Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in arts but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Harumo Sato, Owner, and Manager based in Mountain View, CA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I am a visual artist. My main practice is painting and public art. In my studio, I paint a lot of colorful animals and geometric-shaped people. Since COVID, I have grown interested in physical tangibility and sustainability, so I started making “2.5” dimensional paintings using multimedia like used oil pastel, sumi ink, gold foil, plastic containers waste, terracotta clay, scrap wood, and beeswax.
Outside of my studio, I create hand-painted murals and installations. Some of the clients I have worked with are Facebook (now Meta), Target, University at Buffalo, MidPen Housing, etc.
I am the daughter of a historian family, so I value history and research a lot before I start moving my hands. I enjoy onsite visits, walking around the area, and talking with people who carry the local history to share it in my work. My hope is that my work will become a point of connection between history and people passing by. It is important for me to create artwork that speaks not only to their own community members but also to visitors so that they can love the land and will be more likely to pass their experience with it to the next generation.
Tell us about yourself
I graduated from college in 2015. At that time, I was in Buffalo, NY. I tried to find a job related to art, like a design job in the advertisement industry, but I had no clue how to find a job that truly spoke to me. I had built a good local reputation within my college art community. However, I was a relatively rare Asian immigrant who didn’t speak English fluently in that area. True career prospects were low. Luckily, my printmaking professor introduced me to the director of the Western New York Book Art Center, and I showed her my portfolio. A few days later, she offered to become their first artist residency artist. They gave me a chance to do my first solo show in a public space. I gained confidence by working with them and accumulating experience making art and sustaining my life.
At the end of the day, I simply want to see my vision come alive. I want to see a better future for not only human beings but also flora and fauna. I believe finding a harmonious way of life with nature is a big problem we need to solve in our century. My creation is a trace of my thought, struggles, trials, and errors to keep hope and find a way to solve them using my visual language.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I created three murals for an elementary school in Washington, DC, when I was seven months pregnant, driving through the continent by RV. It took six weeks total for travel and fabrication. Also, when my son was seven months old, I made a 36’ x 36’ mural on a five-story affordable housing hotel in San Francisco. I was grateful that I could continue breastfeeding during the entire production time since I brought all my family members to stay near the painting site. Being a mom and artist is really a challenge, and I am so thankful that many people have helped me to go through this challenging path.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
Life-work balance is something I still am in the process of figuring out. My job is my passion. I used to happily work all day, even until midnight, at my studio. But, as a new mom, I need to juggle a lot of unexpected events, like my son and my partner getting sick for two weeks and me having several deadlines in the same month. In the beginning, I panicked and tried to do everything by myself, but I burned out after that. I started learning how to get help from outside of our house, hiring a babysitter, studio assistant, etc. I hope to evolve and hone my new skill set!
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
Make a lot of small mistakes. Listen to your heart. Don’t compare yourself with others. It’s my motto, easy to forget but very important!
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.harumosato.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/harumosato.painting
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/harumosato/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harumosato/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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