Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Abigail H. Kim. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Abigail H., thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

Back when I had my kid, I was in a career limbo. I was growing apart from the field I studied in college – Biology. My desire and thirst for creating art started emerging. I decided to take a risk and devote more of my time and energy to create. Along the way, I encountered a form of art I fell in love with immediately – creating art for picture books. As soon as my daughter was born, I was exposed to more picture book as we read them together at home. I knew I wanted to illustrate for books, make arts for books, but mostly, make picture books. This was around 2018. I started researching and looking up resources that would enable me to start as an illustrator for children’s book professionally. I had many doubts and regrets when things were not going well – but with the support of my family and the community I found along the way, I found my artistic voice and the vision for my work. I’m very thankful for that.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Abigail H. Kim. I’m a children’s book illustrator and author. I’m mostly self-taught. I studied science in college and transitioned into being artist few years ago. It all started when I took things seriously about making arts – arts that could represent my voice and my vision. Arts that could satisfy my thirst and represent my passion. For me, it was making arts for children’s books. When I’m creating, I think about the kids who will see my works and how they might feel about a particular subject. I want them to get a sense of how I see the world, interpret them, and portray them in my art. I want the kids to see all the beauties and wonders that surround us – be it a family or a friend, or a nature around us. From the world I’ve created, I want my audience to get a feel for infinite possibilities anything can be. Artists can provide a unique frame and space for a person’s imagination. The artists can provide different lenses so that we can see the world differently. I’m proud of the world I’ve created for my projects. I want my audience to know they came from a hours and hours of speculation and thoughts.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

Often I hear people say “I’m not an artist and I can’t draw.” I always tell them everyone is an artist – as long as they have unique artistic voice. Almost everyone has unique background and story. This would show in every scribble they make, every color they use for creating art. I want kids to know they are special in every way and their artistic voices are unique. I want kids to know the skies are not always blue, the fields are not always green. Kids are incredible and they know this by heart. Every day is a new discovery and a new adventure. There is no one right answer to an art. I want kids to know that.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

As a mom and a wife, I have many responsibilities. The day starts early for me and ends late. Hours given to me everyday is limited. I have to somehow fit in creating arts in between my time as a mom and a wife. It is very frustrating when my creative flow had be broken into many more days. Some days I lose my ideas. Some days I forget what I was trying to create a day before. It all takes resilience and some form of perseverance. I still struggle sometimes when I have to give up my creative energies to supporting family. Some might say it’s finding a balance. For me, that balance shifts every day. Some days my kids will be into self-play. Some days I might have a few hours of waiting in the line in an office somewhere. I believe the key is to being grateful for every moment given to me, and utilize the resources I have to create for the world- seeing the big picture, not just the difficult moment in front of me.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.AbigailHKim.com
• Instagram: @joyfullydrawings
• Twitter: @AbbyKArt