Q. When we say your name, Miki Takei, it is easy to find your cute illustration and coloring and those are very popular. You are so active for the collaboration work with other different company. In your profile, you attended art schools and mode seminars while you were in university. What kind of things did you mainly want to learn?

I was thinking of going to a dentistry course, a medical course, or a pharmacy course, Therefore, I was focusing the science and mathematics subject halfway through in the high school. But, I changed my course so suddenly that I couldn’t make it in time for the study to pass the technique exam if I wanted to go to the artistic course. So anyway, I decided to enter Nihon University (Nihon University College of Art), which I can enter even if I have no experience, and it would fine to choose a course afterwards. so I decided to enter Nihon University anyway. Do what I want to do, in my life. I entered to the Nihon University but in the department of broadcasting not in the art/ design. So, I was not able to study (design-related) at the university, I had no choice but to go to two schools during my university days. So, I went to the school I found. I am quite realist on the contrary to the atmosphere of my work. I have strong intention to do art as a job … In short, my goal is to be an illustrator or make a living with my illustration work. I thought that when I was 19 years old. Therefore, I really wanted to know how I can get the necessary skills. That was the reason for the entrance of those design and mode school.

What brought you to the sudden change to the artistic area. I am really curious to know the reason. Could you share it with us?

My father was dentist. When I was the third grade of elementary school, my father was died. My father told me to be the dentist and continue this business before he died. Then, I said “ Yes! I will do my bet to be dentist. I have been studying very hard since then until high school. I had no intention of living with what I like. I didn’t choose until my age. So, it was the world of painting that I loved and was good at, and tried hard to win prizes. I thought that it was separated and my goal was to be dentists at that time. That is why I entered into the great school centered on preparing the students to get into the grand /famous universities. The community where I was born and raised hasn’t changed until then. but in high school it was totally different, there was the dormitory in the high school. I met the students from Nagano and from Tokyo. They were completely different and gave me a culture shock. Some of my seniors were really fashionable … The school rules were not so severe that everyone was free on the cloths to express themselves. Then, I thought that I would regret if I continued to sacrifice everything here and keep saying that my friends are all rivals and I have to win. I thought that there was three years only at high school now, and I should study, and I spend some time with friends, I would like to live at most for that special young period. Then, I suddenly puzzled. Because I have studied a lot and It was easy for me to follow the lessons at the class without studying so hard. I feel some confident in the class. Then, I started to chat with the quite fashionable boys and girls during the lesson. (Smile). It was the first time in my life to be asked to stand in the hallway and started to get the red mark (Fail) for the test. At that time I started thinking about what it was like to live. Life is decided here, everybody was supposed to decide the course for life during the high school days. I thought I should have made a really happy choice. Because that school was special, most of the people has the future planning such as the goal to be architect for future and to work related to city planning even they were in the first grade in high school. I was asking by myself. Why thy decided so practically? I thought that my goal was to be dentist to follow my father’s last wish. But, there were many students decided their plan by their own will and own choice. Under that circumstance, I deeply thought about my future. When I want to go to art and fashion area in future, 100% of teachers, especially at the special school, said that I might be influenced by various students and went off road, Oh poor girl. They thought that they should get me back to the right track. As they did not have such a case, they only saw as if I escaped to the lazy way. For them, it was apparent that it is not so easy to live with the illustrations and paintings. Only a handful of people can succeed in that area. They told me that please do not make any mistake. So you will go to the dept. of dentistry or pharmacy. They thought that that was the right way and good for me. I understand their good will. When I thought in my head, yes, I know that those subjects I should study and select. But, in my heart kept saying NO. and I understood that there was unknown risk. Because there was no experience and no people to confide on… I had lots of various conflicts in my mind… Therefore, I was quite unconventional and energetic (punk) person.

