I'm Yuko: the heart, soul, and brain behind Honeyberry Studios. I'm so glad you're here!
I find joy and healing in creativity.
Everybody deserves beauty and happiness in their life.
Loving yourself is an act of resistance.
You matter.
Your voice matters.
Your needs matter.
Your creativity matters.
I create bright and uplifting art because that's my love language.
I hope Honeyberry Studios products will help you build and nurture meaningful connections with your loved ones.
And most importantly, with yourself.
You're loved just the way you are!
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And here is a little bit more about me if you got the time👇🏼 👇🏼 👇🏼
I grew up in Himeji, Japan and moved to Seattle in 1996.
My dad, mom, and brother still live in Japan, and I try to visit them every couple of years.
{here is a pic of my hubby, Dave, me, my mom and dad from a family trip we took in 2023}
I became a full-time artist in August 2015. Before that, I worked for a local non-profit domestic violence survivor advocacy organization for 14 years.
I don't have an art degree but have always loved to doodle and do crafty things.
Drawing was a hobby at first but people started noticing what I made and started asking if I could make art for them.
I started selling my crochet fingerless gloves on Etsy in 2010 and kept making more things. I got burnt out on making crochet products, though, and started making more illustrations in 2013-ish.
My job at the DV org was super rewarding and I loved the people I worked with.
But I started feeling that something was missing.
I wanted to do something more creative, something that felt more positive and tangible.
I was struggling more and more to stay engaged in my job.
I could tell my heart wasn't in it 100% any more.
So I took a week off to think - Dave and I sat down one evening and crunched our numbers. After doing our budget, we found that his income alone could support us for the foreseeable future.
I gave my notice the following Monday.
It was a very scary decision to quit.
I started working there right out of college and was the youngest person then. I practically grew up there!
Leaving my friends, routine, and steady paycheck was so out of my comfort zone!!
But many years later, my business continues to grow, and I've never regretted my decision to quit.
Sure, running your business making art is not easy.
Someone said running your own business is the best therapy. You're pushed outside of your comfort zone and learning about yourself all the time.
But I'm so HAPPY that I get to do what I love and get to connect with so many awesome, kind people like you through my art 😊
I do miss helping people sometimes, but making art that brings people joy is as rewarding.
I'm not a "glass-half-full" kind of person.
I'm a Highly Sensitive Person and pretty empathic... so, life gets pretty draining a lot of the times.
I create uplifting art so my life is filled with positivity.
And I hope my creations cheer you up when you need a little boost ❤️
Honeyberry Studios is a one woman shop.
I create all the art and designs myself. I package all my products and do my own marketing. I sell them in my online shop and wholesale to retailers around the country.
It's a lot. AND I love it.
In 2021, we moved to a 240-acre farm in Arlington, WA (about an hour north of Seattle) as part of the new co-housing community, Rooted NW.
I still can't get over how beautiful this place is. I don't know if I ever will?
When I'm not working in my biz, you can find me sweet-talking to our cat, Millie, or daydreaming. I'm a later-in-life queer woman and extremely introverted (specifically, I'm INFJ) I need connection AND I need solitude and peace to be a happy, functioning person.
Thank you for being here, and I look forward to creating beautiful, uplifting art for you 😊
xo
