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Meet Eric Castaños of Castanos Photo & Design in Yuma

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Eric Castaños.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My story really all started as a kid. When I was a child, I’ve always had an interest in creating, like most. I’ve carried those passion and interests as I grew up. Throughout middle & high school I’ve always drawn, always had a sketchbook and was constantly expressing, really because it was all I knew. Towards the end of high school, I had an opportunity to try something new, a friend of mine suggested to enroll in a class called CTV. CTV was an elective 2-period class where we would record a live news show first period and second period we would be 30-second introductions for the news show. From there I learned multimedia and started to explore with video and photo using my iPhone and recording videos of my friend’s skateboarding. Once high school was over, I had never really give much consideration to what I wanted to do after. Until a rep from the Art Institute of Phoenix had come into our classroom one day, it caught my attention. Once I took a tour and got some information from the school, I finally landed on design.

After getting my bachelors degree in graphic design, I was also able to minor in illustration and was still practicing photo and video as a hobby and using those tools in my design work. After college, I worked for numerous design agencies in the valley working for tons of different clients from Peter Piper Pizza, Papa Johns, Fairytale Brownies, Pocky, Harvest Snaps, Blundstone, China Mist and much more and experienced the agency life. After that, I finally decided to take my experience and apply to my own business venture and start taking clients on freelance. I really enjoyed the freedom and flexibility of taking on my own clients and have a closer connection. As well as creating my own content, projects & podcasts. Which leads me to today, back home in Yuma Arizona. My since I started collage has always been focused on helping give back to the city I was from any ways that I can. Whether it was providing my services to local business, creating podcasts to tell stories, or personal projects highlighting inspiriting individuals in the form of my most proud project Yuma Seen a brand that I am constantly developing which is based around telling the stories of inspiring locals in Yuma Arizona. Since I’ve been back home I am thankful that my brand has been growing so organically, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting so many new people and experience new things through my services and will continue to do so.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Absolutely not, till this day there are potholes the size of meteors constantly trying to knock me off the road. That statement is a major exaggeration but that’s what I feel like from time to time. In all seriousness, the life of owning your own business or freelance has the highest highs and the lowest lows. Some days you feel like business couldn’t get any better you have tons of projects in the pipeline money is rolling in, you feel inspired and other days your account is in the negative, you can’t pay your bills and you also have no food in your refrigerator. Those moments are that test me and showed me who I really am. They helped me learned as well as understand how to deal with similar situations for next time. Every obstacle is an opportunity to grow, and I’m fortunate that I have that understanding now rather than later.

Some of the biggest obstacles were my decision to point blank quit my job. I had been dealing with some frustrations at my last agency job, I had my opinions and my feelings towards my situation and saw a golden opportunity with the projects I had outside of my day to day job. Although I am extremely grateful for the people I met, the experiences I had as well as opportunities I earned I was ready for something new. Ready to take on the challenge of freelance and it was the dumbest / smartest decision I ever made.

It showed me who I really was in the face of adversity. Which was what I really needed, I need to challenge myself hold myself accountable and this was a first step to that.

We’d love to hear more about your work.
As far as the work goes, although I have my degree in design I’ve been trained to be a jack of all trades. You learn to use design as your base and illustration photo & video are all tools to enhance whatever experience you’re creating. Till this day I have an even amount of photo, video & design and I’m thankful I get to do all of those because it’s my passion. These days photography has really been the most popular of my clients.

As a creative I’m most proud of my clients really trusting what I do. I try to be as collaborative as possible, but a majority of the time my clients have been amazing to work with and have given me creative control and allowing me to just be me and fully express myself. Whether that be in any of my services, I think that was an important, proud moment for me when people wanted to work with me as an individual.

I think what sets me apart from others is what separates us all from everyone, it’s just being myself. Although now the industry is so oversaturated I think there is a perfect opportunity to just be yourself. I think it’s very easy to lose yourself and your craft in trying to create content that you know is guarantee likes or attention on social media. Rather than exploring your creativity, challenging yourself, and not having this worry about what will work or not work on social. I just try my best to be as authentic and transparent as possible even if that comes at my own embarrassment.

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
I would say persistence, through my journey I’ve learned that if you show up everyday and do the work over time things will work out. You can demand results or even force them, and I think I learned that through all my years of art & skateboarding. There is nothing more defeating than taking a skateboard to the shin a couple of times trying a trick & then having the will power to get back after it day after day and then finally succeeding.

Show up, do the work and results will follow.

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