James uses his personal projects as a spiritual balance to his work in the commercial field. He volunteers his services to Kapi'olani Hospital and Hawaii Children's Cancer Foundation for a variety of projects. One of these projects is providing "Living Legacy" photos for the families with children diagnosed with terminal illnesses. In 2008, James released his first book "The Survivor Spirit: The Beauty, Passion, and Power of Breast Cancer Survivors" which is a collection of inspirational stories and photographs.