Meet Cathrine Ji

We recently connected with Cathrine Ji and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Cathrine , so excited to talk about all sorts of important topics with you today. The first one we want to jump into is about being the only one in the room – for some that’s being the only person of color or the only non-native English speaker or the only non-MBA, etc Can you talk to us about how you have managed to be successful even when you were the only one in the room that looked like you?

I think it’s what makes me who I am: being the only one who looks like me. If I didn’t have to overcome dyslexia, accept the beauty of my neurodivergent mind, and learn to be proud of my gender and race, I wouldn’t be myself but someone who is trying to be like someone else and failing. If I am effective and successful, it is because I have accepted myself fully as my unique self. There’s no other path for an artist other than to accept the blessing and curse of your uniqueness as your strength and your guide.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I am a first generation immigrant from South Korea. I came to the US when I was not quite 12 years old. My parents believed that America held unimagined possibilities in the way of financial success, but for me America was where I could reinvent myself anew and pursue a life as a creative. Art and its many aspects have always been the center of my life, although I was not allowed to pursue it as a path by my parents. But be it painting, dancing or writing, I have believed in the healing power of these endeavors. They were how I overcame obstacles; they allowed me to hope and to see life as something worthwhile and precious. When I sought to create a space, a holder of dreams for creatives, I drew on my experiences, my passion for all forms of art and my sincere respect for artists who have remained faithful to their art forms in the face of daunting obstacles and sacrifices. LMNL Space LLC, that is, Liminal Space, although a business, exists as a communal space for art and artists. Like its name, it is a threshold space, a “between space” that leads to possibilities imagined – ones that cannot be defined by financial losses and gains. It is an artful space for explorations, experimentations and experiences. LMNL Space asks you, Who are you? What are you seeking? Tell us your untold stories.

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?

It is incredibly important to remain curious, to wonder and to be thankful. Life isn’t always pleasant or pleasing, but if you keep those three qualities alive in you – curiosity, wonder and gratitude – you will look at life’s upsets or travails as gifts and opportunities for further self-realization and they will help you on your journey to becoming human.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

Art and artists renew culture and keep a society from decadent decay. But art and artists need economics and legal support to thrive. LMNL Space is a communal space for artists and creatives and strives not to reduce their work as something to be bought and sold for mass consumption. Yet the economic realities make it difficult to remain pure and idealistic. LMNL Space invites those with ideas and means to help its mission succeed and sustained into the future. We are looking to collaborate/partner/connect with others who believe in preserving a multi-faceted communal space for artists and creatives.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://lmnlspacecreative.co
• Instagram: @lmnlspace_
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@lmnlspace?si=hOEKZNN1Gf_CMB8Z

Image Credits

Cathrine Ji