We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Emily Kwon a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Emily, thank you so much for making time for us today. Let’s jump right into a question so many in our community are looking for answers to – how to overcome creativity blocks, writer’s block, etc. We’d love to hear your thoughts or any advice you might have.
Creatives encounter many challenges on their journey, and one of the most significant is facing creative blocks. Creativity block is a period where we struggle to come up with sensational and inspiring ideas or are simply unable to depict the ideas we generate in our heads directly. I also had creative blocks, and probably even now, battling internally with myself whether to continue striving for my passion or not. I hated the sensation of losing my passion, the very purpose of dedicating years to learning and drawing to produce exceptional illustrations.
At first, I tried my best to avoid having those blocks and forced myself to depict refined illustrations. I thought I was overcoming my burnout, but soon I realized I did not have a drop of enjoyment during the process. That’s when I thought, “Why am I doing something I don’t enjoy? Maybe I’ve been too focused on avoiding my denial.” So, I decided to accept that maybe I should take things slow. I chose to focus on what makes me happy and interested, rather than worrying about others’ expectations. I focused on depicting simple sketches of fanart or doodles and practicing drawing tutorials. These small things not only helped me improve my skills but also inspired future ideas. It made me excited to draw more and more.
It’s always hard to overcome obstacles, such as creative blocks, for artists since it’s a very subjective field and not everyone has the same solution. One may not be able to overcome creative blocks in the way I did. But I would like to encourage every artist in the world that it’s okay to take it slow and not to force yourself. We become artists by nurturing and pursuing our passion, which is one of the bravest choices in life.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
It’s always a pleasure to introduce myself to new people! My name is Emily Kwon and I’m a freelance illustrator concentrating on concept art for animation and game development. I also work as a storyboard artist on the side. My job as a visual communicator is to help visualize the stories and provide creative solutions. It has always been my dream to create characters and illustrations containing various stories that inspire people worldwide. In my art, I focus on conveying the story using the character’s interaction with the surrounding elements, such as the environment and prop assets. I come up with different ideas of characters’ personalities and relationships, as well as different prop assets with their purposes and environments that carry numerous narratives. It’s an enjoyable work for someone who has lots of imagination happening in my head. I also love to hear and help others by providing creative visuals for their amazing visions, as well. Knowing that I have the power to visualize those imaginations is an everlasting gift for me.
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?
Since I am also a starter in my journey, I would like to share advice that I learned from my mentors and friends over the years. I believe that the three most important factors for self-improvement are to be truthful, courageous, and persistent. It may seem like obvious advice, but there are compelling reasons behind the repeated recommendations.
In a lot of industries, building trust with different people is very crucial. The connections you build with trust are the strongest bonds you can make in relationships. You must stay true to yourself in order to demonstrate reliability to others. When I say to be truthful, it mainly means being clear and confident in presenting yourself to others. For instance, while delivering your work to the clients, avoid starting by saying “I’m not so satisfied with this piece.” Instead, be confident and provide what you think you should improve on in the future. Trust your process and in yourself so that you can make great impressions with your work. That way, you show clients you are trustworthy enough to provide them with a solid masterpiece.
Another important lesson I’ve learned from those around me is the value of courage and the importance of never giving up. Don’t be afraid to try new challenges. This is also advice I consistently give myself because I worry too much about the consequences. Sometimes, I give up before even trying. I began to regret avoiding challenges and realized that to be successful, I had to learn from my mistakes. When things don’t work out too well, try to think from a different perspective. Leave room for improvement because we can never be perfect and should not expect ourselves to be perfect after all.
Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?
There have been many wonderful people who have guided me throughout the years. However, I don’t believe I would be the person I am today without the support and encouragement of my dear friends. Of course, all my mentors and family were very supportive and I can’t thank them enough for their kind guidance. Though, I believe there was a deeper understanding between my friends and me that motivated and brought joy to my life. Not only because we were students going through hardships together, but it was also nice to talk and play with people and sometimes forget about our concerns once in a while. Whenever I felt low or struggled to stand up, they were always there for me as friends, mentors, and saviors. They were my cheerleaders, but also teachers who taught me life lessons on building relationships, dealing with adulting, and embracing and overcoming pain. My friends are some of the purest and most caring people, who have stood alongside each other through our ups and downs. I will forever cherish everyone who has believed in me. I sincerely express my gratitude to all of them for their support.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.emilykwonart.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/peng_draws/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-kwon-5751b4264/
Image Credits
image credits to Emily Kwon
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
