We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Yuki Osada a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Yuki, appreciate you joining us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

As long as I can remember, I was always drawing something – whether it was something I saw and wanted to replicate or something visual I wanted to create. Drawing always kept me occupied. My dad would bring home used reams of paper from work so I always had plenty of surfaces for my drawings (this was the 80s and the 90s when businesses used lots of paper). I lived in Japan for six years as a child and it was long enough to introduce me to anime and manga, this heavily influenced my work then and now. My parents were always supportive of my interest in art and in my teensl they enrolled me into an art class at the local cultural center in New Jersey. Here I met instructors who introduced me to the masters of the past and encouraged me to learn and see more by going to museums and Art Galleries in New York City. By the end of high school, I knew I wanted to go to a design school but I didn’t know if I should go into illustration, graphic design or fine arts. I knew I always loved the storytelling aspect of art whether it was through drawing/painting or using bold graphics to narrate a visual story.

I enrolled at Parsons School of Design in New York City and chose to study illustration and digital animation which allowed me to grow as a professional artist. After graduation, I started to work as a textile graphic artist for a home furnishing company where I designed beach towels and kids beddings. It was great to see my art on products and sold nationally. I switched industries and got into fashion where I created prints for accessories, swimsuits, loungewear and kids clothes. But I needed another outlet for my personal work, and that’s how my Etsy shop, Miss Johnny Squirrel opened. It became a platform for my cute, illustrative woodland critters on greeting cards and screen printed items. I knew I wanted to learn more about design in general so I took many continuing education classes in printmaking and typography. I loved how designers, whether through their medium of graphic design, illustration, painting or fashion, had ways of expressing their narrative through their craft.

I wanted to keep that aspect of versatility but I also knew if you work for a major corporation, you need to make designs that sell. This is around when I knew licensing my own art on products as your brand was something I wanted to pursue.

Yuki, 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?

After living and working in the city for 14 years, my then-boyfriend, now husband’s work relocated him to Safety Harbor, FL. We knew we were right together and after attempting long distance I decided to make the big transition to the Sunshine State. It was a bit scary to drop my career and move to a place where the industry I’ve worked for doesn’t exist.
When I got here, I turned to what I knew – screen printing and design. I wanted to focus on my Miss Johnny Squirrel line as a way to do my art and grow the business more intently. Through a friend I met at a creative meetup, I met Bob Petit. He owned a screen-printing shop in Tampa and taught me more about screen printing and allowed me space to experiment with my own designs and methods. I started applying to craft shows including Indie Market (now known as Indie Flea) in St. Pete where I met many entrepreneurs and other creative like-minded people. It was an encouraging environment to test my designs and my ideas flourished.

I kept working on my fine arts and illustration work and at one craft show, my work was noticed by the owner of an interior decorating company, Soicher Marin Gallery. This introduction led me to a path where I could start licensing my work. Soicher Marin Gallery is a three-generation family business creating works of art for interior designers and the retail customer since 1959. It was surreal to see my work being sold at major national retailers such as Wayfair, Anthropologie and One Kings Lane to name a few. It was and still is very challenging to find my style, to keep evolving and making new art.

I also tested my graphic design skills and worked as a curatorial assistant for a local art museum. Here I learned more about designing exhibition graphics and helping create stories and narratives through art and objects. Through my other creative jobs, I was also given the opportunity to design some of the landmark murals in the Tampa Bay area and in Houston, TX.

I enjoyed these different creative outlets and they show the breadth of my versatility. Diversity of my skills and experiences is a testament to the continual growth as an artist and when directions change, my vision continues to evolve. I sometimes wonder if my versatility is keeping me from pushing one thing – one style of art. But for me, it has led me to try so many different paths that make me who I am.

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

Make art more accessible and in the case of museums and galleries, promote accessibility !! I have always loved visiting museums and I definitely spent a lot of time drawing, learning about the history, artists and cultures. I had easy access to museums in New York City where I went almost every weekend. Many offered free admissions (or suggested admission ) on some evenings. I think museums appreciate curious minds and nurture creativity.

I also think cities that support the arts – from markets to events – is a great way for budding creatives to encounter and see other professionals in their craft. I’ve been participating at a local farmers market (that also supports artists and crafters) where people have approached me on how I got started and how they can improve on their skills.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

Social media is something I am still learning and getting better at. I don’t have the right setup to always be taking videos of time-lapse of me drawing or collaging. I commend the content creators who have the right equipment and setup and know what works.
My friend, a fellow entrepreneur and jewelry designer, said consistency and content is key. So I do try to post things, new art, events I am set up at, new products or some sketches on a semi-regular basis. I really want to get better at posting reels and videos as I can sit and watch instagram videos of other artists and creators making their art all the time.
I have two accounts on my instagram. One is for my Miss Johnny Squirrel brand where I post new products for my online shop and post market dates. Other one is strictly my illustration and design work – mostly my illustrations. The art you will see in this will vary depending on what I am interested in at the moment. It is a nice way to switch gears between two accounts because I am hoping the audience will see it’s just a form of an expression.

I have been trying to add more personality to my posts and I try to show that through my quick sketches. I occasionally show my messy work area to show you can be creative at any little nook you carve out for yourself. I get too shy and introverted but I did start posting my face to my products so people can see I make all of these – whether they look more fine art or cute. It’s all my visual interpretations and I have fun at it.
I think my followers know I am a big foodie and love cooking and trying new things.

In the future I do want to get those stands that capture timelapse videos while I am drawing. I just have to figure out how to make more room on my messy studio desk. I have too much creative clutter most of the time. I would need to get comfortable talking and capturing myself talking as I get too nervous.

Contact Info:

• Website: missjohnnysquirrel.com
• Instagram: @missjohnnysquirrel / @yo_illustration_studio
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/missjohnnysquirrel

Image Credits
Greg Bryon and Soicher Marin