Akiko Miyakoshi's THE PIANO RECITAL

Akiko Miyakoshi entered the children's book world with a BANG and has continued to create wonderful book after wonderful book. I'm thrilled to have her on for one of her recent titles, The Piano Recital. e: What was your creative process/medium for The Piano Recital, can you walk us through it?
Akiko: Among my previous illustration works, there is one in which a girl in a dress standing on the theater’s stage alone. Although this illustration had nothing to do with a picture book at the point I drew it, an imaginary short story that resides inside the illustration eventually became the main story of the first draft of The Piano Recital. As such, a lot of time I made picture books setting a single illustration as a starting point. And then other pictures or texts came after in order to build a fantasy world. I’m good at visual thinking. Speaking of the background story of The Piano Recital, a lot of elements reflect my own experiences in my childhood, such as piano lessons or a small recital. I was not a good pianist, but a lot of memories have been in my mind. Those memories allowed me to imagine and draw details about a theater and the girl.


Aside from the girl, the mice also play important roles in the picture book. Mice are undoubtedly lovely creatures although sometimes they aren’t welcomed neighbors for humans. But imagine a world where they live cultural lives in the backyard of a theater. I thought it must be charming if the girl encounters the little mouse in the theater like Alice tumbling down a rabbit hole.
In terms of medium, the main drawing materials for this book are acrylic gouache, wood charcoal, and pencils. I like wood charcoal because it’s suitable to express the dark atmosphere of the theater. e: You have so many beautiful books, including The Storm, The Way Home in the Night, and A Tea Party in the Woods       with this amazing illustration that first made me notice you:. There's also your newest title, I Dream of a Journey which I may have to ask you back to talk about! What was your path to publication?
Akiko: When I was in college, I made my very first picture book. And l sent it to a Nissan Children’s Storybook and Picture Book Grand Prix. Then I won the second prize. It encouraged me so much and l applied the competition every year from that year on. During that time, I graduated from the art school and worked as an illustrator. Living in Berlin for a year was also nice experience for me. In 2009, l finally won the grand-prix and did debut with The Storm. e: Is there a unique or funny story behind the creation of The Piano Recital? And do you play piano?
Akiko: No, I don’t play piano. I used to learn playing piano for a long time when I was small. But I was not into it. When I was making The Piano Recital, I had a tiny mouse as a model. He was so cute yet strong. When he found an insect, he always fought and won! He was truly part of my family and lived a long life. e: What do you think makes an illustration magical, what I call "Heart Art” - the sort that makes a reader want to come back to look again and again?
Akiko: Not only the picture itself but the underlying story is also an important factor of an illustration. I value this so that readers can imagine something more, such as character’s feeling, the place, time, the weather, the atmosphere, and so on. I think that “Heart Art” can take readers into the illustration’s world at a glance. e: How do you advertise yourself (or do you)?
Akiko: I have my own website and SNS (twitter and Instagram). I share my artworks and activities through them. On top of that, I hold an exhibition every year. It’s always fun and inspiring to meet various people at the exhibition.
e: What is your favorite or most challenging part of being a creator?
Akiko: It is rewarding when an artwork is finished. Especially when it’s an artwork that can get across the emotion and the atmosphere that texts cannot do. Having good luck with an artwork sometimes prompts me to imagine an extended story behind the picture, which might evolve to a picture book when I have more luck. e: Is there something in particular about The Piano Recital you hope readers will take away with them, perhaps something that isn’t immediately obvious?
Akiko: In a situation which you may feel under pressure, like being in front of people, it's a lot nicer for you to have fun than being nervous. This is true to me as well. I wasn't good at delivering a speech years ago, but in these days It's been way more enjoyable once I tried to have fun. e: What are you working on next or what would be your dream project?
Akiko: Now I’m working on some new projects. One is short stories about a shrew who lives like a human. And the other one is a picture book about 2 girls living in a same apartment become friends. In addition to that, a picture book project about an old photo studio, which is a self-publishing project with a book designer. And few more ideas and projects are also in my head.

e: Thank you, Akiko! I hope to have you back on for I Dream of a Journey!