Today we’d like to introduce you to Lissette Martinez.
Hi Lissette, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Creativity and working with children have always been two major parts of who I am. I earned my Bachelor of Fine Arts from William Paterson University, where I also became a member of Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Incorporated. My college experience helped strengthen not only my artistic voice, but also my sense of community, leadership, and the importance of creating something that can positively impact others.
Art eventually led me into photography, and for more than a decade I have worked as a photographer capturing portraits, events, weddings, and meaningful moments for families. Photography gave me another way to tell stories visually, but I also discovered that one of my greatest passions was working with young children.
I later attended New Jersey City University, where I earned my P-3 certification and began my career as a preschool teacher. For the past 13 years, I have had the opportunity to teach, create, and learn alongside young children. Being in the classroom every day showed me just how powerful music, colorful visuals, storytelling, repetition, and relatable characters can be in helping children understand new concepts.
That experience ultimately became the inspiration behind Rainbow Bunny.
In August 2025, I began developing Rainbow Bunny as an educational character created specifically with early childhood learners in mind. I wanted to take everything I had learned as an artist, photographer, and preschool educator and bring it together into something children could connect with both emotionally and academically.
Since then, I have created and released more than 40 Rainbow Bunny educational videos focused on early childhood learning, including emotions, colors, counting, handwashing, seasonal concepts, stories, and other preschool skills. One of the ideas at the heart of Rainbow Bunny is helping children understand that their feelings are meaningful and giving them a fun, visual way to recognize and talk about those emotions.
When I look back, I realize that each chapter of my life prepared me for this. My background in fine arts taught me how to create, photography taught me how to tell stories visually, and 13 years in the preschool classroom taught me how young children learn. Rainbow Bunny is where all of those pieces finally came together.
And I truly feel like I’m only at the beginning of what Rainbow Bunny can become.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It definitely has not been a completely smooth road. One of the biggest lessons throughout my journey has been learning how to push through the things that once intimidated me.
Photography is a perfect example of that. I have been a photographer for more than a decade, but there was a time when weddings honestly intimidated me. Weddings move fast, and there is very little room to hesitate. I had to learn how to think quickly, work under pressure, remember a variety of poses, direct people confidently, and still make sure I was capturing all of the important moments.
There were also technical challenges. Learning to use my flash manually in different environments took time because every venue is different. Ceiling heights, shapes, colors, and materials can completely change the way light behaves, so I had to learn how to adjust quickly and trust my knowledge in the moment. Over time, the things that once made me nervous became some of the skills I became most comfortable with.
I think that experience prepared me for building Rainbow Bunny in a lot of ways. Creating a brand has required that same willingness to learn as I go, adapt, and not allow fear or perfectionism to stop me from moving forward.
One of my biggest challenges now is balancing being a full-time preschool teacher with building something creative of my own. For 13 years, I have poured so much of my creativity into the classroom and into helping young children learn. With Rainbow Bunny, I am now learning how to take that experience and turn it into something that can reach children beyond my own classroom.
Building Rainbow Bunny has also required me to wear many hats. I am the creator, educator, writer, visual thinker, content creator, and someone who is still learning the business side of developing a brand. There have been moments of doubt and moments when I wondered whether I was doing enough, but I have learned not to wait until everything feels perfect before moving forward.
Since beginning Rainbow Bunny in August 2025, I have created more than 40 early childhood educational videos. Every project has taught me something new and helped me understand the direction of the brand more clearly.
Whether it was learning to photograph a fast-paced wedding or learning how to build Rainbow Bunny from the ground up, I have realized that growth usually happens right outside of your comfort zone. The things that once intimidated me have often become the things that helped me grow the most.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Photography was one of the first ways I learned to tell stories visually. Later, when I created Rainbow Bunny, I had to teach myself how to bring those ideas to life through video. I began learning how to combine visuals, movement, music, timing, and storytelling in a completely different way.
That process unexpectedly opened another creative door for me. After gaining experience creating and editing Rainbow Bunny videos, I began using those same skills in July to create content around the places I visit, including restaurants, travel experiences, and hidden gems.
Because I already had a photographer’s eye, I found myself approaching content creation differently. I naturally pay attention to lighting, composition, details, atmosphere, and the small moments that make a place feel special. Now I am able to combine that visual perspective with the video storytelling skills I developed while creating Rainbow Bunny.
What I am most proud of is how one creative path continues to lead into another. Photography taught me how to see a story, teaching helped me understand how to communicate one, Rainbow Bunny pushed me to learn video, and video has now given me another way to share the world through my perspective.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
I’m a very hands-on learner, so I tend to gravitate toward resources that allow me to learn something and immediately apply it. YouTube has probably been one of the biggest tools for me creatively because I can teach myself new skills, whether it is photography techniques, video editing, content creation, or learning how to use a new program.
I also use Canva a lot because it allows me to take an idea and quickly turn it into something visual. As someone with an art background, I really enjoy being able to experiment with layouts, colors, typography, and design without overcomplicating the process.
Social media is another resource I use intentionally. I pay attention to how other creators tell stories, structure videos, use sound, and connect with their audiences. I try not to copy what others are doing, but I do like studying what works and then finding a way to make it feel like my own.
I also get a lot of inspiration from real life. My classroom, the children I work with, travel, photography, restaurants, art, and even everyday conversations can spark an idea. I think one of the best things I’ve learned is that inspiration does not always come from a book or a formal class. Sometimes it comes from simply paying attention to the world around you.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://infinitelovephoto.smugmug.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lnfinitelovephoto
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1DWC81sBwk/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lissette-martinez
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@learningwithrainbowbunny
