Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Misa Doi. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Misa, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your creative career sooner or later?

Yes, I do. I try not to have regrets in life, mainly because if I can learn lessons from challenging experiences, they haven’t been made in vain, and those lessons have helped shape me into the person I am today. But if I am honest with myself, I can say that I regret that I played it safe right out of college and didn’t put all my effort into pursuing a creative career. I was still trying to find myself and figure out what I wanted to do with my life, which is fair, but I soon found myself taking admin jobs to pay bills and not actively pursuing a career that would feed my soul. I gave into the fear of the unknown and settled for jobs that offered the security of a predictable full-time wage. It wasn’t until the pandemic that I finally found the courage to start my art business. Every day is a challenge, and there is no guarantee of a successful future, but I am so much happier now earning income doing something I love.

Misa, 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?

Although I enjoyed school and did well academically, I have always gravitated towards anything creative. As a child, I loved reading and writing and dreamed of being an author one day. I would sketch and draw the characters from my short stories, and I always felt more comfortable losing myself in a world of fiction than being present in reality. I was the weird, wacky child who loved to make people laugh, but I was also the sad, serious girl who struggled with anxiety and depression. Creative activities helped distract me from my inner demons.

In my freshman year in high school, while my friends were falling in love with boys, I fell in love with theater. It was a new creative outlet that let me live in a make-believe world and bring joy to people. Once I arrived at college, I immediately knew I wanted to pursue English and Theater Arts. Some of my friends didn’t know what they wanted to major in, and I felt grateful that I already had a path to follow. I still didn’t know how I wanted to use my degrees, but I knew I would rather go to the dentist than major in Business or Finance. Looking back now, I wish I had a creative mentor who would have encouraged me to take at least a few business classes, as being a creative entrepreneur means knowing how to run your own business, but at the time, it all seemed so dull to me. To help pay for my tuition, I was part of a work-study program and worked all four years on campus in Media Services. Even though the job consisted mostly of being tech support on campus with all the A/V equipment, it was there that I was introduced to Photoshop, and my love of graphic design was ignited. By my senior year, my skills had allowed me to become the editor of our digital yearbook and a photographer for our school paper. I still didn’t know what I wanted to do as a career, and I just knew I wanted to work in some creative capacity.

I had always thought about starting an Etsy store or something similar, but with my ever-changing interests, I could never decide what to focus on. It all seemed so unobtainable to me – like a pipe dream. But then the pandemic happened, and my anxiety was back in full force. Drawing and painting became an outlet to help keep me grounded. Around that time, I discovered Procreate and began teaching myself how to use it. I started posting my art on social media and received great feedback, so I finally decided to take a leap of faith and start my art-focused small business. I sell art prints, stickers, greeting cards, hoodies, and more.

I like to create whimsical, comedic, and heavily cat-themed art. My biggest sellers are my Cat Detective series, Food Plant series, and Purrmaid series. My goal is to make unique gifts that will bring joy to people.

I decided on the name Chasing Extraordinary because I feel like it describes my life. I am chasing my dreams and an extraordinary life, and my small business is the manifestation of that chase. Even if I feel like I’m always a few feet behind my goals, I am still reminded that I am constantly moving forward.

Now, a few years into my business, I wish I could say that I have achieved the dream of making a living wage from my little store, but that is not the case. Hopefully, one day, it will be. In addition to my small business, I work as a graphic designer and media manager for a press junket company. I will always be thankful to my past jobs for all the experiences and skills I gained, but I am thrilled that I am finally earning money doing something I love.

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

My mission is to spread positivity and laughter through my art. I hope every piece of art or merchandise with my art that is purchased will bring happiness to the recipient. I have struggled with depression and anxiety for as long as I can remember, so I am acutely aware of how easily joy can become a rare commodity.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

This is a tough question because I don’t think I can truthfully say that only one aspect of being an artist or creative person is the most rewarding. There is something freeing and vulnerable about sharing a piece of yourself via your artwork. You put a piece of yourself out into the world and just hope that someone may like it and/or can relate to it. I find it rewarding when anyone decides to buy my art. I am delighted that anyone would deem my artwork worthy of purchase. I also find connecting with people through a shared love of art very rewarding. I’ve always been a social person, and being able to meet new people with common interests is a reward in itself.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.chasingextraordinary.com
• Instagram: @catdetective_art
• Facebook: chasingextraordinary.com/store
• Linkedin: misadoi
• Twitter: misamdoi
• Other: TikTok: @chasingextraordinary

Image Credits
Misa Doi