Meet Sumire Kudo

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Sumire Kudo. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Sumire below.

Hi Sumire, we’re so appreciative of you taking the time to share your nuggets of wisdom with our community. One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?

I’ve faced numerous difficult challenges on my own, and those experiences have fortunately fostered the confidence to try new things.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I am an oil painter based in Los Angeles. My work explores people’s subconscious dynamics that shape society, with each piece presenting a different socially critical theme through surrealistic and symbolic elements. While I continually explore traditional techniques, I focus on conveying concepts, as I am deeply fascinated by the power of visual psychology.

This perspective stems from my experience working as a graphic designer in the business world to fund my art college tuition. During that time, I often saw how even small changes to images on e-commerce sites could double sales. Simply adjusting the layout or color could move the emotions of tens of thousands of people. Designers leverage psychology to lead viewers’ eyes and intentionally influence their emotions. I was excited by the prospect of applying that logic—not to sell products, but to communicate a message—through painting.

This is why I am drawn to works where every aspect—from color, tone, and composition to the gestures, expressions, and clothing of models—is deliberately constructed by the artist. While paintings that capture scenes the artist happened to encounter can be beautiful, I am more intrigued by works built entirely on the painter’s intention, with chance removed.
Of course, even when an artist embeds deliberate intention, viewers’ personal experiences and cultural backgrounds lead to diverse interpretations. Conveying something meaningful through a single painting is challenging, but it is precisely this challenge that I find compelling.

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

The three elements I consider most important are passion, mentorship, and effort.

First, passion. I don’t really believe in the notion of “talent” as something innate. From my perspective, anyone can develop skills to a certain level if they persist. If talent exists at all, I think it lies in how much you truly love what you do. People who achieve results aren’t necessarily extraordinary—they simply have the passion to keep going until they succeed. That is why, if you have passion, you should pursue it relentlessly. Conversely, if you do not, it is better to seek another path early on.

However, I understand passion alone is not enough. In my experience, no matter how much effort you put in, if you are doing it the wrong way, it can be even more of a waste of time than not trying at all. So we need the right mentor. Self-study has its limits—I personally spent years just learning how to study effectively. In recent years, many people have turned to self-study via the internet, but in an age where information is easily accessible, discerning what is truly effective is hard. The simplest and best way is to attend a good school and invest in your education. Accredited schools offer curricula refined over many years and strong communities, and the more you invest, the greater the return. Of course, I understand not everyone can afford that. If you cannot attend a school, try to talk to the artists whom you respect. However, as a beginner, asking specific questions like “Which brush do you use?” or “What palette do you use?” may not be the best approach. The most effective question is, in my experience, “How did you practice?” Effort itself is not difficult — what truly matters is learning the right way to make that effort.

Finally, effort. You cannot judge whether a lack of progress is due to how you are working or simply the amount of work, unless you push yourself to your limits. Sometimes years of effort do not yield results, but the only solution I found was to keep working harder—and that will likely remain the case moving forward.

What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?

One of the greatest challenges I face as a painter is ensuring that I continue to grow. I never want to lose sight of consistently practicing the fundamentals, continuing to learn, and striving to improve. It seems that many painters tend to forget this as they take on the role of teacher or professional. That’s why I always welcome advice and feedback from those who support me on social media and from those around me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://sumirekudo.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sumirekudo/

Image Credits

Sumire Kudo