Story & Lesson Highlights with Paras Juneja of Virginia

We recently had the chance to connect with Paras Juneja and have shared our conversation below.

Paras, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What’s more important to you—intelligence, energy, or integrity?
Integrity, EVERY DAMN TIME.

Intelligence can build something brilliant, and energy can make it happen, but without integrity, it can all crumble overnight. In the creative world, integrity is the invisible framework that keeps everything standing. It’s what makes collaboration possible, ideas authentic, and work meaningful.

I’ve seen projects powered by raw talent and crazy energy fall apart because people stopped trusting the process, or each other. But when there’s integrity, even the toughest challenges lead somewhere good.

Intelligence and energy are like the wheels, but integrity is the engine that keeps it all running smoothly.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Paras Juneja, a motion and 3D designer who basically lives for turning ideas into visuals that make people stop and feel something. My path into design wasn’t really planned—I just got obsessed with how visuals could tell stories. I remember pausing movie title sequences frame by frame, trying to figure out how they made something so simple feel so powerful. That curiosity snowballed into what I do now.

Over the years, I’ve worked with brands such as Apple, NBC, Verizon, and Logitech, creating everything from CGI commercials to animated campaigns that seamlessly blend storytelling and technology. But what really keeps me hooked is the emotion behind it all. I love when design isn’t just beautiful, but it actually connects,

What makes my work unique, I think, is that I approach every project like a story rather than a brief. Whether it’s a product launch or a looping social ad, I’m always asking, “What’s the feeling here?” That’s what drives me.

Right now, I’m exploring new ways to push motion design beyond screens, mixing animation, sound, and interactivity to create moments that feel alive. At the end of the day, I just want to make things that move people visually and emotionally.

Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What breaks the bonds between people—and what restores them?
Ego, mostly. The moment people stop listening and start defending. It’s when communication turns into performance, when we forget that honesty and vulnerability are what actually hold things together. In both life and creative work, distance usually starts small: a missed “thank you,” a conversation left unfinished, or assuming we already know someone’s intentions. Over time, those tiny gaps turn into walls.

And what restores them? Presence.
Taking a moment to slow down, listen, and really see the person in front of you. Creativity has taught me that collaboration isn’t just about skill, it’s about empathy. The bonds rebuild when people drop the need to be right and start trying to understand.

At the end of the day, connection is just shared honesty. It breaks when we forget that, and it rebuilds the moment we remember.

Is there something you miss that no one else knows about?
Yeah, I miss the days when you didn’t need a digital footprint to have a presence. When the connection wasn’t measured by engagement, but by actual conversation. Back then, if someone liked your work, they told you. If they had feedback, they called you. Bonds felt real because they were built on shared moments, not shared posts.

I miss when work felt simpler too. Not easier, just clearer. You had an idea, you executed it, and that was enough. Now everything comes with algorithms, analytics, and a dozen platforms to please. Don’t get me wrong, I love what technology lets us create. But sometimes I miss the imperfections, the human touch, the slower pace that allowed space for thought.

There was a beauty in doing simple things really well. A poster that stopped someone on the street. A short film that made people feel something genuine. These days, everything moves so fast that meaning gets lost in the noise.

So yeah, I miss when connection, both personal and creative, was about feeling, not metrics.

So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What do you believe is true but cannot prove?
I believe that good energy leaves a trace in people, in places, and even in the work we create. You can’t measure it, but you can feel it.

When someone puts care, honesty, and curiosity into what they’re making, that energy somehow lingers. You see it in a design that just feels right, or in a team that clicks effortlessly without needing to explain everything. I’ve worked on projects where everyone was technically perfect, but the vibe was off, and somehow, the final result always felt the same way.

I can’t prove it, but I genuinely think our intentions seep into what we make. That’s why I try to approach every project and every person with the right energy. It’s invisible, but it’s powerful.

Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. What do you understand deeply that most people don’t?
I’ve come to understand that most people give way too much importance to things that don’t really matter. The perfect caption, the right angle, the idea of who they should be rather than who they already are. Somewhere along the way, we started performing instead of living.

I think people forget that it’s okay to just be. To not constantly optimize every moment or curate every emotion. The constant pressure to look successful, stay relevant, or keep up it wears people down. It drains creativity, confidence, and sometimes even health.

What I’ve learned, especially working in a visual field, is that authenticity cuts deeper than perfection ever will. The most powerful work, and the most peaceful lives, come from people who know themselves and don’t feel the need to prove it.

It sounds simple, but it’s rare now. Everyone’s chasing this polished version of themselves, and in the process, they lose the real one.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://parasjuneja.com/