Optimistic Kamiko

Kamiko is an 18-year-old creative from Detroit, Michigan. 

Kamiko models, produces music, and she is currently in college majoring in illustration. 

Kamiko’s earliest creative memories are of painting. She started learning from her older cousin who would share with her different styles as they painted together. At the age of 10, Kamiko had her first photoshoot in Detroit under the company One Source Talent. By high school, Kamiko was creating mixes inspired by her favorite Dj, Dj Rick. She now has two Soundcloud accounts, @duttyblasian and @hillgurl, where she posts her mixes, which all tell a specific story about an important person or event in her life. 

by Kamiko

 Kamiko remains dedicated to creating because it is one of the best coping mechanisms she has found to deal with negative emotions and difficult life events. In high school, Kamiko struggled with depression and substance abuse. It was not until she started going to therapy and learned how affective art can be in helping depression that she started to really take her craft seriously. 

She said, “I was depressed, but I didn’t know it and I kind of just fell into this really deep place. I was having substance abuse problems, and I ended up getting expelled because I gave a Xanax to another student. After that, my counselor recommended that I go to therapy. That was a really eye opening experience. I had to go to this outpatient program every day from 7am-3pm, and I was around all of these kids who had similar stories to me. It was good to see that, OK, I’m not alone. That really changed my life, and it taught me a lot of positive coping mechanisms, which is what really got me into art.” 

via @k4miko on Instagram

Now, Kamiko hopes to use her art to spread the message that no one is alone, that we all go through tough life experiences, but that there is always hope for improvement. 

“I went through a lot, and really had to learn how to handle things. It’s a process. Your life is not going to be this hard forever. If people ever need help I want them to know that they can reach out to me,” said Kamiko. 

In the future, Kamiko plans to continue all of her various art pursuits in different ways. 

Kamiko said, “I see my future looking pretty crazy. I plan on doing art, modeling and music, and maybe even more. I plan on being in galleries, doing illustrations, doing runway shows and being published in magazines. Music as well, I want to start doing events locally and start becoming more confident with showing people my music…Creativity is a part of me now. It’s instilled in me. I embrace creating, I love creating.”

You can view more of Kamikos’ work by following her @k4miko on Instagram.