Meet Daeun Min | Visual Development Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Daeun Min and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Daeun, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
There used to be times when I believed that the more you work, the better designer you’d be. Well, it is true, but only to a certain degree. I came to learn that art and design are not only about technical skills but also about the piece of yourself you put into the work. We all have a story to tell, emotions to share, and thoughts to deliver, and your art is often a direct reflection of who you are. The more stories and emotions you hold, the richer your art will be. Years of personal experiences and philosophies will make their way into how your art resonates in people’s hearts.

In my early school years, I valued technical skills above all else. I would shut myself in my comfort zone and draw without touching any grass. However, when I decided to take a break and be more open to different experiences, I discovered my art felt more natural to me. I would go hiking with friends, take walks, meet new people, and even try out new ice cream flavors—all of which sparked inspiration for my art. These days, I try to pursue life outside of my working hours because I know that’s what makes me and my work true to who I uniquely am.

Without input, there is no output. As artists, we should not only focus on producing but also uphold our own lives by taking in the beautiful stories, emotions, and colors that the world has to offer.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
One of my biggest inspirations comes from Ken Liu’s quote that mankind is a “species dedicated to thinking through storytelling.” I love listening to and telling stories about the world we live in, and I believe the pure joy springing from my passion for storytelling is simply because it’s encoded in our human nature.

Art, to me, is merely a tool to communicate stories, emotions, and beliefs. There’s always a storm of stories inside me, waiting to be told through my brushes. It’s almost as if I cannot help but bring those imaginations to life, and I will explode if I don’t exhaust those ideas onto the paper.

But entering the professional industry, I started to realize that art is not only about myself. We, as professional designers, need to consider the audience in front of us. Through stories, we entertain, educate, and empathize. Therefore, when we design, we need to think about what story we are trying to tell our audience. What do we want them to feel? What do we want them to learn?

Not to mention the impact of entertainment media on our everyday world. We designers hold immense power to influence and shape society. Entertainment media—games, animation, and film—are a direct reflection of our world, and, when misused, they can sometimes create harmful stereotypes and misconceptions about individuals.

These days, I am becoming more and more aware that my designs are the lens through which I see the world, and they are the lens through which my audience will see the world. With this realization, I try to listen to the genuine voices of diverse individuals and reflect those voices in my own stories. I believe in the power of entertainment media to change the world for the better by providing audiences with the lens to understand each other, no matter how diverse we are.

However, these realizations can sometimes make me overthink and get caught up in perfectionism. My biggest art block happened when I got caught up in thinking that I had to limit my imagination to fit the audience’s needs. It ended with me having too many stories in my mind, yet being unable to tell any. In the end, I realized that while we need to consider the audience and our social responsibility as professional artists, we sometimes need to revert to why we even started in this industry: for me, it’s my love of creating and telling stories.

By maintaining this balance between my personal love for storytelling and acknowledging the ways my art could affect the world, I know that my art will always have a unique shine to it.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Pasadena is a city rich in art and culture. The Norton Simon Museum might look small, but it holds all the necessary jewels, with its collection of Edgar Degas’ pastel paintings being my favorite. The Huntington Library offers a beautiful harmony of landscaping and architecture, and I feel incredibly lucky to live nearby and enjoy its garden whenever I need a break from work. Pasadena also has lots of delicious Asian foods, with Thai food being my favorite. Make sure to check out different boba shops in the area as well!

With ArtCenter College of Design located in Pasadena and many entertainment industry headquarters such as Disney and DreamWorks nearby, Pasadena is home to numerous art and design-related events. One of the most famous events is LightBox, where artists from around the globe come together to connect and support each other.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I am only where I am today thanks to the warm, compassionate community of our entertainment industry. There are so many artists and designers, students and professionals alike, who help each other by providing support and sharing valuable resources. I have been able to improve this much thanks to those artists who dedicated their time to sharing their journeys and lessons. I would like to thank all my peers and my professors at my college, especially my roommates who were always supportive of each other’s art and creativity. Of course, my biggest thanks go to my family, who supported my passion for art and provided me with an environment to achieve my fullest potential. There are so many people I need to thank, and I truly wish to give back to the community myself as another artist and designer.

Website: https://daeunmin.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindaeun0822/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daeun-min-a02511201/

Image Credits
Daeun Min