We recently connected with Natsuki Sakamoto and have shared our conversation below.
Natsuki, so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.
Honestly I’m so inspired by all the people around me. I know it’s a bit corny, but there are so many talented people in my life and just out in the world that it’s hard to not find amazing ideas and creative inspiration. I think it’s so important to find your own unique quality that can be reflected in your art, and once you discover this it’s much easier to find inspiration in the world around you. The jewelry business is very saturated as I’m sure we all know, so it’s definitely imperative to stay ahead of the trends and continue to innovate. I started Lune 2 years ago, and in that time I quickly realized that I would need a lot of ideas. It doesn’t help that I’m always going back to my old designs and trying to improve them, even 2 years later, so I always need a constant stream of creativity and inspiration. That being said, there are a few things I do regularly to keep my creativity flowing and broaden my horizons, and I’m sure most of us do these every day without really thinking about it.
For instance, I love a good session of people-watching. Whether it’s the familiar faces at my favorite cafes or the diverse characters on the street, observing the world around me really sparks my imagination. Being from Japan, I couldn’t help but appreciate the abundance of creatively bold individuals who weren’t afraid to stand out. The eclectic and daring fashion choices and unique expressions in Japan made finding inspiration an everyday affair. I’ve carried that appreciation with me, and it continues to influence my creative journey.
As a frequent vendor at markets and pop-ups, I enjoy showcasing my own creative work and soaking in the diversity of ideas from fellow vendors. You could call this my version of window shopping. This is a great way to keep up with emerging trends and see what kind of new ideas are being tested in the marketplace. Plus I just love browsing all the unique and wonderful products, I’m always finding amazing and talented artists!
Finally, even when things are going well, I’m all in for trying out-of-the-box things—experimenting with wild ideas is where I find my most unexpected sparks of inspiration! Sometimes the best ideas come from the biggest flops, so I have to remind myself every day not to be afraid of trying and failing. It’s all part of the process, and sometimes its more fun thinking of all the wacky ideas that never left the drawing board.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
Growing up in Japan, I saw a lot of unique fashions and styles. I always admired the kawaii style, which uses a lot of pink and pastel colors, lacy frilly clothes, and tons of accessories. I would say the closest comparison in western fashion would be the coquette style. Once I moved to the US, I found a lot of new inspiration in vintage styles ranging from Victorian society to 30’s chic and beyond. I wanted to create something with a modern feel, but I also wanted to find a way to combine all of my influences together. That’s when I decided to create Lune!
I feel my designs are a testament to this unique blend of modern and whimsical, but also timeless and elegant. The signature Lune style revolves around playful ribbons and charms, as well as graceful adornments and drapery, all tied together with pearls of course. I originally chose to focus on pearls because while they’re traditionally a symbol of femininity and independence, I want to share their appeal to people of all genders and ages. Let’s be honest, everyone looks good in pearls! These days I am branching out from focusing so much on pearls, and now we have a wide variety of styles to choose from. This is an ongoing effort to expand our focus on inclusivity even more, and spread the joy of fun and spirited jewelry.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
I would say the three most important qualities that have helped me get to where I’m at now are vision, consistency, and daring.
Vision is sort of like the fuel that keeps things running even when the road is rocky. Every business will run into speed bumps, and mine has definitely been no exception, but a clear goal keeps me moving when obstacles get in the way. Ever since the very beginning I’ve always had a vision for where I want Lune to go and how I want to shape the brand, and that definitely feeds into my determination, because every step closer to that vision just adds more fuel to my fire. Every little victory is a strong motivator! Now I know not everyone has a clear vision when starting out, and I think that’s OK too! Eventually though resources and time will become too scarce to focus on a vague idea, so to me forming a clear vision becomes more paramount as the business grows.
