Brief Introduction:

We kick off Season 3 of the Church Circle Podcast with Derek Ortiz—a designer, creative encourager, and the face behind “I Am Derek Ortiz” on Instagram. This season explores what drives creatives to launch passion projects and impact the world beyond Sunday. Derek shares his journey from church staff designer to full-time content creator, helping thousands of creatives find their voice and take the leap.

Takeaways:

• Passion projects start by solving a personal need—create what you wish you had years ago.

• Growth happens when you focus on consistency and authenticity, not metrics.

• Encourage others by giving away what you’ve learned—don’t gatekeep your skills.

• Building a brand doesn't require perfection—just progress and repetition.

• Being Christlike and being yourself online is a form of ministry.

• Don’t let the fear of criticism keep you from creating—impact one person at a time. 

Key Moments:

03:00 - Derek reflects on his early journey from music to design, starting with Microsoft Paint and a cheap camera.

14:20 - Derek explains the shift from his font-sharing page to becoming a voice of encouragement for creatives.

25:10 - Derek dives into the mindset shift of focusing on output, not outcome—and how that led to explosive growth.

41:45 - Derek and the host discuss how being a light and being authentic removes pressure from content creation.

53:00 - Derek eshares practical strategies for pastors, designers, and volunteers to start sharing their voice online.

1:10:30 - Derek’s hot take: stop overthinking and start creating for yourself—it’s where freedom begins.

Practical Tips:

• Don’t aim for perfection. Just post consistently and adjust as you go.

• Speak to the version of yourself from 2–3 years ago—what did you need to hear then?

• Try low-friction tools like Opus Pro to repurpose podcast recordings into content.

• Use carousel posts with simple, thought-provoking text to share encouragement.

• Define your goal first: client work, community building, or ministry impact?

Guest Information: 

Instagram: @iamderekortiz 

DM him and mention Church Circle to connect or ask questions directly.