Today we’d like to introduce you to Amelia Haru
Hi Amelia, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
Hello! I’m Amelia Haru, an illustrator based in Southern California. Haru is my Japanese name, and it means spring✿ Thank you for this opportunity to share my story!
I loved to draw growing up and wanted to become a manga (Japanese comics) artist because I had read somewhere that it was a job where you could spend your time drawing in solitude and never deal with the outside world (probably not the most accurate description of the profession, but a kid can dream!). I spent countless hours in my room making up stories and characters and immersed myself in my favorite books and graphic novels.
Somewhere along the way, the world must have convinced me that I wasn’t cut out for the artist’s life because I completely left those dreams behind when it came time to pursue higher education. I studied Japanese language and literature in college, then proceeded to spend most of my twenties feeling lost and anxious about choosing the “right” path. After college, I landed different jobs in admin, marketing, event coordination, and PR in the publishing and video game industries. I didn’t draw anything for about a decade. Art became something “I used to do.”
Eventually, the long hours and burnout caught up with me. One morning when I was particularly exhausted after a long night of work and feeling like a complete mess of a person, I watched my partner (now husband) waking up bright and early to go surfing. Seeing how happy and excited he was to start his day got me thinking about how I could feel that way, and the first and loudest thought that surfaced was, “MAKE ART!” I was so tired and in need of a change that I just decided to follow that call. I left my full-time job without a real plan and took on part-time and freelance gigs to make more space for creativity in my life. I started sharing artwork online, selling my creations at craft shows, and participating in exhibitions. Fast forward another decade and I’m still making art and still excited about all the things I want to do next. I also work as a Japanese translator/interpreter alongside my illustration practice, and it’s been interesting trying to balance these two areas of my life that I’m equally passionate about.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
When I left my full-time job, I was so sure I could use all the time and energy I had regained to make tons of art and accomplish great things. What I hadn’t anticipated was for pursuing a creative path to be as much about grappling with self-doubt and uncertainty as it was to make the actual work. After spending most of my life in structured systems, I wasn’t prepared to be completely untethered and ended up using so many of those newly gained hours overthinking and second-guessing my every move. Somehow, I pushed through that initial transition by taking baby steps forward, and over the years, I’ve learned new ways to hold more space for the dark thoughts. I still struggle with feelings of inadequacy and imposter syndrome, but am better at remembering that this is just part of the package. I figured, if I’m going to be stuck with all my inner gremlins, might as well learn to dance with them!
The encouragement and support from those I’ve connected with through art are also such a huge part of what keeps me going. When people tell me that my art is soothing or helped in some small way when things were tough, it lights me up with a sense of purpose. It reminds me that I’m able to offer some form of comfort through my creations.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Watercolors are my main love, but I like to use all kinds of mediums, including gouache, colored pencils, pastels, cut paper, and digital tools. I’ve also been experimenting with more tactile, 3-dimensional mediums like clay, needle felting, and embroidery too.
My work tends to be an exploration of feelings I want to cultivate in myself. When I’m anxious or feeling lost, I think about cozy places and memories or characters who face the world with curiosity and wonder instead of fear. I like to think of my art as a gentle invitation to a quiet space where you can reconnect with yourself.
For so long, I believed I needed to be big and loud and stand out from the crowd, but something a ceramics teacher told me shifted my perspective. I really enjoyed making small sculptures but mentioned to her that I probably should go bigger for more impact. To my surprise, she told me she liked smaller works, too, because they invite people to pause and take a closer look. This was such a validating “you do you” moment for me. There are plenty of wonderful and important big, bold statements in the world, but I feel more at home with the small and soft-spoken, and that’s OK! The focus of my art is not so much on myself or what I have to say but to hold space for others to step away from the noise and tune into their inner world.
I opened up an online shop 10 years ago and have since had the pleasure of showing and selling my work at events, getting my merchandise stocked in stores across the U.S., and collaborating with local businesses to add a special touch to their branding. Last year (2023), I had the opportunity to present my first solo show at the lovely Cherry Co (https://www.cherryco.art/), where I got to show a decade’s worth of artwork and celebrate with friends and family. It made me proud to see how far I’d come and grateful for all the kind and supportive humans in my life.
I recently left Instagram and currently only share updates and new works through my monthly newsletter. I’m very easily influenced, so stepping away from social media has given me more space to sift through my own thoughts and dreams without getting caught up in what everyone else is doing or expecting. I’m focusing on dreaming up my own stories and characters for a book project, which feels like I’m finally coming back around to what I originally wanted to do as a kid.
What do you think about happiness?
What makes me happy varies from day to day! The important thing for me is to check in with myself regularly and tune into what I need most in the moment. On most days, it’s the little things, like reading a good book, taking a stroll in nature, or napping with my cats sitting on top of me. Learning something new or tackling a challenge, and surprising myself with how brave I can be are also things that bring me joy. Mostly, it makes me happy to discover beauty and magic in the ordinary, so I try to stay curious and pay close attention to the things that tug at my heart.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ameliaharu.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ameliaharu/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/ameliaharu
Image Credits
Satomi Miyagawa
