Hi there! My name is Harumi, but you can just call me Lumy. 😊 I’m a Japanese-Brazilian visual artist, working with cute illustrations and handmade creations in Ottawa, Canada. 🇨🇦
I have a bachelor’s degree in Japanese Language and Literature and worked as a language instructor until 2019, when my mental health reached a breaking point—so I had to step away from it altogether. Now, I feel super blessed to finally have the opportunity to pursue my childhood dream job as an artist.
One of my biggest creative passions is crafting cute things, and amigurumi was my entrance into the crafts world. I remember loving to create drawings from my imagination since I was nine—and crocheting never-ending chains even earlier. But I’ve always had this urge to create something more… huggable! 🥰 So in 2015, when I came across the amigurumi crochet technique, I just fell in love immediately.
I’ve also been exploring digital art since 2021, but the journey has been full of ups and downs—maybe more downs than ups. Plus, I have everlasting plans to pick up many other crafts, such as punch needle embroidery, needle felting, and Tunisian crochet (which I can proudly say I’ve finally started!). My knitting skills have come a long (and painful) way since around 2018, but now I can genuinely say that both crocheting and knitting each have their own special, dedicated place in my heart. ❤️
For me, the best part of working with art is the possibility of being creative every day. 🌷 There are several good sides to working with what you love, that’s for sure. I’m aware of how blessed I am to have the opportunity to do that without too many struggles in life right now. But I’m still far from making enough money to actually support myself solely with my work—and let’s not even mention my spoiled cats here! 😼 And although sometimes I miss a few aspects of my old work (financial stability is definitely one of them), I don’t regret following this path. It was the right (and perhaps the only) choice for me to balance life, work, and—more importantly—health.
On a more personal note: I’m a millennial, as you can tell by my excessive emoji use. 😗 My genetics are probably the result of some weird ancestral trade-off—I’ve had the face of a 20-year-old and the health of a 70-year-old for most of my life. One day, they’ll probably sync into a 200-year-old or something.
I’ve been married since 2017. I have three kids who are cats, and none who are humans. I can communicate in Portuguese, Japanese, and English. Spanish kinda counts—if you let me reply in any other language. 🙈 French is a work-in-very-slow-paced progress, as it is for many other languages I have some degree of interest in—like Korean and Chinese. 😂
I’m a gamer, mostly into cute and cozy genres such as Animal Crossing, Stardew Valley (and farming simulators in general), The Sims, some tactics games, and classic RPGs like Final Fantasy IX—my absolute favourite of all time. 😍 Though I have to admit I enjoy the occasional Tekken or Dynasty Warriors as stress relievers, and I’m also addicted to watching horror game streams since I can't play them myself. 😁
More recently, I’ve been trying to relearn how to play the guitar after a 16-year hiatus. I also love singing, besides being bad at it.
I thought of leaving this unnecessarily long text here as a way for people to get to know me a little more and still be able to connect, since (as I’ll explain in a future post) I’m quitting social media. This will be my only online window to the internet world from now on, and the plan is to get out there and go back to meeting my audience in the real world—mainly through craft markets.
Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to get to know me a little better. I hope my work brings a bit of comfort and joy into your day, just like creating it brings to mine. 💛 I’m so happy you found your way here! If you’re into crafts, cute art, or just want to enjoy a cozy corner of the internet—welcome! Let’s keep making cute things and chasing dreams—one stitch at a time. 🧶🥰
