Tell us about where you studied and some of your highlights and favourite lecturers.

University of Missouri - Columbia, School of Journalism
Favorite lecturers (is this too many?):

• Heather Isherwood (My lovely magazine editor)
• Laura Heck (My other lovely magazine editor)
• Rebecca Smith (My radio editor)
• Lynn Kim (My film productions professor)
• Nick Potter (My Digital Storytelling and comics professor)
• Robert Greene (My documentary professor)

What weird and wonderful things are you obsessed with right now that inspires your creative work?

I bounce between a lot of things, too many things. Media-wise, I’ve rekindled an admiration for the incredible breadth of Pokémon card art from watching hobbyists build and trade collections on YouTube. I’m also very into zoning out on long runs or climbs and detailing every thought that flows through my head onto Strava—my friends say it’s my Substack.

I’ve been in a design slump lately, though. In preparing this portfolio, I felt a bit of a loss of love for what I do and how I’m doing it. I look back on my work and feel pride for accomplishing it, and I’m overjoyed to have collaborated with the people I did and tell the stories we told… but I no longer feel ownership of my recent work. Selfishly, I want my art to “be mine” again.

To be sappy: I credit my friends and community bringing back a hint of that feeling. Lately, we’re very intentional about gathering, especially cooking and sharing meals together. Among other events, for Lunar New Year, they coordinated and hosted an multi-course feast including steamed fish, Sichuanese cold noodles, communal dumpling-wrapping, and topped off with a strawberry and cream Swiss roll and sago. We cook from small kitchens, but each meal feels lavish. They graciously let me take photos and shove my flash in their faces (thanks, guys). I’d never call myself a “Photographer,” but the gallery of their smiling faces, caught-in-awkward-moment faces, delicious food, warm feelings, hard work, and joy is one of the few things I’ve made I can say I’ve really cherished.

We’re in a lucky place where, lately, we’ve been daydreaming about “pivoting.” We want to take on new hobbies, making magazines together, starting cafés, and building projects that pull us closer. Many’d argue that dreaming of a different future means you’re not living presently, but I think this moment feels opposite. Within a year, the next few months, who knows where any of us will be? What will we be doing? But right now, we’re all together, and by enacting on whimsy and far-flung ideas we never thought possible only makes these moments more precious.

My work has always been inspired by nostalgia and archiving memories, feelings, and histories—that’s the nature of my roots in journalism: “Here’s what happened and why.” At this very moment though, I’m indulging in imagination and building experiences for the first time in a long time; I’m remembering what art as a kid felt like again. Does that make sense?

To my dear friends, I’m obsessed with you guys <3. Thank you for letting me be a part of your life.

Favourite travel destinations that inspire you.

1. Japan — I was born in Japan, left before my brain could form any memories, and was lucky enough to return for the first time once I graduated from university. The most crucial part of Japan being an inspiration is fumbling through the language. I’m far from fluent, but I’ve gotten to meet so many interesting and kind people through what I know. Trying to express myself in a very limited vocabulary is an uncomfortable but humbling way to reacquaint with myself and my ideas. Vis-versa, it’s incredible to peek into a different culture and speak with patient strangers.My guesthouse host who let me help him pull weeds from his garden, the kind ice cream shop owners who toured the fruit-shape bus stations with me, the friends I made at a language table, the docents and curators at art museums I’ve spoken to are just a few people who’ve had profound impacts on how I look at life and art. Again, I am so grateful for their patience with me and my limited capabilities!!! ありがとうございます！また会いたいです。Of course, language-aside, the country oozes with inspiration with its beautiful landscapes, technology, style, and distinct culture. For visitors, I recommend braving outside of the big cities if you can (though they are great). The Naoshima “Art Islands” are incredible for the artistically inclined, and I also loved Fukuoka and Sapporo.
2. Bookstores — When I’m in a rut, I walk to bookstores and trifle through their selection. My favorite sections are the cookbook section, comics and manga section, and magazine stand. There is so much good art, especially in print media. (And I really want to design a cookbook one day—PLEASE hit me up!)
3. My hometown — Columbia, Missouri, isn’t really a travel destination… but since my family moved out, it feels like one. I think a lot of people who move out of their hometown see themselves as visitors and go through this disconnect, too. Because my university is there, my parents actually moved out before I left. I spent my last few years there pre-emtively grieving my childhood before even leaving, and I obsessively recorded and documented our moving process.I’m happy to say, I think I’ve moved on!! But I still love visiting here-and-there and reminiscing as inspiration. I love seeing childhood friends, visiting my high school teachers, and seeing changes in the town that make me say, “Well back in my day, that WAS/WASN’T there!” Sorry, I’m not saying you should visit my hometown, but I am inspired by mine and called it a travel destination since I feel like a visitor myself. I’m sure you may find inspiration at home, should it be a place you feel called and safe to return.But if you visit Columbia, I recommend coming in the spring for the True/False Documentary Film Festival and Unbound Book Festival, walking around downtown on a First Friday, or just catching a film at Ragtag. Otherwise, there’s not too much to do. All the kids like driving to this thing called “The Big Tree,” though, which is just a big tree in the middle of nowhere. It’s not even the biggest tree, but that kind of exemplifies the kind of town CoMo is.