If we think of vision as the fuel, then consistency is the engine of my business. Consistency keeps things moving forward every day, stacking up those little victories and contributing to bigger and bigger growth. I’ve often found myself lost in the weeds of piling work and orders and without a consistent schedule and process I would have definitely been even more overwhelmed than I already was. Consistency is something you can lean back on when you aren’t sure what to do next, but its also something you have to work hard on. I was so bad about really nailing down a process and workflow early on, that I’m honestly surprised I got past that stage at all, but when I did, things became so much smoother. Consistency doesn’t just make life easier though, it helps build trust with the customer and solidifies the brand as one to be depended on. That’s so important to me, I always want to make sure that every customer feels that they made the right choice and that they are empowered to shop with Lune again. I think consistency is really hard to nail down at first because you have to experiment with what works for you, and at first it will feel like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole, but with time you’ll find something that fits and it will feel much more natural. Plus, it will keep your sanity at a reasonable level when things get really hectic!
Finally, daring has been the quality that has helped me innovate and stay creative even when inspiration was running dry. Every day I push myself to try something new and outside the box. It definitely isn’t easy at times, and trying something crazy will always be nerve-wracking, but being daring has really expanded my horizons in ways I never imagined. Growing up I was fine staying in my comfort zone, but moving to the US was the biggest leap of faith I’ve ever made, and after that really nothing compares to the fear and anxiety I faced. That gave me the confidence to even start Lune, and now I have the tools to really take bigger risks than I ever would have taken back home in Japan. I don’t know if I really have the best advice here other than to just try it, whatever it is. At the end of the day, no matter what you dream of making or doing, you’ll never know if it works until you try. I see things everyday that make me think, “there’s no way I would have tried that, that’s such an amazing idea!” and I think that we have to be willing to really push the boundaries, if we want to be that person. On the flip side, for some things there are definitely right and wrong ways to do it. If you aren’t sure which way is best then trying to shake things up is always worth trying, even if just to come out of the other side saying, “that didn’t work for me, I can cross that off the list”. We’re always learning and growing, and your business is kind of like a muscle, you have to stretch it and even tear it a bit before it can become stronger!
All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?
I think most of the challenges I’m facing are the types of things we all face every day. Things like doubting myself or my work, maintaining a strict routine and schedule, dealing with tough weeks or deadlines. These are probably not news to anybody out there but I think they are often the silent killer. We deal with them so often we kind of forget they can be a massive hindrance on our progress and growth, and I think its so key to deal with these so that they don’t get in the way of being the best version of ourselves.
When you’re running all of the day-to-day operations of your own business, it’s easy to get caught up in every little thing that needs to get done, so these nagging doubts or slipping discipline can get sort of pushed aside in favor of just getting the work done. Pile a bad month on top of that and you’re looking at a tough situation. It’s ok to do this sometimes, and often it may be necessary, but do this for too long and I think they can start to become deep-seated problems that will really throw the train off the tracks.
The most important thing for me when I’m dealing with these issues is first and foremost to maintain a good routine outside of work, especially when things get chaotic. It’s always tempting to stay up an extra hour or two to really nail whatever I’m working on, but when I do this something else always suffers, so the benefit really doesn’t outweigh the cost. It helps me to have my schedule broken down very clearly every morning and blocked into different work groups, like design, production, marketing, accounting, sales, etc. This helps keep me focused during those periods and not neglect any of the major components of the business, since it can be really easy to slip into one mode and lose track of the time. It can be hard for me to remember this in the moment, so I have to remind myself constantly, but when I stay with this strategy things move much more smoothly!
The easiest way I’ve found to deal with the doubt or bad weeks is to have a strong support network around me who can keep me steady when the world is spinning. This can be a partner/spouse, family, friends, pets even! I should take this chance to thank my partner, my family and my friends, they are really the reason I’m still afloat and they keep me so motivated all the time! Taking on the challenge of running a small business is always daunting, and without them at my back I definitely would not have had the courage to go down this path, so I really owe my current success to them and their support. And when I’m having a really tough day some good ice-cream always helps!
Contact Info:
- Website: luneofficial.com
- Instagram: @shopluneofficial
- Other: Personal Instagram: @its.natsuki_ Business Instagram: @shopluneofficial Tiktok: @shopluneofficial
