About Jim

I'm a creative, chill dork who remains calm in busy parking lots.

I love family, art, music, and living in Hawaii.

Growing Up

I'm of German, Native Hawaiian, and Okinawan descent. I was born on Oahu, but just after I turned 3, we moved to the Big Island to live in an off-grid shack in the jungle. My parents did a great job giving us normalcy, but it was still roughing it - things like microwaves and hot showers were unknown to us for a long time! Thankfully, our little generator ran our Nintendo and TV just fine (priorities amirite), and we had 3 acres of jungle to play in, so my bro and I were never bored - at least until we were teenagers!

Awkward years

As a young adult, I was fixated on movies, music, and dreaming of life in the far future. My head was way in the clouds, and I probably played too many videogames, but I still taught myself all about doing creative work. I scored 2nd in a national photography contest as a teen, and also won a couple of music composing competitions. I also made tons of short films with my cousins - including this AWESOME Harry Potter fanfilm - and they set the stage for my interest in visual storytelling. This growing skillset lead to me shooting a couple of wedding videos, and eventually, wedding photography...

Finding Myself

The rise of digital photography was insane! From 2007 onward I was fortunate to document hundreds of weddings and families. But with each new year, my stress levels crept higher. I pushed harder and improved my work at the cost of my health. And then, I crashed. Major depression, anxiety, and my old foe of ADHD hit hard, and in 2012 I found myself at the lowest levels of my life, coming close to self-harm. It was then that I finally found professional help... and fate intervenened, and I met Syreeta, the love of my life. Soon after, we backpacked across India, then got married on a sandy beach in Hawaii, and within a few years we became parents!

The Present

These days, I feel more balanced than ever, and there isn't a day that goes by where I am not filled with gratitude from how lucky I am, especially considering the state of the world these days. Our two kids are amazing (and a bit bonkers), and I try hard to be the husband Syreeta deserves. After all these years, I still write music, and (of course) I still take photos professionally. I'm also still that same kid from before - an introverted geek living in Volcano, obsessed with stories, nature, and the future. Also, Nintendo. My daughter kills it at Breath of the Wild, and I couldn't be more proud.

Quick facts

INFP 100%

I'm writing a novel set in Hawaii

Synthwave and House music is my jam

Had Open Heart Surgery when I was 13 (VSD)

Got rammed in the back by a cow in India

I miss carrying my kids in an ergobaby

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