We recently connected with Elisa Summiel-Bey and have shared our conversation below.

Elisa, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

I’ve done so many projects over the years and the most meaningful one was very close to my heart. In 2022 I was commissioned by DivaCup Inc for their BIPOC Creators Fund to create an illustration that brought awareness to a cause I cared about.

I created a three part illustration that spoke on the importance of advocating for yourself and more specifically, advocating for your menstrual cycle. Periods should not be painful or limit your ability to function on a day to day basis. When it does become a hindrance, it’s okay to speak up and let someone know. Too often women’s voices are silenced in the medical field and that is not okay. With Black Maternal Mortality rates growing at high speed, it’s more important than ever to voice what you need and seek compassionate care when you don’t find it the first, second, or even third time.

Through my illustration I was able to release some of the emotions I have been experiencing with my own healthcare journey and dealing with Endometriosis. For those that don’t know, Endometriosis is when tissue similar to the lining of your uterus grows outside of your uterus. And what many don’t understand is that can mean anywhere in your body, not just your reproductive organs. Endo is a full body disease that can affect your lungs, your brain, your digestion, your everyday life. It behaves like a cancer and when doctors are dismissive about the symptoms you are experiencing it can become disheartening and alienating—as though you are making everything up and the pain or discomfort you feel is totally normal. I want everyone to know it’s not normal and you deserve to be heard, seen, and properly cared for.

I created this illustration for anyone dealing with rough menstrual cycles. To remind them to advocate for themselves or find someone who can speak on their behalf. To this day I am grateful for that opportunity to speak out about a condition that affects over two million people.

Elisa, 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?

My name is Elisa Summiel-Bey and I am the founder of Illustrated Melanin, a wellness-centered stationery brand that inspires intentional practices of self-care, mindfulness, and joy.

Five years ago I took the biggest leap of faith, quit my job and started a stationery brand with the hopes of bringing more representation to the stationery industry. Now, I would not advise quitting your 9-5 to start a business, but this was during the height of COVID and my own health was on the line by continuing to work in a toxic environment. I’m also very big on working in your purpose. Your body will tell you when something is wrong, you just need the space to be able to listen and act accordingly.

In the midst of this health journey I decided to start journaling, coloring, and creating illustrations that poured into my soul. This eventually led to creating journals for others because I realized how powerful journaling was and how creativity was such a conduit for healing.

Today, our product line includes greeting cards and coloring books. These have become the heart of our brand because they help foster a sense of belonging. Through our greeting cards we explore inclusive illustrations and positive messaging. Our coloring books represent all body types, hair textures, and cultural nods to those often left unseen. While I am not actively creating new journals, we still provide our full collection through wholesale.

I started Illustrated Melanin because of a lack of diversity in the stationery industry and it has turned into something beyond what I could have imagined. In 2024 we launched an event called Color & Chill that brought adults together to color their cares away. Imagine a room full of adults learning how to play again by coloring outside the lines without consequence. Coloring is such a powerful tool to heal the mind, body, and soul.

I want people to know that they have the ability to create pockets of joy in any season. Sending or receiving a card that represents who you are brings sunshine even on the darkest day. Coloring with friends or strangers on a Sunday, sets the tone for the week ahead. These moments of belonging are just some of the ways I hope to spread love and healing around the world.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

There’s an infamous Beyonce lyric that says, “pay me in equity” and honestly that’s what artists and creatives need. Capital to support their work. Creativity plays such a vital role in society, but it’s treated like the thing people enjoy, but rarely invest in or want more of but don’t understand how to properly budget for.

I want to get rid of the starving artist narrative that exists because it diminishes the talent & gifts, research, discipline, and emotional labor that artists bring into this world. We need art to thrive. We need it to process grief, celebrate joy, document culture, challenge systems, and imagine new futures. But creativity can’t flourish on an empty tank or empty bank account.

Society needs to fund creativity like we fund innovation. Provide grants, stipends, and funding streams that allow artists to experiment, research, rest, and grow.

Make access equitable. Remove barriers to capital, studio space, healthcare, and education so that art isn’t only created by those who can afford to take the “risk.”

Include artists in community spaces. Libraries, schools, hospitals, and local businesses can become creative hubs when artists are invited in as collaborators and contractors.

Value creative labor as real labor. Rent, food, and healthcare are basic needs. Artists deserve stability so they can continue to create work that moves society forward.

Shift the cultural mindset. We don’t just exist to entertain. While art may offer escape, it is also a powerful tool for healing, questioning, building identity, and collective understanding. Our livelihood should not be in jeopardy to continue this work.

When artists and creatives are supported, entire ecosystems flourish, local economies grow, mental health improves, young people see new possibilities for themselves, and communities feel more connected. A thriving society doesn’t just make room for creativity. It invests in it.

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

There is a very real reason behind my creative work, and it began with my own experience of feeling burnt out, misrepresented, and a desire to heal. Living with Endometriosis taught me that rest and joy were not nice-to-haves, they were imperative to healing my body.

I rarely saw people who looked like me represented in wellness spaces or creative fields. Walking into a room and not seeing yourself reflected can slowly convince you that you do not belong there. That feeling stayed with me and eventually guided me toward the work I do today.

I started to realize there was a gap that kept repeating itself. Creativity often feels reserved for certain people. Access, time, and privilege tend to control who gets to be seen as an artist, who gets to feel well, and who is allowed to slow down. Yet creativity is a human need. As I’ve mentioned before, it’s how we process pain, celebrate joy, and make sense of the world. I create work that challenges the idea that you must already be thriving in order to create. What if creativity were also a tool for healing? What if community and wellness were not separate from artistic expression, but deeply connected to it?

My mission as a creative is to build spaces where people feel seen, supported, and restored. Through my illustrations, stationery products, and community-centered events, I want to make room for those who have felt like an afterthought. I especially want Black and Brown women, and anyone carrying their own quiet battles, to know that there is space for them in conversations about creativity and wellness. There should be room for softness and strength at the same time. There should be tools that invite people to slow down and reconnect with themselves.

I do not believe representation or well-being are just buzz words. They are necessities that shape how people move through life. If someone encounters my work and feels a little less alone, or pauses to take a breath, or finds inspiration to reclaim their joy, then that is the impact I hope to leave. My creative journey is not just about making products. It is about building a culture of belonging and reminding people that their story is worth honoring.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://illustratedmelanin.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/illustratedmelanin
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/illustratedmelanin
• Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/elisasummiel
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@illustratedmelanin

Image Credits
Elisa Summiel-Bey, Monet Nyree