There are countless ways to tell a story and craft a piece of art. Artists are always faced with discerning how best to implement their skills in specific projects. Some of the best artists are the ones who connect with their audience by listening to their needs and meeting them creatively. Walter Cabal does just that and more, making every person he interacts with feel seen. As user experience writing manager in Azusa Pacific University’s Division of Strategic Communication and Engagement, Cabal implements his expertise in design and philosophy to cultivate meaningful experiences and relationships.
Whenever it rains, the smell transports Cabal back to the Philippines, where he was born. At around five-years-old, he and his family moved to the U.S. Cabal grew up in Victorville, surrounded by barren land. “Cacti keep water inside so that it’s self-sustaining. You learn the same thing as a kid growing up in the desert,” Cabal said. He’s always had an interest in creativity, and went to UC Riverside, initially studying creative composition with a concentration in poetry. “I quickly realized I could cultivate creative writing outside the classroom, and where I really needed to improve was in expressing ideas clearly and linearly.” Cabal wanted to not only share his thoughts creatively, but logically as well, so he switched his major to philosophy.
“Students in philosophy are interested in addressing hurdles in human flourishing,” Cabal said. “Designers carry the same mindset, and instead of writing a publication about their solutions, designers create spaces that enact the same principles.” Cabal’s gravitation toward poetry drives him to create with beauty in mind, paying close attention to the details of experiences.
After finishing college, Cabal worked in UCR’s library by day and played Americana folk as a solo artist by night. “I kept wondering how I could use the gifts I was given by God to contribute to the world,” he said. Playing multiple shows a week on top of a full time job started to take a toll on Cabal and he needed to slow down. When one of his belts broke, Cabal sought to repair it himself, which led to his interest in leather working, a calming process. Under the guidance of the local leather shop owner, he taught himself the trade of leatherworking and fused the craft with a design-minded approach. He opened a studio where he created bags and accessories. Cabal broadened his design skills, joining Shialice Spatial Design for custom interiors before working with Stephen Kenn on furniture production.
When Covid hit, Cabal’s design studio had to shut down, and he was unsure of how to move forward in his career when the world put everything on pause. “I was at the point where I had to apply for jobs that had really frantic environments,” he said. “People typically know me both for my slow spirit of living and working, and my eye for storytelling through a lens of design and craft.”
Discovering APU was an answer to Cabal’s prayers for a place where he could bring his talents to the table and live out his calling in a community that cares about his well being. For the past three years that he’s worked at APU, Cabal has leaned into his skills and values as a Christian. “A core part of my job comes down to hospitality,” he said. “I listen to our partners’ needs all around campus and find solutions to make the university website the best it can be.”
While intertwining his knowledge in philosophy and design to overcome hurdles in human
flourishing is a large part of Cabal’s vocation, an even bigger aspect of his career
is the space he makes for people to simply be. “I do my best to invite my colleagues
to slow down in the fast paced world we live in,” he said.
Working in a place that embraces his dedication to build deep relationships offers
Cabal the space to embody his calling.
Reflecting on his journey, Cabal recalled having started seminary at APU. “I didn’t finish the program because I felt called outside the church, and my amazing professors understood that, encouraging me to listen to what God was speaking to me,” he said. Cabal considers his vocation pastoral in the sense that he gets to share about his faith and live out Jesus’ principles in the spaces he enters. As someone who works in the same office as Cabal, I can attest to the fact that his intentional pauses and meaningful conversations about philosophy and art make the workplace an uplifting space. Cabal’s ministry might be subtle, but it greatly impacts those who interact with him. By caring about people and their experiences, Cabal reflects Christ’s image everywhere he goes.