Meet Mika Cribbs of Los Angeles

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mika Cribbs.

Hi Mika, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My story is really about carving out a creative path that didn’t follow a traditional blueprint. A lot of my early inspiration came from music, especially Pharrell and N.E.R.D. I was obsessed with their branding, album covers, and merch, and artists like Shepard Fairey and Verdy showed me how design, music, and identity could live together. At the time, I didn’t have the language for it, but I knew I was drawn to that world creatively.

I was born and raised in Los Angeles, several generations deep, went to high school in the San Gabriel Valley, and also spent a lot of time growing up in Japan. Moving between SGV and places like Osaka shaped how I see the world. I’m naturally drawn to contrast, like modern and nostalgic, glam and grit, individuality and community. That mix still heavily influences my work today.

Things really clicked for me my senior year of high school when I took a graphic design class. It finally gave me the vocabulary for the career I’d always been pulled toward and opened up so many possibilities. I went on to Occidental College, where I created my own major, spent a lot of time teaching myself design, and became the “flyer girl”on campus.

After graduating, I didn’t land on my feet right away. I worked retail while freelancing on the side and slowly built my way into graphic design and content production through relationships, curiosity, and a lot of trial and error. My first “big-girl job” was in tech as a full-time contract content producer, while continuing to freelance on the side, which led to projects with brands like Finish Line, Starface, and KNC Beauty. I then spent several years working across fashion and beauty, most recently as a content producer at GUESS, before realizing that corporate life wasn’t where I thrived creatively.

For the past year and a half, I’ve been freelancing full-time, working as a designer with Patrick Ta Beauty and as a social media manager and content producer for Camila Casañas (@camilacreates). Outside of client work, I shoot film and camcorder for family and friends, collaborate with restaurants, and create food, travel, and lifestyle content. Right now, I’m focused on creating work that feels intentional, human, and rooted in culture and community — and growing in a way that feels aligned.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It hasn’t been a smooth road, but I’ve learned that a lot of that comes with choosing a nontraditional path. I’ve dealt with things like layoffs, pay issues, and moments where I felt like I had to prove myself. And with freelancing, there’s always a bit of uncertainty and that ongoing question of “what’s next?”

One of the bigger challenges has been figuring things out without a clear blueprint. I didn’t grow up seeing many people around me take this kind of creative route, so a lot of it has been learning as I go, trusting my instincts, and staying open to opportunities that didn’t always look obvious or perfectly planned.

Because of that, I don’t take any opportunity for granted. The rollercoaster ride of my career has made me more adaptable, more confident in my voice, and more intentional about how I move forward.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a graphic designer and content producer working across fashion, beauty, food, and lifestyle, helping brands bring their ideas to life visually. A lot of my work lives in the digital space, from social content to marketing assets.

One of my favorite projects was at Sorella Boutique, where I got to oversee and design all assets for their collaboration with FUBU. I worked on everything from the merch collection itself to marketing materials, printouts, and in-store decals. It was a chance to bring all my skills together in one project, which was really exciting.

What I’m most proud of is building a career that lets me move fluidly between roles and mediums. I’ve worked full-time in corporate, freelanced on the side, and now freelance full-time, which has given me a well-rounded perspective and a deep appreciation for collaboration.

I think what sets me apart is my eye for content and design that stands out and resonates, especially with people my age and younger. There’s so much content out there these days, and I hope my work can break through the noise with something visually interesting, thoughtful, and even a little nostalgic.

What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I was pretty shy. As the oldest in my family, I felt a lot of pressure around what it meant to be a good daughter and sister, which sometimes made it hard for me to express myself outwardly. I learned early on how to be observant and considerate, often putting my own needs on the back burner.

Because of that, I found other ways to express myself — through sketching, dance, sports, and movement. Creativity became a quiet outlet for me, even before I realized it could be something more. I always had a sense that I wanted to do creative work, even if I didn’t fully understand what that meant at the time.

It wasn’t until I left home for college that I really started to explore who I was as an individual. That’s when I leaned more fully into dance, design, music, and creativity, and began finding my voice in a way that felt more confident and true to me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.mikacribbs.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikacribbs/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikacribbs/
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@mikacribbs

Image Credits
Personal Photo Creds:

Photographer: Mo McRae @itsmomcrae
Lighting-Tech: Claudio Banks @frames_by_claudio
Production Assistant: Kayla Smith @kaylaayana__
Produced by Lex Scott Davis @scottyeye
Ego Lab Studio

Additional Photo “02.PNG”

Photographer: Dave Tada @analogpics