Check Out Midori Saito’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Midori Saito.

Hi Midori, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I think a lot of us creatives start out in a similar way. Art has been my passion for as long as I’ve known it. I had good grades but I struggled in a lot of my core subjects at school. I worked very hard to keep up with other students and would feel really insecure if I didn’t know or understand something.

Art class was the only subject where I felt like I truly belonged and thrived in, both personally and academically. Art was always there for whatever life was throwing at me at the moment. It gave me hope that whatever happens, I was going to have a future in the creative industry.

In 2018, I graduated from Missouri State University with a BFA in Graphic Design. During my time in college, I wanted to seize every opportunity I was given to learn about my field of study. Along with the class, I worked at a variety of different places pertaining to art and design, such as a teaching assistant for a high school summer art program, a graphic design intern for a large nonprofit and an ad agency near my school, and a student graphic designer at the student union.

I also volunteered to be president of my school’s AIGA – The Professional Association of Design chapter, organized a few art shows with some of my colleagues from school, and created lots of personal design and illustration work outside of class. I knew as a minority woman about to graduate, that I was going to have to work twice as hard to get a good job after school so I wanted to be as prepared as I could be. So I loaded up as much as I could on all kinds of experiences.

Since graduating, it’s been a whirlwind. I moved back to Kansas City to start my creative career. I started working as a production artist for an ad agency here in town because I really wanted to hone my skills, learn the back end of graphic design, and most importantly, use those skills to design more efficiently. It wasn’t the most creative job, but I’m glad I started there. I had a really stable foundation and I was able to learn a little bit of everything.

Unfortunately in 2020, I lost that job due to the pandemic and I was sad and frustrated. Not only with the situation, but also with myself. I became really self-doubtful. I was the type of person who was always prepared, had a plan B and like many other people, worked very hard to get the position I did, as art and design weren’t just a choice for me – it was the only thing I was good at and be happy with.

When the pandemic happened, everything stopped. No one was looking, no one was hiring – I wasn’t so sure if I was even going to get a job in design even after all the work I had been putting in at that point. I felt like it didn’t matter or was a waste.

But tough times have transformative powers. Even though life itself was unsure, it didn’t mean that I was never going to be successful in my field. Because I had more free time, I was able to figure out more things about myself that I enjoyed and could be just as successful outside of finding a stable job after graduation. Because you know, life is more than just a job.

I learned that success is measured in so many more ways than that and everything just takes a little perspective. Pacing yourself, and focusing on yourself is ultimately what matters in the end, and future you will appreciate your doing that.

I found a new love of freelance work during that time. I remembered how much I love making creative things for the sake of making creative things. I also started the job I have now as a graphic designer for an outdoor products company. And I’ve been doing that for the past two years now!

Can you believe it? High school Midori would be proud. Learning, understanding, creating, figuring things out, pacing yourself, putting YOU first – it’s a win in my book. All that is still classifies as working hard, and that is how you measure success.

I am immensely grateful for the support system I have because, in spite of everything that happened two years ago, I was incredibly fortunate to have such amazing friends and family who recommended me for jobs, gave someone my email, or even lent a listening ear.

I really would not be in the position I am in right now – freelancing, creating for fun, working a job that I enjoy – if it weren’t for any of them. Design opened a whole new world for me, with more experiences than I ever could imagine.

It gave me a community that will always have my back even when I don’t and made me hopeful of what’s to come in the future always, despite being thrown off the path once in a while. Creating, belonging, thriving – I am very lucky that my industry is what it is.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I think the pandemic was probably my largest professional hurdle.

Feelings of self-doubt, imposter syndrome, and going in circles wondering if all your hard work was even worth it was an absolute nightmare and was definitely even more heightened during that time. Tensions were super high, but I got through it though!

Taking the time to learn about myself and what I wanted to do with my art and creativity, focusing on myself and my mental health while I had a little bit of a break, and having a really strong support system to lean on – I definitely wasn’t alone in this process.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a graphic designer and illustrator through and through. A lot of my work is primarily in digital illustration and lettering, but I also really love surface design, fashion illustration, and just plain ole’ traditional drawing.

I was in fashion design for a small period of time before graphic design, and I think that influenced a lot in my illustration style. It’s very bright, colorful, geometric, and fun. I also find inspiration in some of my favorite artists and designers like Yayoi Kusama, Dana Tanamachi, Tad Carpenter, and Mondo Guerra.

The work I am most proud of would have to be some of the social media content I made for Babes Helpin’ Babes. BHB is an organization that promotes and teaches DEI work in our creative industry. They are about wanting to make active and consistent changes. It’s a cause that really resonated with me being a minority woman. I related to a lot of experiences that other POC face when it came to getting a job, and I wanted to help be a part of a group that wanted to change that. It was creative work that also allowed me to learn during the process while collaborating with some pretty outstanding creatives – which was just icing on the cake.

I think what sets me apart is my work ethic and production background. As creative as I am, I am also meticulous when it comes to my work. I’m also just in general a very passionate person, so if you are absolutely pumped about a new project, idea, business venture, etc.

I am definitely just as (if not more) pumped as you are. Pair that with my skills in production work, just know you are getting the highest quality of work (creatively and technically) delivered to you.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.midorijsaito.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewasabimami/
• Other: https://www.pinterest.com/themidorisaito/_saved/

Image Credits
Christina Renee Photography