We recently connected with Hiroshi Sosa-Nakata and have shared our conversation below.

Hiroshi, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your creative career sooner or later?

I remember moving to Mansfield, Texas when I was just six years old. That seems like a lifetime ago, but I’m only thirteen now so I guess it’s a matter of perspective. Back then, in second grade, I started dreaming up stories in my head and sketching almost daily. I remember when I began formulating the characters in my head and putting pen to paper to create the very first version of my manuscript, an epic four pages in length. I’ve come a long way since then and have since published three books in my series, I Saved the World and I’m Only in 4th Grade! The series is a reflection of my experiences with friendship, my diverse family background, and my personal search for greater purpose (as an elementary student). There’s nothing greater than literally saving the world with your closest friends and being proud of all that makes you unique.

If I were to change one thing it would be to have started writing even sooner! I know, that sounds ridiculous coming from a thirteen year old with three published books, but it’s so true. Knowing that I want my series to include ten books in total means that I’ll be creating epic adventures for the next seven years of my life at this rate. That’s mainly because the creative process, storytelling, sketching, digitization, editing, proofing, and publishing takes about one year per book. I wonder how far I’d be now, if only I had started sooner than I did. I’d probably be working on book number six instead of book number four. I can’t complain at all though, since I’m the only eighth-grader I know who has a book series as part of their LinkedIn profile. Come to think of it, I’m the only eight-grader I know who has a LinkedIn profile.

Hiroshi, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

First, I’m inspired by a deep appreciation of culture and diversity. I speak three languages, my mother was born in Japan, and my father was born in Mexico. I’ve been fortunate enough to have spent multiple summers abroad and been completely immersed in each culture. That type of experience changes the way you see the world. I remember soaking up every book I could about diverse settings, people, and places around the globe. I was especially drawn to stories about multicultural characters and unique authors. The only problem I encountered is that no matter how much time I spent at the local library or bookstore, I wasn’t able to find enough books about kids like me. I also struggled to find books written by actual kids as most children’s books are written by adults.

So, I figured I’d just create my own characters, stories, and books. That evolved into a book series which I am incredibly proud of and the need to create my own publishing company, Sosa-Nakata Publishing. Through my company I’ve published three books in the series so far, I’m currently working on the fourth book, and I’ll keep going until I publish all ten books! That’s my master plan.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

Sosa-Nakata Publishing was created to share a range of stories, characters, and other-worldly adventures. My hope of course is that others enjoy the tales they encounter, but more importantly, that they remember what it was like to be a kid. Kids are experts at seeing the world in unique ways, naturally having the curiosity needed to embrace both the world they live in and the world inside their own imagination. My mission is to spark creativity in others, especially young children, to believe in the idea that we are all creative in our own way.

By sharing my story (and literally my stories), I prove to kids that anything is possible. It’s okay to dream big. No challenge is too impossible. No story is too epic. The key is to believe in yourself, be brave enough to dream big, share your passion with those around you, and then creatively solve any challenge you face. If I can save the world, so can anyone else.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Recently I was the closing keynote speaker for a YMCA Achievers Summit, held at the University of North Texas at Dallas. This was my first time presenting at a university! In the audience there were over 100 middle schoolers in attendance and their day was filled with a variety of workshops focused on expanding their future potential. I got up on stage and delivered my presentation focused on How to Save the World, a Kid’s Guide to Conquering the Galaxy. It spoke to the importance of creativity in our lives, the need to embrace your passion, shooting for the moon, and surrounding yourself with positive influences.

I’m not sure how to best say this, but it makes a world of difference hearing these things from another kid, someone like you that dreams big, might be a little socially awkward, and ultimately shared his creativity with the world around him. They absolutely loved the presentation and I could see how inspired they became to immediately turn their passion into reality. That’s what this is all about, sharing your story with others and seeing their spark ignite.

Being a kid author and entrepreneur is great, but seeing other kids want to become one is even better. I’ve given presentations now at local elementary schools, collegiate academies, and even a university and I’ve found that kids from every walk of life, every background, and every level of self confidence need to see and hear from others kids just like them.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://sosanakatapublishing.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sosanakatafamily
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SosaNakataPublishing/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hiroshi-sosa-nakata
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/sosanakatafam
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/sosanakatafamily

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