Meet S.Jin | Illustrator

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

Hi S.Jin, why did you pursue a creative career?
I decided to pursue an artistic career because I believe that art plays a crucial role in communicating and connecting with others. As a child who suffered with selective mutism, I’ve found other ways to express myself through creative means. I’ve often found myself daydreaming of other realms and stories, losing myself in books and the illustrations that accompanied them. Drawing and writing stories was something that I’ve always done on and off throughout my childhood. When I was 16, my girlfriend at the time introduced me to DeviantArt, and taught me how to post my work online. After the breakup, I felt lost and had no friends, so I immersed myself with drawing and writing stories as a way to cope. I started experimenting more with different kind of materials, like watercolor, acrylic, and even oil on wooden canvases. With the newfound ability to post my art online, it opened up a whole new audience and world for me. I’ve found that there was a thriving community of artists that I never knew existed and was surprised to find others that were able to empathize with my artwork. It was then I’ve realized that not only is art created for enjoyment, but it’s a form of communication that extends beyond language. It has the capability to inspire thought, behavior and feelings that words cannot. I’ve found a small following online that would purchase my original art from me and did business with a small art shop out of state that sold prints of my artwork. I was thrilled when the owner messaged me to tell me that he had originally kept my prints in the back of the store, but after several people have purchased my prints, he started displaying them out in the front. When it came time to graduate, I truly believed this was something that I wanted to do for the rest of my life and went to art college to pursue my dreams.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Much of what inspires me is unusual and old-fashioned, so I’ve found that my work caters to a niche audience. I think part of being an artist is to create things that are different to what is already out there and offer a unique perspective. Having a personal style is something that I’ve always prided myself in, but it’s also been extremely challenging to be marketable. There are trends, especially now in 2025, that everyone tries to keep up with and end up striving for similar themes and styles. Most of the time, I’ve found that people don’t want something different. They want something cute, familiar, and relatable; something to take the edge off and ease their stress in a world that has become uncertain and difficult to navigate. Although, it is important for an artist to never lose sight of their identity, it is also important to deviate from what you’re comfortable with and have the ability to be flexible in order to reflect what society needs. Art is about nurturing and honing the skills to effectively bring out your vision. As someone who has been doing this for the past 15 years, remaining passionate can be really challenging at times, but I believe the most important thing is to stay focused and be genuine about your craft. I have spent a significant portion of my time with pen and ink, as it is a medium I have chosen to specialize in. Although, it isn’t as eye-catching or popular as a colorful painting, I have chosen to stick with it and have become quite good at it. Many people have been asking me over the past couple years about having my artwork as tattoos and it made me realize that my art can translate quite well into that realm. Thus, I have been considering that to be the next big step in my career. My art has changed a lot over the years and I expect it to continue to change as I grow. I think the worst thing to be as an artist is to be stagnant.

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?
There are so many things to see and do in L.A! It’s difficult to know here to start. All the museums that L.A has to offer are a must, but one of my favorites is one not many people know about: “The Museum of Jurassic Technology” in Culver City. An Erewhon (the infamous overpriced grocery story) just opened up in the area, so it’d fun to walk over there and browse the store. There are a lot of cute stores and restaurants in the area as well, but I’d recommend the short drive over to Pasta Sisters! There, they have a cool art bookstore that you can browse as well. While on the topic of books, I’d highly also recommend a visit to “The Last Bookstore” in downtown L.A. While there, make a stop at The L,A Cafe for a the most delicious Lobster Grilled Cheese sandwich and tomato basil soup! Just a couple blocks down from “The Last Bookstore” you can walk over to “Bottega Louis” where you can pick up earl grey macarons flecked with gold dust and other fancy desserts. If you’re into eerie, haunted buildings, I might also recommend a walk past the Cecil Hotel, which is just a few blocks down, but you would have to avoid accidentally finding yourself in skid row! Some of my other favorite little spots in L.A is the Giant Robot store and art gallery on Sawtelle Boulevard (also known as Little Osaka). The whole street is filled with cute shops, restaurants and dessert shops! One of my favorite boba tea shop, “7 Miles” is also located there (they have the best fruit-infused jasmine green tea)! Abbot Kinney and Melrose Boulevard are of course really fun to browse around. For beaches, the Santa Monica pier is always a great spot, but I’d recommend Redondo Beach or Manhattan Beach if you want to avoid large, touristy crowds. Some honorable mentions: Torrance Farmer’s Market (every Tuesday and Sunday morning), Sidecar Donuts (for delicious, fresh, gourmet donuts), Eclair and Cafe (for the best authentic French breakfast and pastries) and KC crepe’s (Japanese style crepes that offers both savory and sweet options!)

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?
“Interview with a Vampire”, and Deviantart

Website: Jinsisjin@gmail.com

Instagram: Bruise_Eyed_Prince