by Emiko Rainbow

Inspiration, for me, is not just a lightning bolt that strikes from time to time. It’s a constant current I tune into, again and again, whether I’m illustrating a picture book, designing a coffee cup, painting large wall murals, or creating artwork for a stadium of fans. The illustrations I create may be on different surfaces, but they all run on the same pulse: visual storytelling that feels bold, inclusive, colorful and inspiring.

My work in children’s books has recently become a main character in my creative business. The manuscript NANA AND ABUELA spoke to me personally, rooted in love and listening. With a multiracial family like my own, and the experience of living between cultures in the midwest. I wasn’t chasing a trend or market. I tapped into my own childhood and let it guide me. Inspiration grows when you trust what already belongs within you. The color palette I love and gravitate to, the tools, brushes, textures I picked up along the way traveling around the world felt nostalgic or from my own heritage. It’s soulful, the warmth I want a reader to feel. These choices weren’t accidental, they are a visual language that comes from my own story and tastes. I’m writing and illustrating my debut picture now, and I will for sure tap into my own history to create the most authentic and fun experience for the audience.

When my illustration work expands beyond picture books, I know that inspiration doesn’t need to reinvent itself every time. When I designed the Holiday Caribou Coffee Cup, I brought the same instincts with me. I wanted people to buy not just a cup of coffee… I wanted them to buy a cup of bold, colorful festive inspiration! Swirling with the same zest and cozy I grew up with when stopping at Caribou after school with my girl friends or helping me survive art college on late nights. Like an injection of a hug and reassurance I needed at the time.

Tapping into inspiration from my own style guide (some call it Style ID or voice or taste) has carried me through illustrating the MN Twins Artist Series T-shirt and a AAPI Night Coloring page for the MN Timberwolves. I’m not much of a big national sports fan but I knew I had some tools in my pocket that could inspire me to collaborate in an authentic way, to merge our styles together in a bold innovative mix. Freelance or client collabs often ask you to adapt, to respond to a brief, to serve a brand and a specific audience. What a fun challenge to sprinkle my razzle-dazzle into that narrative! But within that, I look to my style guide inspiration and see there is lots room for authorship still. Inspiration thrives when I bring my full visionary self to the table. Not diluted, not hidden, not people pleasing, or from a place of fear or scarcity. Inspiration comes from a place of abundance, for us all, we just have to have a few tools in our tool box to pull out when the time calls. You carry inspiration with you all the time!

I’ve come to terms that I am a visionary. It sounds pretentious, but I have to create something out of literally nothing. I can’t “see it to believe it”. I have to dig in, dig deep within me and excavate the authentic stories out. Written or illustrated. When I honor that and look at the blank canvas, wall, cup, t-shirt, or page… Let my life experiences, my tastes, love of color and boldness shine all over it. Let my voice be loud and proud, it can live across many forms. Inspiration is not fragile, it is generous. When you honor it, it will meet you wherever you create!

My questions for you are:

  • What parts of your own story do you find yourself returning to time and time again in your creative work?
  • When you think about your childhood, what colors, textures, or memories feel “nostalgic” or creatively alive for you?
  • Do you have your own Style Guide too? What does it include?

Emiko Rainbow is a Minneapolis-based professional freelance illustrator, muralist, and product designer who makes art and stories for diverse people to be seen and celebrated. Her first illustrated picture book Nana and Abuela, written by Monica Rojas, was published in 2023. She has been a creator and art brand for over 16 years, collaborating with brands like Trader Joe’s, Barnes & Noble, Caribou Coffee, the Minnesota Twins, and the Timberwolves. Her work has been featured on everything from cups and t-shirts to murals and children’s books. As a multiracial woman and mom, her art and stories are deeply rooted in themes of identity, belonging, and empowerment—always sprinkled with a sense of magic, humor, and lots of color. You can find her at EmikoRainbow.com and @emikorainbow on Instagram and Substack.