Meet Eun Mi Lee

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Eun Mi Lee. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Eun Mi, appreciate you making time for us and sharing your wisdom with the community. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others overcame obstacles can be helpful. One of those struggles is keeping creativity alive despite all the stresses, challenges and problems we might be dealing with. How do you keep your creativity alive?

I stay creative by observing small, often overlooked things around me.
Inspiration comes from tiny details — textures, patterns, or moments that others might pass by.
When I slow down and really pay attention, new ideas naturally emerge.

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?

I’m Grace Eun Mi Lee, a ceramic artist and the founder of emlee studio.
My practice moves between sculptural installations and functional ceramics, both inspired by small, often overlooked forms that surround us. I create imagined creatures from a hidden microworld — metaphors for our connection with countless unseen beings.

emlee studio grew out of this vision. I wanted to share my art beyond gallery spaces and allow people to engage with it in their everyday lives through functional yet artistic objects. The name “emlee” comes from my own name — E from Eun, M from Mi, and Lee, my last name — representing a personal extension of my creative identity.

Through emlee studio, I transform textures and shapes found in nature or daily life into tactile ceramic works. While each piece has a function, I aim to blur the line between utility and art, encouraging people to notice the beauty in small details and moments.

Each piece is carefully handcrafted, and the repetitive, meditative process keeps me centered and inspired. I hope people who encounter my work feel a quiet sense of curiosity and connection — a reminder of the invisible relationships that shape our world.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

I believe the three qualities that have most influenced my journey are consistency, creativity, and uniqueness.
When you keep thinking about and developing one idea, even something you once struggled with can eventually become your strength.
I once said, “I’m just not good at this,” and a friend asked me, “But have you really done your best?”
That question made me realize how often I had given up without truly trying.
Since then, instead of saying, “I tried but it didn’t work,” I remind myself, “I can still try harder.”
Through steady effort and experimentation, I’ve learned that’s how true creativity and uniqueness are built.

Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?

When I feel overwhelmed, I think of it like playing Tetris game.
You can’t hesitate—you just focus and clear one line at a time.
I try to handle things step by step, stacking and clearing what’s in front of me.
As long as I keep going without stopping, the results eventually follow the effort,
and somehow, things always work out in the end.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Eun Mi Lee

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