We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Grace Park a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Grace, thank you so much for taking the time to share your lessons learned with us and we’re sure your wisdom will help many. So, one question that comes up often and that we’re hoping you can shed some light on is keeping creativity alive over long stretches – how do you keep your creativity alive?
Staying motivated in the creative field has always been a challenge for me. Because I work full time at BUCK during the day, I’m often exhausted at night, with hardly any energy to do anything after work hours. In order to break from this lethargy, I push myself to browse through various types of images online to get inspiration– from photography to film to illustration. These sources help to create new concepts and ideas, and when I can’t find the right influence, I go outside to take photos myself. When I have any freelance projects to finish, I always wake up early before work to start on it, and continue to work on these projects after work to keep a consistent rhythm. Though an exhausting process at times, it is really worthwhile when I reach the finish line and am able to see my work live.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
During COVID, I had to move back from LA to Vancouver. I remember absolutely loathing my home city when I had left for university, but this feeling changed completely when I came back. Compared to South Korea and LA, Vancouver is a very peaceful place, with frankly not much to do. I always wanted to live in a big, loud city with many different attractions, but I realized over the years that I easily wear out in such busy settings.
That said, my experiences abroad have definitely broadened my perspective in my art career. I thought all artists would live a poor life with no chance of working in-house, but seeing how artists are greatly respected in the States, I found fresh motivation and a renewed hope to pursue a career as an artist. This was when my thoughts on Vancouver also changed in many aspects: I realized Vancouver is a beautiful city with countless natural wonders, and I was also able to appreciate my friends and family even more when I came back.
My ultimate goal as a freelancer is to make images that are relatable to others, and to tell stories that console people and bring warmth into their lives. Likewise, there is a new big piece that I’m currently working on for another scarf design. I don’t want to spoil too much, but it’s once again inspired by Korean traditional paintings, and there are tons of fun nostalgic details. Please stay tuned for the upcoming project! I’m planning on possibly manufacturing it into silk scarves.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Many of my illustrations are influenced by Asian oriental paintings. I like to tell stories about people, so I often use this method to convey a message. In terms of the look, I think it is unique and helps draw people’s gaze, no matter their ethnic or cultural background. Perhaps because of the medium’s natural ability to tell a story, people responded well in the States as well. Any form of art illustrated in any type of way is really respected well in the country, and there’s always an audience for it somewhere.
History of Fashion in Paris was my final portfolio piece at ArtCenter. During my studies in university, one of my professors, Ann Field, really inspired me to dive deep into haute couture and the world of fashion. She always came to class with her collection of Hermes scarves, letting the students touch, feel and document each artwork, while explaining the history and ideas behind each piece. The unforgettable moment really sparked my interest in fashion and surface design. Naturally, I bought books on the history of fashion, and came to learn that many high-end design houses were founded around the same time in Paris. That’s when I decided to pursue a project on fashion and did extensive research on each brand. I had so much fun designing all the small details in the work.
Lastly, to keep up with a consistent work-flow, I have found that setting specific goals help me stay motivated. For example, I set small goals from doing research for new concepts to doing thumbnail sketches to accomplish my end goal of perpetually building a solid portfolio. I’m an avid individual who strives to achieve different goals at all times, so pondering upon the purpose or the aim of a specific project helps to keep me on track and stay motivated as well.
What’s been one of your main areas of growth this year?
My ultimate goal as a freelancer is to make images that are relatable to others, and to tell stories that console people and bring warmth into their lives. Thus in the past 12 months, I focused on improving my storytelling skills and techniques. There is a new big piece that I’m currently working on for another scarf design. I don’t want to spoil too much, but it’s once again inspired by Korean traditional paintings, and there are tons of fun nostalgic details. Please stay tuned for the upcoming project! I’m planning on possibly manufacturing it into silk scarves.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://grace-illustration.com/
- Instagram: @gracehyein.park
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gracehyein-park/
