We had the good fortune of connecting with Sun-Ho Pak and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sun-Ho, is there something you believe many others might not?
For better or worse, I have an implicitly skeptical response whenever I am presented with conventional advice. Not one piece of advice in particular, but from my experience conventional advice is for those who find comfort in convention. I think there is a dichotomy in society where we admire the achievements of “rule-breakers” but find ourselves shunning others or ourselves for breaking rules. Of course, many rules are in place for a reason to provide structure and order, but the human potential and need to explore and create is beyond limits; thus, rule-breaking is not only a fact of life but a necessity for discovering what makes us human. The very nature of advice shows us a deeper truth to our existence, as it is based on a lived experience (collectively or individually), but they are not absolutes and typically taking advice about one thing gives us more information about how we all have our own experience in finding meaning in our existence. Additionally, advice presents another truth of the universe – paradox. Ie. for every “practice makes perfect” there is a “nobody’s perfect”. For those who strive to carve a clearly defined path and push convention, it is my opinion that such a mindset is motivated largely by fear of the unknown, and an aversion to face or repeat any consequences or failures. For myself, I certainly see the value in all knowledge discovered and attained before me, but for as much order there is in the universe, the depth of mystery in this life is endless, and conscious humans have the immense power to create and change realities within a universe of orderly chaos and chaotic order. Every human carries a vast world of perspective, experiences, and uniqueness, and I view advice as a window into how every person experiences the world, which in turn enriches my own.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I have always had an interest in spirituality/human psyche & dynamics and finding connectedness to the tangible world. While I grew up religious and obtained a Masters in Marriage and Family therapy, I made an early right-turn in my twenties to pursue filmmaking. Now, after working in the industry in LA for over 13 years, I can see the common denominator and culmination of my life experiences is the ever-continuing search for universality in the human experience, and how those discoveries can lead to bringing people together to provide a more sustainable and thriving environment for ourselves. My road was certainly marked with ups and downs, struggles with clinical depression and anxiety, and the personal challenges of taking myself out of toxic systems and ideologies. So now my journey is revealing itself to be not one of identifying “success” by defined markers, but by who I become in the process, and the knowledge of self thereof. I have always deeply valued collaboration and the cooperative defining of realities, whether in the therapy room or on a film set, so now I believe the new chapter in my life is a truer pursuit of this desire.

I am most excited about my newest project, The Givers, a tech startup that came about completely unexpectedly in the last year. In short, it is a “social network of giving”, and an idea that organically grew from conversations with friends. But I do believe that it is reflective of my life’s pursuits in how we can all collaboratively and collectively re-define our realities in a world where we are mired in a lot of toxic and detrimental effects of developing society. With this project, I am able to work alongside people and artists from completely different backgrounds who all seek to connect people and give space for others, not serving any particular demographic or people group, but moving an idea forward that connects us all as humans. The central idea is “give to the givers”, and the journey is becoming the raindrops that contribute to the flood that cuts through and reshapes a hardened and unforgiving landscape.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I love having visitors! I’m very proud of my neighborhood, Altadena, and how quiet and peaceful it can be while being close to all the amazing nature that SoCal has to offer, along with being able to make a jaunt to anywhere in the city. The first thing I tell my guests is there are endless things to do and see here, and of course I like to tailor any “tour” to what their interests are. One of my favorite things about this city is the food, how we have such a diverse landscape of authentic cuisines from all over the world. Exploring food alone in LA is like being able to travel and have a little window into all sorts of cultures outside of our own, and that is one of my favorite things about living here. As a Korean-American I can attest that this city has some of the best Korean food in the world outside of Korea, so I really enjoy taking guests to KBBQ at places like Ahgassi Gopchang or the amazing noodles at MDK in Ktown. I love to take lovely walk-n-talks on the JPL trail or at Descanso Gardens or Huntington Library. The Getty Center is also an impressively unique LA experience, being able to experience the art, amazing views, and beautiful architecture all for a free admission! For longer trips (from where I am) there’s always a trip to the beach, my favorite being Laguna or Santa Barbara where they have breathtaking views along with amazing restaurants and seafood. Joshua Tree is another serene, somewhat otherworldly experience that I love to give guests as either a day trip or camping under the stars. Not to mention countless exhibits, dances, underground art experiences, etc. that are popping up all the time all around LA. The best thing about it all is that we can pull all this off in a week!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My shoutout is for all those who keep going. Those who wake up every day and push themselves in the face of everything that tells them to give up. My mother is my own personal paramount example of this, and forever and always I will recognize her for shaping who I am now. Along those lines, there have been many people in my life who live on the margins, unrecognized by society, yet passionately living out a profoundly human existence. These are the people who affect my daily life, and while I find a sort of inspiration in those who achieve a societally-agreed “greatness”, my true inspiration from those who provide me a safe space to be myself, grow, and find my place in the world. And for anyone reading this who knows me, you know who you are, and I am deeply grateful for who you are.

Website: sunhopak.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/breakyour4thwall

Youtube: https://youtube.com/@codependentfilms974?si=OyHnggwnkdNKX552

Other: My tech startup, The Givers, will be launching soon (late spring/early summer 2024) at https://www.thegivers.co/ Life-coaching website here: https://sunhopak.my.canva.site/home

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