Meet Akira Usagi

We recently connected with Akira Usagi and have shared our conversation below.

Akira, sincerely appreciate your selflessness in agreeing to discuss your mental health journey and how you overcame and persisted despite the challenges. Please share with our readers how you overcame. For readers, please note this is not medical advice, we are not doctors, you should always consult professionals for advice and that this is merely one person sharing their story and experience.

Being open about it, talking about it. It serves as a constant reminder that you are not alone in how you think and feel.
I’ve struggled with major depression for most of my life. My first memory of it was when I was 10 and having a strong desire to die. At 16, I attempted to take my own life twice. At 30, I started antidepressants and while hesitant at first, I thought, “If I’m telling myself I’m not afraid die, why should I be afraid to take these pills?” They’ve helped a lot. Getting sober and staying sober has been crucial as well. The most important is to keep painting, because that to me is my highest form of prayer.

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?

I’m a Japanese American painter and muralist born and based in Los Angeles. What I find most exciting is how infinitely expansive it is. What I mean by that is, I can paint every day for the rest of my life and it won’t be enough time to paint everything I wish to. There’s so much to do and so little time.
I recently celebrated my 1 year anniversary of doing pop-ups where I showcase my art and prints. That was a pretty big financial risk but it’s gone surprisingly well, so I’m pretty happy about that. It’s been fun learning so much about business too! January will be my 10 year anniversary as an artist; I don’t think who I was 10 years ago could have imagined the kind of journey these past 10 years would be! I feel very blessed.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

First and foremost is not giving up. Painting is hard, life is hard, rejection is hard. Keep walking, keep practicing, keep painting.
Second is to not be afraid of taking risks. Be vulnerable, take chances, expose your work and your heart. Be prepared to accept the handful of “yes” after the overwhelming amount of “no.” Sometimes, it’s harder to receive than to give.
Third is to never get complacent. Always learn, be curious, and expand your knowledge, creativity, skill set. Don’t be afraid to destroy a piece you worked tirelessly on. Just start over-because you can.

What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?

I rest, sleep, give my self the time and space to take it easy, and pray.

These activities can get easily overlooked in a fast paced culture like ours and are crucial for me because I tend to stress out more than I like to admit (laughs). I’m also very thankful to not drink, smoke, get high anymore. This was my prior “strategy” when I felt overwhelmed and couldn’t imagine life without doing so. Yet here I am, 3.5 years sober! If you’re struggling with depression, stress, loneliness, addiction, please know you’re not alone. Feeling you are not alone can help a lot so talking to somebody, offering to listen to somebody has been helpful for me.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @akirausagiart