Hello and Ko-nichi-wa

I’m Megumi Arai, an illustrator and designer for children’s books and products.

As a bilingual Japanese-English person, I grew up in Japan, studied in Boston, worked in Paris and LA, and am now finally taking a breather in Southern California with my family. Having collaborated with Scientist-Author Catarina Cunha I’m inspired to create art that blends imagination with elements of tech and science, hoping to capture the wonder and curiosity of kids’ creative minds. 

A New Beginning?

Several years ago, I went through a tough time battling Rheumatoid Arthritis and losing what I thought was my dream career in the video game industry. The things that kept me grounded were creating art and spending time in nature with my son. Feeling lost, I had a moment of clarity: I needed to focus on what truly mattered—my health, my son, and the joy of creating. It wasn’t the end of my journey but the start of something new and meaningful.

Now or Never

Life is short, and we only live once. I want to focus my time on what truly matters. Creating art has always been my passion, and the creative process makes me feel truly alive. I am on this long journey of creating art, but I am determined to follow in the footsteps of my heroes—my mother, Grandma Moses, Yayoi Kusama, and more. These women never gave up and fearlessly pursued their dreams. It’s now or never.

Random fact about me

Education & Work

Boston University, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Graphic Design
Producer Experience at Walt Disney Company, Bandai Namco, Activision-Blizzard.