Spreading optimism - Artist and Graphic Designer June Mineyama-Smithson
About this episode…
Spreading optimism — Artist and Graphic Designer June Mineyama-Smith
June’s been freelance since 2008 when she left her full-time role in London in pursuit of creative freedom. Today, she’s on a mission to inject optimism into the world via her art and design work.
With support from advisors and coaches, who’ve taught her the business side of things, June’s working towards a big goal. She wants to earn enough for her husband to retire.
Read the highlights in the next tab.
Getting serious about business
After designing a line of Tote bags and selling them via a curated fashion shop in Tokyo, June returned to London ready to grow her business.
“I was in Hong Kong 2014 to 2017, something like that. I came back to London and wanted to get more serious on the business side of things because, as you can imagine, I'm a creative and really rubbish at business. So I got a mentor through the British library and she said that rather than just selling bags, you as an artist have got so much to offer. So she basically said, sell yourself.”
Create the work you want to do more of
June’s a big advocate for personal projects and she talks about following her own interests and curiosities.
“You have to see the self-initiated projects as an investment. I make those self-initiated projects to invite my dream project with my dream client. Without showing it, those people don't know what I am capable of or what I am about and what my mission is. Sometimes I get lucky and land on dream jobs.”
“Don’t try to do it alone.
“Get a mentor, get a coach, join a community like Being Freelance.”
(Photo by Elaine Potter)
More from June Mineyama-Smithson
Transcript of the Being Freelance podcast with Steve Folland and Artist and Graphic Designer June Mineyama-Smithson
Steve Folland: How about we get started hearing how you got started being freelance?
June Mineyama-Smithson: So MAMIMU is my artist name as well as my creative platform. And it started when I was working as a full-time graphic designer in London. It started as somewhere I could let my creative steam out because, in my job, I was increasingly feeling like I'd outgrown the company and I wanted to do something more creative, but there are also business needs. I wasn't fitting into that business needs. I was trying to force my creativity, whatever I want to do into client work. It was obviously not working. I needed somewhere else so that I don't upset my boss.
Steve Folland: I know. So you were always like, how about this idea? How about this idea? You need it, so you needed a place for those ideas the clients didn't want.
June Mineyama-Smithson: Exactly. Yeah. Absolutely. I was really frustrated... This is great. Why, why, why wouldn't the client like it. Of course, it doesn't fit whatever they need, whether it's a strategy or whatever. So yeah, that's how I start it. And you know, the best way to land on that your dream job is to create that project yourself.
Steve Folland: So you're working at an agency, was it doing graphic design? So that's all day. So how did you, how did you build that creative outlet?
June Mineyama-Smithson: Yeah, I start it with creating lots of manhole cover. I know it sounds funny, but it's inspired by Kimono designs. So looks of Kimono patterns are inspired by very seemingly mundane everyday motif, like cherry blossoms skies, even fish scales. But I was struck by the fact that Kimono artisans in the 17th century found beauty in those distilled them into iconic, minimal geometric patterns. So I went out to the streets of Islington trying to find my fish scales, my cherry blossoms in the 21st century, I found manhole covers and, oh, ‘this is my fish scale!’.
Steve Folland: It's an obvious correlation
June Mineyama-Smithson: Yeah, obviously, and I just looked at many, many manhole covers in London. They are actually really interesting different geometric shapes on, I have the like collection of laws of patterns. I didn't know what to do with that time. I was looking for perfect laptop bags from, I took the bag for myself, something stylish, but also really functional. So I thought I can make the perfect laptop bag for me with those patterns on it. So that's how I started my first collection of a lot of bags. At that time I lived in Hong Kong. So I launched my collection of bags in a very cool shop called Kapok. They're more, more popular than Monaco shop, really cool French own select shop and had launching party. Yeah, so the few bags that are still available on my website.
Steve Folland: How are you putting yourself out there? You need some sort of audience, people need to know what you're doing and put your work there.
June Mineyama-Smithson: Yeah, absolutely. So Hong Kong is really small which really helped. And Kapok, to be honest, did lots of marketing, they invited journalists for the launching party that did help and otherwise social media yeah, lots of Instagram and LinkedIn itself to not your first customers, what your friends and that was the case for me. And that gradually spread it, our friends, friends, Rick Monday friends. And yeah, I started to get sales from strangers. Nice.
Steve Folland: Yeah. But the whole time that it's happening, you're still employed at an agency because we seem to skip from London to Hong Kong at some point.
