Meet Yubin Lee

We were lucky to catch up with Yubin Lee recently and have shared our conversation below.

Yubin, thrilled to have you on the platform as I think our readers can really benefit from your insights and experiences. In particular, we’d love to hear about how you think about burnout, avoiding or overcoming burnout, etc.

Burnouts are inevitable, so I think what’s important is how you overcome them. When I am not working, I take breaks that focus on self-care and spending quality time with my loved ones, like my family and friends. During this time, I shift my focus away from work and enjoy life and the present moment. Having a good work-life balance is key when it comes to overcoming burnout.

My self-care consists of working out at the gym, fueling my body with food I enjoy, watching a good film, etc. When it comes to spending time with my loved ones, I like to do activities such as rock climbing, bowling, working out, or grabbing food together. These kinds of activities help recharge me physically and mentally and prepare me for the next week. Burnout isn’t always avoidable, but it can definitely be something you overcome little by little.

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 am an illustrator and graphic designer. What excites me most about what I do is the creative process itself. Whether it’s an illustration or a graphic design project, inspiration often comes to me at the most random times. When it does, I make sure to document it because it’s easy to forget. Once I have enough materials, references, and a strong idea, I move on to visualizing the concept and bringing it to life. There are, of course, challenges along the way, such as creative blocks or lack of motivation. However, those are all part of the process, and the final outcome always brings an indescribably great feeling.

What I would like people to know about my art is that although there is a sense of darkness, eeriness, and tension, there is still humor and lightheartedness within it. I want people to view my work with relaxation, curiosity, and wonder. The more they look, the more fun little details and easter eggs they’ll discover. As for new events in 2025, I’m proud to share that my work recently received a Merit Award at the 3×3 Magazine Illustration Show and was shortlisted at Hiii Illustration.

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

Diligence, patience, and passion are the three qualities that have had the greatest impact on my journey. The combination of these qualities will shape you as a person and lead to meaningful outcomes. My advice for anyone just starting out and hoping to build these qualities is to truly reflect on why you want this so deeply, and to think realistically about what it takes to earn them. The road is tough and far from easy, but you will get there eventually as long as these three qualities remain within you.

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?

I would love to connect with a fictional author and collaborate on a series. Even though I tell stories myself, I sometimes feel a limit when creating a plot or digging deeper into the narrative. With the help of a writer, I hope we can solve those challenges together. In return, I can bring their ideas to life visually and help shape the world they imagine. Together, we can create something truly enchanting. If anyone is interested in dark, charming, and whimsical stories, I would absolutely love to collaborate.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://eelnibuyart.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eelnibuyart