Check Out Cynthia Midori’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Cynthia Midori

Hi Cynthia, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My name is Cynthia and I am proud to say that today I am a full time artist! I am mostly known for live event paintings/ wedding paintings, but also do commissioned paintings, fashion illustrations and live guest illustrations, and additional commissioned art services such as painting on shoes, denim, and jerseys. That is one of the best parts about art – there are no boundaries.
I guess we could stem the start of my art career to my undergrad years at Penn State, where I studied Art Education. While earning my degree I took art history, painting, print making, figure drawing, and ceramic courses and feel deeply in love with visual arts. However, after graduating I became a Kindergarten teacher in Harlem, NY and furthered my career there for eight years and earned my masters in childhood education and special education. Although my students had my heart and I was deeply passionate about education, I knew that I needed to create again. I started painting and drawing for myself and shared it all on social media. With that exposure, people started asking if I would commission work for them and I did a wedding portrait painting which unlocked the world of weddings for me. In 2018/2019 I started to get questions on if I did live wedding paintings. I was so afraid of painting live as I am a very cautious and meticulous painter. After about 20 people inquiring for “live wedding paintings” I realized that I was rejecting what could be a very profitable career out of fear of the unfamiliar. Finally I stepped out of my comfort zone and gave it a try. While teaching, I started to expand my business by taking on more commissioned work and events making it an additional full time job. I first did 25 weddings, then 35 weddings. Once I hit 50 weddings a year, I realized that I had to choose one career and left teaching in June 2023. I am now a full time artist and so proud that I made this dream a reality.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Although I am so proud of where I am now, I will be honest and say it was not always a smooth road getting here.
As mentioned before, I had to overcome insecurities in exploring a creative practice that intimidated me. I once had a professor in undergrad who liked my decorative/ floral arts more than my portrait paintings and he told me that I should never paint people again. I listened for many years until a couple insisted that I paint one of their wedding photos. Overcoming that thought and then being brave enough to later paint portraits LIVE in front of people took patience, practice, and bravery. Painting live was a time sensitive style of creativity and performance that I was not used to and required vulnerability from me.

Another struggle was doing all of this while teaching full time, about 60 hours a week. The balance of having two full time jobs was not easy, but necessary for me to do to ensure financial stability and benefits such as medical insurance. I made a three year plan and stuck to it! I did not want to give everything up for my dream of art to then struggle and have to go back. I woke up each day and made sure even the smallest steps were working toward leaving my job and becoming a full time artist and finally I was able to do that.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
We’d love to learn more about your work. What do you do, what do you specialize in, what are you known for, etc?
I am a full time visual artist and mainly known for live event paintings and wedding paintings.
I also do commissioned paintings, fashion illustrations, live event illustrations, and have even had my own custom stationary card line which was focused on representation and inclusion.

What are you most proud of? What sets you apart from others?
I am most proud of my dedication in my journey of building an art business and being successfully self-employed, as it was not easy and took so much from me. I am so proud of how much my artwork has improved and how I have been brave enough to tackle new forms of art and creativity.
I believe what makes my art unique is that it walks a fine line of realism with a touch of impressionism – which also reflects how I see and feel about the world. I am realistic, but romanticize life. I am also a passionate creator. Ballet/ dance was my first and only form of art for about 13 years, so even my commissioned work has a piece of me. My heart will always be in my art and I hope that people can see and feel that.

What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
A mix of dedication and what may honestly be seen as delusional belief in myself.
To not succeed wasn’t an option. For about two years I would rise and be out for my job in education form 6-5:00 and then do art and business from 6:00 – 1:00 AM. It was not the most healthy decision, but in the end I reached my dream. I love waking up each day now and creating art as my job.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.cynthiamidori.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cynthia.midori/
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@cynthia.midori