." Honestly, it was relatively easy to work on this. After the initial proposals, there were only minor changes!
Jony Balderas
How does your faith influence your creative process and the projects you choose to work on?
The Churchies
My faith is an essential part of every small or large project I work on. I entrust each workday to God, believing He is in control of everything. For projects that allow me some extra time, I like to spend additional moments in intimate prayer, seeking God's guidance for the project. I set the atmosphere with uplifting music that connects me with God and, consequently, with the project.
Jony Balderas
In what ways do you ensure your designs effectively communicate the intended spiritual or community message?
The Churchies
As I mentioned in a previous question, every design element must have a purpose. I always aim for a design where no element is surplus or lacking – it's essential to me. I don't want it to look overloaded or too empty. Being more specific, each element I use, whether it's texture or typography, has to be connected to the title and the story behind it. For instance, if the sermon series is about Jesus, I won't use flying cows – that's what I mean, avoiding elements unrelated to the project's theme. As a designer, we need to solve communication problems through graphic design. Therefore, if, in the end, no matter how visually appealing my graphic is, it doesn't address the communication problem, it serves no purpose.
Jony Balderas
How do you balance staying true to traditional church values with introducing innovative, modern design elements?
The Churchies
The main focus is that all my work is for the honor and glory of God; everything I do is to seek to glorify Him. One of my key learnings is to do everything as if I were doing it for God. Hence, I always strive to do everything with excellence and passion. This includes consistently improving my work, acquiring new skills, and learning techniques that I believe can enrich the church and its visuals. Similarly, working with numerous churches and individuals has taught me that everyone has different creative visions. Therefore, it's crucial for me to adapt to each one and contribute what I believe is most fitting!
Jony Balderas
Can you describe your process of collaborating with church leaders or communities to bring their vision to life?
The Churchies
When I start working with someone new, I don't like to make people feel like they're just another client, another number because that's genuinely not what I seek. I enjoy learning from each person and building a positive work relationship, which often evolves into friendship! Therefore, I like to first know a bit about them, their story, and that of their church. From there, I ask numerous questions about a project—sometimes a lot, but I want to be completely sure about what they want and have in mind for the project. If they're unsure, I like to assist them in finding the best path for the project!
Jony Balderas
How do you handle feedback and revisions from clients, especially when it comes to sensitive or spiritual content?
The Churchies
I love feedback, as long as it's delivered in a respectful manner. I always let people I work with know that feedback is welcomed. I make it clear that we're all on the same page, with a common goal – to achieve practically perfect results for the project we're working on. That's always my commitment! Being empathetic is crucial, understanding that the other person might feel frustrated when things don't go as planned. But that's where we, as designers, come in – to guide throughout the entire process. Whenever I start a project, I emphasize that changes are okay; I want them to be 300% satisfied with the final result.
Jony Balderas
How do you stay updated with current design trends, and how do you adapt these trends for church-related content?
The Churchies
Every day, I strive to learn something new. I'm constantly saving new tutorials, typefaces, techniques, and lighting tips for videos—basically, a bit of everything! I'm also an experimental person. For me, design involves a lot of trial and error. I consistently conduct numerous tests to figure out what works best and what doesn't, allowing me to innovate. A testament to this is my Instagram profile – my designs from when I started are drastically different from what I create today.
Jony Balderas
What advice would you give to aspiring graphic designers who want to specialize in creating content for religious organizations or communities?
The Churchies
1 - Trust in God: If God has placed in your heart the desire to embark on this journey, it's because He has a special purpose for you. Yet, like everything in life, there will be good and bad moments—times when you want to give up and moments when you want to shout with joy. In any of those moments, give Him the glory and honor, be grateful for every small or big process you are going through, and remember, God is faithful until the end!
2 - Practice makes perfect. If you think clients will come pouring in, or that you’ll start out as the best, or that you’ll have a defining style from the get-go, it won’t happen without practice. Practice, practice, practice—even when you don’t feel inspired, seek to practice.
3 - Everything will pass; everything has an end. A Colombian friend and designer, Edwin Sarmiento, told me this. Bad times will end, but so will the good ones. That’s life. I recommend embracing each stage of your life and trying to gain the most possible learning from each one.
4 - A good comment doesn’t make you a good designer, and a bad comment doesn’t make you a bad designer. Often, we create a bubble where we only surround ourselves with positive or negative comments, thinking that defines us. But it’s not true. I believe what defines a designer is their ability to solve communication problems using graphic design, the relationship you can build with your clients, and primarily, your values and ethics!
5 - You’re not alone. There will always be a colleague who has already experienced what you’re going through, like imposter syndrome or frustration or burnout. Others have gone through it, so don’t think you’re the first and only one feeling alone in this creative world!
Jony Balderas
Where can we follow you and if someone wants to work with you, how do they get in contact with you?
The Churchies
You can follow me on my Instagram @jbc.creative For work inquiries, you can reach me through my website www.jbccreative.com Or contact me via email at contact@jbccreative.com
Jony Balderas
Jonatan Balderas Cabañas
Graphic designer