Meet Miki Rose | Illustrator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Miki Rose and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Miki, why did you pursue a creative career?
I would be lost doing anything else.

Being an artist is who I am at my core. I see everything through the lens of my work. I have so much to say, and I want everyone to be able to see what I see. I would even say that’s my purpose, and if I waste my precious time on this earth ignoring it then I’ll most definitely die with deep regret. This life would be all for nothing.

The industry I’m entering seems incredibly unstable to work in unless you’ve managed to find significant artistic consecration. But I would rather be barely scraping by doing what I love than be miserable and making more than enough. It’s a risk I’m excited to take.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My work is the culmination of a lot of fear and risk taking. I spend a lot of time branching out and trying something new, which I think has led my art being very diverse stylistically. Artistically my identity is all over the place. Some of my work is pretty dark, and some of it is very cute and happy. I think my possession of so many styles allows me to adapt to whatever I want to put on the page. I just work to make sure that no matter what the subject is, the piece always communicates exactly what I want to say. My stuff is about emotion. I want the feeling I’m inserting into the piece to really emanate from the final product.

A big fear I have is that my work will not be strong enough to get me where I want to be. Illustration doesn’t really have systems to achieve things the way other industries do. I feel like everyone just sort of stumbles their way into their career, and even if you do all the right things, it’s not really a guarantee you’ll find stable work. I think it will be the biggest challenge I’ll ever face in my career, but I can’t imagine how rewarding overcoming it will be.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
In Phoenix, I think I would try to show them the places that I think are most beautiful. Say, a hiking trip on one of the South Mountain trails–assuming it’s not too hot. I think the towers on South Mountain have always inspired me, so it’s wonderful to see them up close.

I’d probably also take them around ASU campus. My friends and I are always walking to delightful little restaurants and shops down there. There’s something for everyone!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I think my friends have contributed the most to who I am today. Even if some knew nothing about art at all, they were still the ones that gave me the courage to fail. They gave me the freedom to discover and be who I am unapologetically, and nothing has ever benefitted my work more significantly than that.

They’ve been there since day one and I hope they’re there until the very end.

Website: https://mikirose.myportfolio.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikirose.vd/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikirosephx/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/mikirosevd

Image Credits
Portrait photo credit: Joya Steverson