June Mineyama-Smithson: Yeah. By that time I left my full-time job. But was working as like contractor graphic designer in lots of agencies everywhere and did the same
June Mineyama-Smithson: In Hong Kong as well as doing MAMIMU. But yeah, at the same time I was doing more artistic activity and I'm slow the shifting the artistic practice from product-based brand to an artist myself as mommy.
Steve Folland: What time are we talking about, by the way, just to put things.
June Mineyama-Smithson: Yeah. Yeah, sure. So Hong Kong was I want to say 2014 to 2017, something like that. And but I came back to London and wanted to a bit more serious on the business side because as you can imagine, I'm a creative and really rubbish business. If you think about it, I studied graphic design and the business skill is totally different from graphic design. So I didn't have much business documents, so I got a mentor through the British library and she said that rather than just selling bags, you as an artist have got so much to offer. So she basically said, sell yourself.
Steve Folland: Gotcha. So MAMIMU fine. It could just be a brand, but actually much better to make it yourself as an artist and help people buy into it.
June Mineyama-Smithson: Exactly. And I repositioned myself as an artist on a mission to inject optimism into the world.
Steve Folland: How did it start to evolve really? Because you've got you're, you're putting out your work and you're so put it online. You've started to create some products.
June Mineyama-Smithson: Yeah. Or the alt project, because I was pushing myself initiated work. I started to get commissions through that from someone who, so my work, the most amazing thing happened recently, it's this ITV commission called ITV create I was invited to create an ident for ITV, but most imaginable way, it happened through LinkedIn. My LinkedIn contact both might print and her neighbour. So that print on that neighbour happened to be the curator of the ITV create. She emailed me saying, we go this ITV project, do you want to do it? But it was so like, it happened in such an unbelievable way. I remember saying to my husband, no, God just got this email. Do you think it's a scam
Steve Folland: Well, I love there as well though. Is that means that like, no, you weren't, you were active enough on LinkedIn that people were not just seeing your graphic design work, but we're seeing your artwork and then buying it? So you're quite active on LinkedIn. Are you?
June Mineyama-Smithson: Yeah. Yeah. You know, as a kind of visual artist, I guess Instagram is the obvious place to push yourself, but I heard in another podcast, someone, someone said you know, actually, LinkedIn is brilliant for just everyone. So I started to push myself on LinkedIn. And so what did you start doing? The LinkedIn just posting what I've been doing? So whether it's my product or my new project. Yeah. For example, I did this self-initiated lockdown project called mindscape where I asked eight to 10 people around the world to send me the physical view as well as the introspective view. And I interpreted then in my own way, in my usual bold colours, but I collaborate it with the motion designer to create motion posters to capture what everyone's experiencing, how everyone's experiencing this lockdown because although we were in first lockdown together, we were kind of experiencing in the kind of timeless if you like, you know, but while we were in lockdown in the UK, Shanghai came out almost went back to normal Tokyo just found out that Olympics postponed whereas in California they have sunshine, but it's still emotional rollercoaster and so on and so forth.
June Mineyama-Smithson: So yeah, that resonated with many people. And yeah, I was pushing that kind of content in LinkedIn, as well as Instagram. Yeah, got a few commissions through that really,
Steve Folland: Because LinkedIn, after all, is full of people and people are drawn to art. What, what would you say, like, how do you balance or, you know, across all of this time period, like the work that I guess was paying the bills now and stuff that might bring you something further down the line. I kind of hate this question in a way, because it's saying it's almost like saying the only reason to make art is to make money. And I clearly that isn't the case. But having said that you're obviously making a business of it. And so, yeah, it's good to explore that. Like, how do you balance those things?
June Mineyama-Smithson: Well, you have to see the self-initiate project as an investment, because as I said, I make those self-initiated project to invite my dream project with my dream client, without showing those people don't know what I am capable of or what I am about and what my mission is. So yeah, it's just an investment it's pushing out is my marketing. And when I get publicity, I can use that to approach my dream client then. Yeah, I sometimes get lucky to land on dream jobs.
Steve Folland: In what way are you approaching your dream clients?
June Mineyama-Smithson: I would be very short to start with, I am an artist and the mission to inject optimism into the world. And I think you're brand ethos and my ethos is I would love to chat with you, here is some of my work. And some of the projects have done in the past on you're rubbish at business,
Steve Folland: But you seem to have like a thriving, well amount of products and under the MAMIMU brand, for example, how have you gone on with that?
