We were lucky to catch up with Aaron Kim recently and have shared our conversation below.

Aaron, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?

As individual an endeavor this is, I realize there is an inherent responsibility tied to being a creative. A peer I met during my time at UCLA once told me something I’ll remember for the rest of my life. She said no matter what—keep painting and keep creating, because this world will do whatever it can to beat it out of us. Hearing that completely changed the way I looked at art—MY craft and MY passion. It’s not about me! Calling yourself an artist is an act of defiance and many aren’t willing to take the risk. Those who do, then, become solely responsible for the preservation of creativity and interpretation, of the human element. So the way I see it, every day that I choose to feed that thing that brings me so much fulfillment, I am bringing something to the world too—and that makes me really happy. I take so much pride in being an artist; there’s not a day that goes by where I wish I was anything else.

Aaron, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I grew up painting and drawing, but it wasn’t until I got older that I really began to identify myself as an artist. Back when I was a junior in high school, I remember biking home one day with my friend Andrew. It was a weekend afternoon and we had just finished playing basketball at the local YMCA, something we did almost every day. For a sixteen-year-old, I was comically stressed about how I didn’t know what I wanted to study in college or who I wanted to be after. And Andrew looked at me blankly (as he usually did) before suggesting I consider art. He saw it simply as something I was good at and maybe more importantly something I seemed to enjoy, so it was a no-brainer to him. Earlier that month, I had rekindled my relationship with art after spending the past few years focusing almost solely on sports. I started by taking a few classes in school which led to me painting and drawing for fun, and then creating an Instagram account dedicated solely to the pieces I made. I also started another account with a good friend where we used Photoshop to make cool graphics out of photos of our favorite basketball players, some of our athlete friends, and ourselves, too. They were silly little things that make me laugh when I think about them now, but we had so much fun. But until Andrew brought it up that day, I hadn’t once thought about art as a career. Since that conversation—I haven’t stopped. Nor have I stopped playing sports. I am now in my junior year at the University of Miami where I’m entering my fifth season as a competitive high jumper. I am so proud to have gotten where I am in my career where the love I have for both art and sport grows stronger every day.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

My friends will tell you I’m always trying to be the contrarian. If everyone’s doing one thing, best believe I’m doing the other, and we laugh about that all the time. I find it so funny particularly because it’s true, but also because I recognize the ways in which it can be petty to do something for the sake of difference. Though petty or not, I love being an artist because it’s a profession that rests on the basis of distinction. There’s something special about having the power to introduce something new to the world, something of value that only you are responsible for. To me, that feeling is irreplaceable.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

Pursuing a career in the arts requires a slurry of grit, naivety, and love. We are often reminded that our livelihoods aren’t guaranteed, let alone stable, and told to consider backup plans in case things don’t work out—yet we continue pushing forward with unrelenting faith and optimism. If you ask most artists if they think they chose the right career, I’m confident you’ll get the same answer from every single one of them, regardless of how successful they are. Regret isn’t really something I worry about because everything I do, I do out of the passion I have for it. Unfortunately, I know a number of non-creatives who can’t say the same.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://aaronkim.art/
• Instagram: @aaronbkim (personal) @__aaronkim (art)
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aarnbkim/