Graphic designer and creative director John Jendritza has built his career around one guiding principle: hustle.
Growing up in southeast Portland, Jendritza discovered early that art could be more than self expression. His father encouraged him to find practical ways to use his creativity, and at age 12 Jendritza earned money hand-lettering several lines of cursive on the side of a boat.
“That was the moment I realized I could actually do something with art,” he recalls.
After studying graphic design at Mt. Hood Community College, an internship at a publishing company led him to Rip City Magazine and eventually a position with the Portland Trail Blazers. Still in his twenties, Jendritza oversaw design projects throughout the organization and helped launch the original identity and marketing campaign for the Portland Fire, Portland’s first WNBA team.
Today Jendritza operates as what he describes as “an ad agency without all the fluff.” His work includes branding, websites, advertising campaigns, photography, video production, and strategic planning. Clients frequently come through word of mouth.
“I take care of my people,” he says. “When someone calls and needs something done, I figure out how to make it happen.”
Jendritza also embraces artificial intelligence as a creative development tool, using it to explore possibilities before returning the final work to human illustrators and designers. “Technology may generate options,” he explains, “but experience is still required to shape those ideas into a meaningful story and bring a campaign into the world.”
A Beaumont-Wilshire resident for more than 20 years, Jendritza first admired the neighborhood while driving through it on his way to work. He values the friendships his family developed through schools, sports, and neighborhood gathering places.
His advice for anyone beginning a creative career is straightforward: “You fail, you learn, and you keep moving. It’s all about the hustle.”
For a peek at John’s design work, visit glow-creative.com.
David Friedman, @friedart, is a visual artist specializing in papercutting, printmaking, and painting. He and his dog, Poppi @poppipdx, can be seen daily at Wilshire Park. His work is on display at the Alberta Street Gallery, daily 11-7.