Meet Joyce Cho | Illustrator

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

Hi Joyce, how do you think about risk?
I think the biggest risk I took was leaving a decade-long career in corporate marketing to go to art school. So, I’ll talk about the risks people take with their careers. In my case, the decision changed the entire course of my life, and now I’m working full-time as a freelance illustrator.

I hadn’t really drawn or painted much before, but I vaguely admired the idea of bringing to life the images in my head. So, overall, quitting my job to pursue a career in art was definitely an irrational and risky move. But it all worked out pretty well for me because I was at a point in my life where I learned that nothing really comes free. I had to put in the work, enduring many days and nights of ambiguity, rejection, and frustration. I think when we are faced with a decision that opens doors to the unfamiliar, we tend to think too much about the ‘what ifs.’

But looking back, I think my crazy career move was possible because I was mostly focused on how exciting my future as an artist would be if everything worked out fine, and then just put in the work needed to make that happen.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
When you visit my portfolio site, you’ll see the headline: “Illustrations that celebrate the beauty in our everyday lives.” I draw people and the environments we inhabit, focusing on the small details. I enjoy drawing scenes of San Francisco city streets and all the people who are out and about, but I also like to draw food and flowers. Overall, my illustrations focus on positivity, warmth, diversity, and love.

As mentioned before, I left my job in marketing to pursue a career in art. I had already reached a point in my career where I felt like I could predict where it was headed. I was a workaholic all my life, working around the clock and spending weekends glued to my laptop answering emails. The money wasn’t bad, but at one point, I realized maybe I could redirect all of this dedication and energy into something that I could call my own, and that somewhere down the road, I might be able to become really good at it. I had always loved illustration, and maybe that could be my next passion in life.

I enrolled in art school, and then COVID hit two months in. I spent the next few years taking classes on Zoom, painting and drawing in my home studio until the pandemic eased. A few semesters into school, I realized how tough it would be to make it as an illustrator, especially as someone with such little experience. I worked extra hard, cutting back on hours of sleep and dedicating as much time as possible to improving my craft.

I struggled a lot with finding my own style. It’s important for freelance illustrators to have a unique and consistent style in order to get hired. There are so many people out there who can draw well, but having a recognizable art style is often more important than being able to draw. I was scared that I would never be able to settle on a style of my own and get client work, so I enrolled in fewer classes at school and spent the extra time on making my own portfolio. That way, I would be a ‘student’ for a longer period of time but at least know that by the time I graduate, I would have a future in freelance illustration. After many cold emails, promotional postcards, and any marketing activities I could try my luck at, I was able to get my first client and sign with an agency. So far, I have worked with a wide variety of clients like Sallie Mae, The Hollywood Reporter, Plansponsor, and many more, and have a children’s picture book on the way.

I think when you are trying to achieve something for yourself, it is often a very lonely journey. I was fortunate enough to have friends and family support me along the way, but at the end of the day, it was all up to me, sitting alone in my studio, trying to make art while battling crippling self-doubt and frustration. Looking back, I think what got me through those times was just focusing on what I needed to do next. As a commercial artist, I think it’s important to know where you stand in terms of quality. You have to keep looking at good work and comparing it with your own to see how much you need to improve so that you can work towards closing that gap. I think closing that gap is the best advice I can give to any artist who wants to start doing commercial work—there is no better way.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
San Francisco is one of my most favorite cities, other than Tokyo and Seoul. If my best friends were to visit me from Korea, I’d definitely take them to all the touristy spots. We’ll get some sweet stuff at Ghirardelli Square and watch the sea lions at the Fisherman’s Wharf, ride the cable car, visit the shops at the Ferry Building and get free samples at the fortune cookie factory in Chinatown. I have immense appreciation for all the beautiful Victorian style houses in the City, so we’ll go around and see all the famous ones and take pictures. We’ll also hike at Lands End, check out whatever event is going on at Fort Mason and then head to Dogpatch to visit the art galleries. Personally, all I like to do is hang out independent bookstores to check out zines or visit design goods stores.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I owe my achievements so far in this exciting new journey as an illustrator to many people who have helped and cheered me along the way. My biggest supporter has always been my family, especially my husband, who believed in me from the beginning. I’m also thankful to the faculty at the Academy of Art University in SF for helping me grow from an amateur artist to a professional, and to Tom Froese for being a mentor whose words got me through really dark times. I think every artist needs a mentor to look up to for guidance and words of encouragement. I was fortunate enough to have a few and to be part of an illustrator group that meets regularly to share updates on our creative endeavors, sympathize with, and cheer each other up in times of hardship.

Website: https://artbyjoy.net/

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

Other: https://www.pinterest.com/artbyjoycho/