The Art of Life.
This article is part of Finding the Words, a newsletter that delivers practical insights on the day’s issues.
Now and then, if we're fortunate, we encounter people who expand our imagination—people who help us see possibilities beyond what we could envision alone.
Jeff "Cap" Caporizzo was one of those people for me.
I met Cap in 2012, when our offices shared space in Silver Spring, MD. We were both young parents, building careers rooted in purpose. I was growing a small business; he was the Art Director of the agency next door. What struck me then—his endless curiosity, radical generosity, and daring spirit—only deepened as I came to know him better.
Cap passed away last week at just 55. His years were far too few, but his life was abundant in impact. Today, I'm reflecting on the artful way he lived, and three lessons he left with me:
First, there's power innot knowingeverything. Cap's career was anything but linear. He started as a fine arts major, moved to New York "just to paint," worked as a sign maker, and only later leaned into graphic design. What he lacked in early technical skills, he made up for with curiosity and a relentless hunger to learn.
As leaders, we often feel pressure to have the answers. Cap modeled something different: the courage to admit what you don't know, and the openness to learn your way forward. No matter the challenge or stage of life, we can choose toshow up, be willing to learn, and lean into uncertainty.
Second, it's OK totell it like it is. Cap believed stories move people—not polished or perfect stories, but raw and honest stories—the storiesthattell it like it is.When my agency was concepting a campaign to improve the foster care system, Cap rallied friends and colleagues to create a pro bono PSA featuring young people closest to the issue. That thirty-second spot became a cornerstone of ourSuccess Beyond 18campaign, leading to transformational policy change across the country.
For those working to drive change: remember that truth-telling is the most compelling art form. Start with lived experience. Amplify voices closest to the issue.There is no substitute for authenticity.
And finally, kindness wins every time. Beyond the campaigns and the creative brilliance, Cap's defining trait was radical kindness. He mentored colleagues and students. He kept an art studio for more than 25 years, inviting children to create alongside him. He celebrated the success of others with as much joy as his own.
This is the often-unsung terrain of leadership. Wins and recognition matter, but what endures is how we support the success of others, share knowledge, and offer grace under pressure. Leadership isn't the work that earns applause—it's what we do quietly, when no one is watching.
When Cap joined me as a guest on the Mission Forward podcast in 2022, I asked him what gave him hope. He spoke of people who persist for good, even when change is slow.
He reminded me that hope isn't naïve. It's a practice of choosing to believe that the work matters, even when headlines are discouraging. Hope is showing up every day and doing what you can, in service of something greater, even when the odds seem stacked against us.
Cap's life was proof that hope, honesty, and kindness are not optional but are, in fact, the most essential ingredients for a life well lived.
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