Jin Kim shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Jin, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
These days it’s waking up with my wife and helping her get ready for the day. After she’s gone I make myself a cup of coffee, scroll through social media a bit, then start the art grind for a couple of hours before work.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m a Korean-American designer and illustrator based in Chula Vista. You’ll see me at conventions and other small events as JYK All Day. I have a lot of different projects going on at the same time, but one that people gravitate towards are my Pop Wagons. This is a food truck mash up with modern and past pop culture themes. I also love to draw giant robots and sci-fi subjects!
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. Who taught you the most about work?
In my early 20s before I went off to college, I worked for my Uncle at his auto mechanic/body shop. That was probably one of the hardest jobs I’ve had! There were so many moving parts from customer service, massive amounts of paperwork, organization, helping/managing technicians, and so much more. It was a relatively small shop with a small team, so I had to wear a bunch of different hats while working there. With that said, that experience definitely helped me learn a lot about what it takes to build a good work ethic. If any other job was as demanding, I was ready!
What’s something you changed your mind about after failing hard?
At one point in my art career, I decided to go full on freelance. After a few months of small gigs, I had to face the fact that the freelance life wasn’t for me. That was a hard pill to swallow because being my own boss, an entrepreneur, working with amazing clients, and making up my own hours all sounded so amazing! It became even scarier when the bank account was draining. At that point, I had to set my pride aside and start looking for any kind of work. Thankfully I was able to get an in-house design job at a game studio. My key takeaway from all of that is working freelance full-time isn’t for everybody and that it’s ok.
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? Whom do you admire for their character, not their power?
My close circle of friends.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: Could you give everything your best, even if no one ever praised you for it?
Absolutely! Hands down, putting 110% effort into anything you do should be the goal even if no one sees it. The hard work usually pays off and eventually recognition follows.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jykallday.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jyk_allday/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jinyungkim/
- Twitter: https://x.com/JYK_AllDay
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jykallday
Image Credits
Cynthia Tung