Tell us about your tools / what tech, programs, equipment and environment do you do your best work in?

I use a lot of the Adobe Suite for work, but these days I’m also very into writing and drawing on paper and scanning things in. I only recently got a proper scanner, but using the “Scan Document” function in the Notes app on iPhone has been good when I’m on the go. Also, hot take, I still prefer the tiny Wacom tablet I’ve used to draw digitally than an iPad and Apple Pencil (can be much cheaper too). I also use tons of external hard drives; unplugging them is my “clocking-out” of work mode.

I miss working in a super buzzy and collaborative newsroom where there was not only people working but also people to chat and with. I don’t work for one anymore, so I’ve struggled a bit finding the “right space.” What’s been working as of now is walking to the café I part-timed at; I can work there while also getting to talk to my friends and former co-workers behind the bar. I literally go there more now than when I was a barista proper.

Which 3 creatives do you look up to and why?

1. Madeline Montoya — She’s done absolutely fantastic job of directing art not only for “Byline” but also for “Bloomberg Businessweek” and the slew of other publications she’s played a hand in. Her direction feels so “now” but also very fresh in concept, type treatment, photo treatment, but most of all, fun. She has a fantastic understanding of how to make individual articles feel distinct while also adhering to the voice of a magazine’s brand as a whole. Madeline, if you’re tracking pings to your website… I must account for at least half of them.
2. Doechii — What can I say about Doechii that hasn’t been already said in the last few months? The experimentation and earnest of her recent work takes my breath away with each iterative performance (woosah!). All I can say is that I jumped on the “Alligator Bites Never Heal” train semi-early, but I will never claim to be the biggest Doechii fan since the beginning, because, honestly, I know I wasn’t. I do remember her older work when it blew up, and it wasn’t my thing. Looking back, though, it’s incredible to see the artistic developments and leaps and bounds she’s made since. And, I don’t think she intends on burying them, but I did love her “The Artist’s Way” series on YouTube circa four years ago; I watched a few episodes just recently. I’m inspired seeing an artist like her have documented struggles from just a few years ago that I feel a huge kinship to. I’m so excited for her. She’s like my apple, I think I talk about her at least once a day hahaha.
3. Kawachi Haruka / Oreco Tachibana / inee / various shoujo/josei mangaka — Another childhood habit I’ve been bringing back has been reading a lot of manga — but with a surprising twist: I’m reading a lot of romance. Teenage me was pretty tomboyish and brooding… I never gave romance much thought. I fell into my long-term relationship quite early (hi, Kai <3), so I don’t know why I’m reading about so many people falling in love now. Regardless, the stories by these authors have me giggling and kicking my heels, but my favorites stand out because of beautiful art and intricate stories. Their characters are very gray; these love stories are quite messy but not in the “ooh, they just got a text from their ex!” kind of way. Life is just complicated, and their characters happen to fall in love while figuring it all out. I’m enamored by the way characters learn to speak honestly about their feelings. And, of course, their art is so gorgeous, expressive, and feels refined. The series at the top of my mind are “The Rain of Teardrops and Serenade,” “Firefly Wedding,” and “Love Bullet.”

What are your biggest hopes and dreams for 2025, both for the world and your career?

By now, I’ve been writing way more and way longer than I should. I’m honestly avoiding a bit of work and tackling life commitments... But last year, I felt myself becoming braver in doing what needs to be done and saying what needs to be said… and it’s all been fine. So, I hope I keep doing that: live more honestly and overthink less. Make more art. And, re: Question 1, I hope I find artistic clarity again. I’m about to take my mom on her first vacation in a long time; I hope my career reaches a point where I can do the same for my dad, sister, and family soon.

And for the world… things are very heavy right now. I hope people find safe harbors in communities; I know I’ve been lucky myself. I hope people fighting for freedom will soon be free, and that the rest of the world fights for them too. I hope we make it through the next year—really four. I hope we make more art, not generate it. I hope for media literacy again. There are so many things to hope for and act on.

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