June Mineyama-Smithson: Oh, it's, it's never easy, you know, especially if you're homeschooling and locked up.
Steve Folland: So you've got your kids to negotiate with you for some new tote bag.
June Mineyama-Smithson: No, but yeah, I mean, to be honest, there's only so much print and backside I can sell to make money. Just, you know, I am not to like a huge company with huge production in China. So it's just a part of my business and commissions and collaborations, a large part of my income really. And yeah, just try to keep pushing forward. And if I want to work with someone really badly out to find a way to go and get them
Steve Folland: Well, it seems to be working very well. So obviously that must be pretty time-consuming, you know, for Mamamoo stuff. But you said that you're still doing freelance graphic design as well. How do you balance those two? Like, as in how much you only have so much time together?
June Mineyama-Smithson: It's tough. Yeah. Especially if I want to do a self-initiated project, it's not easy. How do I balance it? With a great well, or because this freelance life is the board. So you know, I heard someone saying the other day, I have lots of annual leave left because of the pandemic. I know, I thought I left that kind of life a long time ago. And it what we've been doing recently for the past few years, we go to Bali for like two months for summer. We still work, but it's a much nicer environment to work and we can, we can play on Sunday or we can play on Wednesday and the weekend work on Saturday or whatever, you know I work hard to maintain this family life with freedom, freedom to go Bali for a few months and not, not to worry about how many on your leap.
Steve Folland: Is your husband self-employed?
June Mineyama-Smithson: As well. Yes, it is a, yeah, it's got his own agency, so yeah, it's a bit easier. I appreciate that. It's not possible for everyone, but you know, often after we put our son to bed the conversation is, are you working tonight? I'd rather do that to have the freedom and that, I think that would make me go to, to do [inaudible]. I don't know if balance is even the right word, but to push myself through with some kind of resilience to work on graphic design projects, my art commission on self-initiated work. That's what I was pushing.
Steve Folland: And when did you first go freelance?
June Mineyama-Smithson: Really difficult question, because I think 2008, something like that, but that's when I left full time. Yeah. Yeah. If that's defined as a freelance, I think it does. Yeah.
Steve Folland: That's a long time now then what would you say have been like the biggest challenges across that period? What we come up against?
June Mineyama-Smithson: Family life. Nice to know. Having consistency is difficult, but you, I guess you just yeah, rough with the smooth really. Sometimes I get crazy busy sometimes I deliberately up time off sometimes just quiet, but you know, I've been doing this for a while to know it's dark time. Doesn't last forever. So it's manic times, so it's fine.
Steve Folland: Yeah. Are you somebody who has like goals and ambitions that you work towards or do you just go with what takes your fancy?
June Mineyama-Smithson: So my ultimate goal is to retire my husband, although he does not have any intention to,
June Mineyama-Smithson: But yeah, my ultimate goal is to make my business flourish enough to make him retire. Wow.
Steve Folland: I'd like mine to flourish enough so I can make myself retire.
June Mineyama-Smithson: Yeah. But in actual fact, I don't want to retire. I just want to keep creating that, that, that is my passion. And I think that keeps me alive.
Steve Folland: Yeah. You mentioned at one point having a mentor from, was it the British library? Is there anybody else who helps you along the way, be it a coach or a freelance friend or like, or you figuring it all out yourself?
June Mineyama-Smithson: No, never. Yeah. I have a business coach now who has been really, really brilliant to help my confidence. So this is what I was going to say. When you asked me the advice for the younger self. Can I say that now?
Steve Folland: How did you find a business coach?
June Mineyama-Smithson: Through a recommendation? Actually, this is another LinkedIn magic. I love LinkedIn. My my, one of my contacts who is a very successful graphic designer said I've been walking with this coach and you know, I don't know if you're interested, but if you want to put your business forward or really Rick Mundus coach that time, I have to Debbie in search for a coach. That's a lie actually because I spoke to so many people kind of went full circle and said, okay, I have lots of clarity by talking to other people. I know what to do. Then this person got in touch and I thought, okay, talking is free. And then I spoke to this coach or like trial session. He was so brilliant. I didn't even want to have a coach before I spoke to him, but I yeah, I decided to work with him and it's been great.
Steve Folland: How, how does that work? Like what, what does it look like? You meet once a week, for example, once a month or like what?
