Meet the designer
I'm Jake Marcinkowski, but most of my friends refer to me as Kowskii. Let me share a bit of my journey with you – a journey that shaped not just my designs but the person behind them.
From a young age, I grappled with anxiety, depression, and agoraphobia, navigating an extremely difficult path through the challenges of mental health. The lack of support in public school led me to make a pivotal decision – transferring to a therapeutic school.
Adjusting to this new environment was tough, but within those struggles, my passion for design began to bloom. During high school, I found peace in creating. I started designing T-shirts on platforms like TeeSpring, printful and even trying to blend objects together in Google Docs. It became my sanctuary, a place my mind could escape the daily battles. Just when things were looking up in junior year, life threw me a curveball – a car accident that reignited the flames of anxiety.
The aftermath was overwhelming. Agoraphobia took hold, and panic attacks became a relentless companion, haunting me with their constant repetition. For a year and a half, I became an introvert, afraid to step outside my own door. It was during this dark period that I turned to the internet, desperately seeking ways to make a living from the “safety” of my home.
Enter Adobe Photoshop and illustrator – A real design platform for me. Opening my world to creative freedom with limitless potential, while providing me with a distraction from the negativity that engulfed my life. Designing became more than just a pastime; it became my coping mechanism, a lifeline that allowed me to express myself when words failed. i had a few little clothing drops beforehand with a lot print on demand companies. i dropped under names like “wavy threads, Fearless clothing, and dreamerz universe.” all of these brands still provided the same message. learning that you are not alone, that mental health is real and hundreds of millions of people struggle each and every day with it. my goal has always been to gain awareness to the mental health community. the only way i truly am able to express how i feel, or how to cope is through design. i don’t want to make designs just for likes, follows or cool shirts. i want these designs to have an impact.
becoming more vulnerable and compassionate as not only a designer but a man has helped me so much. so to me graphic design isn’t just something to do, another stream of income, or a cool thing to do on the side. designing has changed my life. this is where my compassion and my creativity meet..
the possibilities are endless.