Q. Why did you go to design school after graduating the university?

That is simple. I need to study the necessary skills to make my talents a job. I had a chance to meet the actual illustrator and asked them at that time. ‘I am University students and will graduate it soon. I want to work as illustrator. I believe that there are some process to be real illustrator from here. I am thinking if I should go to study the school the illustration as my future plan. Please give me some advice if it is the best way to make the progress to make my dream true. Then, that lady who is about late 40s’ responded me. “If I were you, I would study the computer.” Why? You know, now it is the digital era, because I did the illustration work with analog and no skills of computer. With that reason, I was not able to get the project, and facing the difficulties that the current work does not lead to the next project. Therefore, you should learn the digital software. If you can draw, you can improve the skills of drawing naturally because you like to draw. You do not need to go the drawing school. That was one opinion I got. During my university days, I made the files of my work and went to the company which would welcome the inexperienced people like me. Then, the almost same response was given to me. Yes, you can draw the illustration now. But if you would like to work, you need to learn the digital software. Then, you would receive the project more than10 times. So, I was so confident the way with the both opinions of the people who was given and offer. I went to the night school, Tokyo design school in Harajuku and learned the software of “Photoshop” and “Illustrator”.

Q. Your illustration work and coloring are quite cute and have lots of fantasy. Do you always decide the theme first when you start to draw?

Well, I do not know in future for my work… It is more business issue. I always think the results… When this drawing is used for that product, is it appeal to the consumers? I have been working as commercial designer for 10 years. So, it is like I calculate backwards. I see the market first and think of consumers. For example, I think if the product was already decided or there is the space in that market and it would be the target to sell in… Then, I will change the touch of my illustrating work to fit the right market. What is most important thing to image in my mind is common thing, common vision. For example, when I imagine the women, most of them have such an experience and adore such a thing they dreamed of.. such a dream has been kept in their mind in life. It is the same think for every women. Even when we change the taste of the clothes, stepped into another stage in life, we would keep it as our treasure. That is my target in the market, there, any generation of women would share the similar feeling. Then, it would be great potential to sell the products a lot. In that market, I should win the game.

Q. How do you select the colors?

The pastel color tone would be best since those colors look gently, it is very comfortable to touch there forever in the imaginary world. My target area was already decided to the certain market, those pastel colors are to be decided. Because of that world of currently created world should not be off the target. Of course, I can draw in much various touch. Before, I made some research for 1or 2 years to draw many illustration on the postcard and sell those to get the consumers’ response. Among those postcards, I made with the primary colors and also the different touch than current work. Depend on each touch and color tone, the consumers will be different. With such a statistics, I went to the company to promote my illustrations with their products. It was coincident to be popular among the people that the pastel colors are MiKI TAKEI’s touch. Among first 10 projects, that pastel color tone was really strong appeal to the people. In that time, I feel so pure and naturally I draw that tone.

Q. Do you have any dream in your work / business?

From my childhood, I was so sensitive. If I know that there is any sad thing happens, I was so sad. If someone can not eat, I felt so sad like it happens to my family. I felt pains for the animals, plants, and also the global environments. Therefore, I have a firm intention that I should solve that problem since then. I know that everybody think so. When they saw any misery thing, everybody think that it should be resolved and finished. But, whey it did not change… I have been thinking why since my childhood. Coincidentally, I saw that type of documentary film showed in the university and I understood well that there was a kind of system behind to create the social problem. What I should deal with the people… There is the sad here to make it positive way. It was really difficult to change as just one of the student.. Then, I decided to be the person who is quite influential. I would like to change the world.. I need to make my dream true first and to be influential and get the right to say something in the world. I should be illustrator and to sell the soap and shampoo which is good for the earth. My goal is to change the sad to the positive and fun thing. It took10 years for me to become influential person to some extent. Now, I have the different connection now and may connect the people who can support such an activity and agreed my spirits and thoughts. I would like to cease the sad as quick as possible.

Wow, that is great dream. I understood your will.

Q. Do you have any news for your future activities?

I would like to accomplish my expressions in the way of my confidence. Since I believe my work is one of the success from the viewpoint of distance. Because of the company strategy, they do not go far away even if I think that it would be more successful to offer more products. Therefore, I will pursue my original goodsand sell through EC sight. I would like to make the business by my responsibility. For example, I really want to make the good quality products with my illustrations. I can explain 100 reasons. In business, I do not want to make any lie and would like to be myself. I will take the responsibility and can explain why this motif ( idea ) for this project. That is what I would like to do. Also, I found the company which is located in my home town in Yamanashi. I would like to make some collaboration with that company who has same intention. Those type of things are now going on and I really want to increase the people who shares this and support that activities. Of course, I am searching such a company and people now.