June Mineyama-Smithson: Yeah. so it's quite loose actually. I think it's more goal-based. So we, we do, like, I know a session on this publish a goal and how to reach the air in my biggest goal is to retire my husband, but I have to have small, smaller to get to the smaller goal I discuss with him or needs to happen. And yeah. And we have interior sessions, maybe it just, he keeps me in check. Yeah. It's accountability as well as great business advice it's been working really well.
Steve Folland: And you mentioned earlier, actually I mentioned that you have lots of products and things in your shop, but to some extent, are those products also part of your marketing? Yes. It might bring you a bit of income, but that's not just what they're there for.
June Mineyama-Smithson: Yeah. I mean that they, I don't mean to be pretentious, but that they are just manifestation of my mission. I just want to spread optimism and to the world. If I can make even just one person happy by having my work in the living room, that's my mission complete.
Steve Folland: Now, June, if you could tell your younger self, one thing about being freelance, what would that be?
June Mineyama-Smithson: Don't try to do it alone. Just get help, get a mentor, get a coach, join a community, like being freelance, but that there are lots of lovely communities and there are lots of lovely, lovely people who are willing to help you. So just jump in there. Don't fight along.
Steve Folland: Nice. I'm just wondering as well. You're obviously, I'm not scared of approaching people to try and get your work out there does that, or maybe you are scared, but you do it anyway. But how about getting press for your art and things like that? Like cause obviously, there's so many artistic or design blogs and magazines and what have you out there? Youtube channels. So do you, do you put effort into that as well? Or
June Mineyama-Smithson: Definitely. Yeah. on I haven't always been successful, but it's just on the job training, the more you do it, the better you get. Yeah. I remember watching the press first and felt really disappointed that no one seemed to have been interested, but it was just because of how I approached them since then I show up and my email abroad better-prepared everything in place, you know, through photography and images, press release bio all in one place. So that might it's much easier for them. So it's just, I'm just practising and get better to
Steve Folland: One, one more thing. The ITV thing that you mentioned earlier, ITV creates, what's it called? That's right. So when can we say ICV for those listening around the world is like the big channel here in the UK. We have BBC ITB, like, you know, the original, big channels on TV. So it's so cool, but your work is going to be on it. So, I want people to be able to go and see it. So,
June Mineyama-Smithson: Yeah. So it's going to be on the whole month of may yeah, marking mental health week and mental health awareness month. So it's going to be on the air, so it's, it's the ident. So it's going to be in between the program and the commercial break throughout the day. But if you search for ITV creates that as a website with my interview with my collaborator, neuroscientist Tara.
Steve Folland: Oh my gosh. We will put a link of being freelance.com, but in theory, we could just be watching telly if we're based here in the UK and suddenly your art will be around the ITV logo, that kind of thing before a show comes on.
June Mineyama-Smithson: Yeah, that's right. So it's designed to top up your optimism every day. So I was so delighted when ITB said, give us your wishlist of who you want to collaborate with, to the sky's the limit. Just give us the list of people.
Steve Folland: I remember them calling me saying you wanted to work with me, but go on.
June Mineyama-Smithson: Yeah. So I've got Steve, but yeah. But yeah, I said, I want to either work with a sociologist, psychologist or neuroscientist to create ultimate optimism combining art, science, logic, and magic together, they found the most fantastic neuroscientist, Dr Tara. And basically, I asked lots of questions, you know, what are the colours and more that gives the emotion of optimism and so on. I created a series of motion graphics. I combined the motion graphics with the physical logo, which is a shiny mirror finish. So we designed the motion graphics to hit those happy hormones in the brain, on every viewing that well, yeah. That makes you happy.
Steve Folland: Wow. It feels like you're a very optimistic person. I'm getting that. How do you top up your own optimism as you put it?
June Mineyama-Smithson: I think it's just training. So w so Tara told me that you can train yourself to be an optimistic person. So it's just it's a matter of activating that part of the brain, whether you want to be smarter, happier, or, you know, better creativity, more creative, I guess. Yeah, it's just a matter of shifting your mindset.
Steve Folland: I think you can work at being optimistic and then optimism helps you in being freelance.
June Mineyama-Smithson: Absolutely. Absolutely. Optimism is not about just being happy and lofty optimism is the belief to be happy to get there that the end goal well the way to get there might not be easy, but optimism is a choice to believe that it's going to be good. If we believe we can build resilience it makes it better. It makes you not give up meat way because the end goal is happier.
Steve Folland: June has been so good to talk to you all the best with being freelance. Thanks, Steve.