Creativity Exploring
Identity & Place
Emily Lupita is a Mexican American creative professional from rural Iowa with 30 years of experience across 20+ countries.
About Emily Lupita
Emily Lupita is a Mestiza-Iowan / Mexican-American / Latina / American of Mexican Heritage / Chicana who grew up off-grid in rural Monroe County, Iowa. She holds a BA from Central College and an MFA in Creative Writing & Environment from Iowa State University. She had a successful career in international education, leading students on study abroad programs worldwide and living in Mexico, Japan, Türkiye, Wales, Ecuador, and Spain.
After the birth of her two autistic sons, Emily Lupita spent a decade at home as their primary caregiver. Along the way, her lifetime of handwritten journals was destroyed, and she began publishing travel letters on Substack in 2025 as a way to begin again and rebuild her collection of creative work. Emily Lupita is now an award-winning published artist & author, and works as a creative writing teacher and professional editor.
“Beyond beautiful. Thank you for taking me not only on your family’s incredible journey but the journey within you each step of the way.”
— Corry, Substack SubscriberPoet & Writer
Emily Lupita is an American Latina poet & writer. Emily Lupita’s writing awards include the Faulkner-Wisdom Creative Writing Competition Gold Medal in Poetry, the Atlanta Review International Publication Prize, the Lepke Endowed Graduate Award, the Pearl Hogrefe Recognition Award in Creative Writing, and the John Allen Writing Award.
Her creative work has been published in 19 literary journals, including North American Review, Black Horse Review (Poetry Contest Finalist), Chattahoochee Review, Thin Air Magazine (Bird in Your Hand Prize Finalist), International Poetry Review, Portland Review, and Poetry International. Her debut poetry collection, Her Mexico Blurs, was recently selected as a Finalist in the Birdy Poetry Prize by Meadowlark Press.
“Gracias. Gracias for bravely sharing your Hades-like descent into an ancient tomb, your dilemma, and your transformation. Thank you for taking us along to witness such a resurrection. Powerful writing and keen self-awareness.”
— Luna “Latinx Bridges”Teacher & Editor
During her Travel Letters Project in 2025, Emily Lupita developed her own Emily Lupita Method for memoir writing, which helped her to finally finish her first nonfiction manuscript after working on it for almost twenty years. She has an MFA in Creative Writing and Environment from Iowa State University, is a Director Writing Advisor with MedSchool Coach, and holds an ESL teaching certificate (CELTA).
Emily Lupita’s teaching experience includes courses in English as a Second Language for high school students in Japan and for engineers in Türkiye, World Literature for U.S. college students in San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Beginning Spanish for MFA students in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, and Experiential Spanish for U.S. undergraduate students in Alicante, Spain. She also taught “Ethnic Diversity in the United States” for nontraditional adult learners at the University of Phoenix for many years.
“Your reflections on faith, spirituality, and the search for meaning are so thought-provoking. I also love your artwork. Your writing and art together create a truly immersive experience.”
— Maria Sherow, “Kind Talk Project”Artist & Illustrator
Emily Lupita is a watercolor artist and digital illustrator. She is the author of four children’s books (and coloring books) made from her Lupita portrait artwork. Her artwork grants include two Community Art Grants from Iowa National Heritage Foundation and a Public Art Award from the Knoxville Public Library.
Inclusions in juried art shows include Enhanced Illusions at the Polk County Heritage Museum, the International Artwork Show at Kennesaw State University, the Community Artists Show at the Octagon Art Gallery, Japanese Art Exhibition Show at the Quincy Center for the Arts, and a solo show at N.A. Gallery in Miyazaki, Japan.
“Emily Lupita is a beautiful soul who writes about her life experiences in a way that draws us in lovingly.”
— Connie Taylor, “The Life and Times of a Midwestern Girl”Autism Motherhood
Emily Lupita has two beautiful autistic sons, one of whom is profoundly autistic with intellectual disabilities. She spent the last decade at home caring for her sons as their primary caregiver. Being their mother is the honor of her life and Emily Lupita is an advocate for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, following in the footsteps of her mother, who was very active in the IDD community.
Now that the boys are older, Emily Lupita has started focusing on her creative work again. She is currently writing a series of letters called the Autism Mother Letters about her experience raising two autistic sons and being diagnosed as an adult as neurodivergent herself.
“Emily Lupita writes with the luminous grace of a seasoned artist who has survived the loss of her past and emerged with a deeper vision of her future.”
— John B, “Building Community,” Affordable TravelInternational Programs
Emily Lupita has participated in 14 international programs as a director, teacher, or student, including leading MBA students to Istanbul, Türkiye, Master of Nursing students to Puebla, Mexico, and Spanish language students to Quito, Ecuador. She served as the President of the Association for Academic Programs in Latin America and the Caribbean (AAPLAC); is a graduate of the NAFSA Association of International Educators: National Academy; and served on the National Board of the Association for Japanese Exchange and Teaching with the Japanese Ministry of Education.
Her academic publications include “Intentional Strategies for Addressing Responsibility and Social Justice on Study Abroad,” presented at the Peace Studies Conference at KSU; “Intentional Strategies for Diversifying Study Abroad,” presented at the AAPLAC Conference at Universidad Centroamericana, Managua, Nicaragua; and “How to Facilitate a Formal Forum for Students to Voice Support for Study Abroad,” presented at AAPLAC at Yale University.
“What a beautiful story. I love how your own self-portrait brought your creativity back to life.”
— Dear Laura , “Journeys of joy, history, and stories that shape us,”Art & Story Books
by Emily Lupita
