We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Deb Jungin Kim. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Deb Jungin below.

Deb Jungin, appreciate you joining us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I fell in love with performing at the end of my senior year in high school. My school in Staten Island hosted this event every year called International Festival, and it was a performance night that students would participate in based on different culture clubs. I became captain for the Korean Fan Dance team and I honestly had no idea what I was doing. But I had an idea to replace traditional Korean music with a modernized K-drama soundtrack that played with traditional elements.
I was choreographing and blocking for a team of like 15 dancers, and there were pocket moments I left out for solos. I hadn’t made the solos yet because the choreo process was so new to me and I spent a lot of time trying to stage the rest of the piece. I remember using Scrabble letter pieces when trying to stage everyone by myself at home.
The team suggested I take the solos and I pretty much improvised a beginning and ending solo the day of the show. I still remember that feeling onstage of just showing up as I am–a moment to come as you are and just be–with everyone watching in awe. In awe not because I believe they were witnessing phenomenal talent, but maybe because they seeing a glimpse of the beauty of showing up authentically. I felt like I was on fire and I felt so free.
When I looked back at that moment, I began to realize and believe that people enjoy witnessing freedom take shape in an art form. This was the moment I knew I wanted to perform as an artist. I wanted to continue finding this shape to tell my story, and to be an example for others to witness and realize within themselves their own freedom, their own shape and their own story.

Deb Jungin, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Over the past decade, I’ve established myself as a multihyphenate creative. I was a writer before anything, and first published my work while in college. After graduating, I started my journey as a professional dancer and eventually started acting after I booked a TV commercial. In the past few years, I’ve independently released original music, worked various roles in live/film production, and began modeling more.

This year my work has mainly been in creative direction/production and I’ve also been DJing a lot of parties around New York. I’m a big picture type of person and I’m driven by stories. I think it’s crucial to know what you wanna tell before you sell, and I enjoy helping others articulate the visual direction, message and intention behind their product or performance.

I think I’m most proud of the thing I also often wrestle with–the fact that I do so many things. It’s definitely necessary for me to discern where I invest most of my time within each craft, but I’m grateful to do so many things because it helps me build a well-rounded view of each art form and the relationships within the work.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

I often feel like as creatives, we’re outliers of society. I’ve also noticed a lot more this year when my friends say things like, “you’re living your dream!” or “you’re doing everything you want, that’s so cool.”

It’s true! I’ve been trying so many things I’ve always wanted to try, especially these past few years. I’m grateful for these adventure, but it’s also not easy, and most of it really isn’t glamorous at all. I think a lot of people see my life on social media and might see the best parts of booking a job, working with a big brand/name, etc. “Where’s she gonna pop out next?”

But also, where’s my next paycheck coming from? Do I have to compete with my friends for this job? And are those even my friends or are they colleagues? If I focus on this job, what about that other thing I’ve been meaning to do this entire time? At this point of life, should I be here or should I really be over there? The questions are so real but I can’t help but laugh at them too. And I think the in-betweens of working consistently, maintaining peace above the circumstance, keeping your faith and growing in community are so, so key.

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

Back in 2021, I had a moment where the overworking really caught up to my body. I was working three jobs as a host/bartender in a fine dining restaurant, a receptionist at a hair salon, and as a choreographer for a music video shoot. I was constantly on my feet and I was also in the middle of moving to my own apartment, so I’d stay up late nights cleaning out the new home.

My feet hurt so much to the point where I couldn’t walk anymore. It didn’t help that there were no breaks at the restaurant I was working at, so I’d be standing for over 8 hours while working. That really did me in, and I eventually couldn’t walk from my living room to my kitchen in my 1br apartment. I finished out my gigs and left my jobs. I went to three podiatrists and got three different, unclear diagnoses and I eventually ended up flying to Korea to receive treatment. It was cheaper and more efficient to do so than work with the healthcare system here.

Some of the different medical opinions ranged from morton’s neuroma, achilles tendinitis, plantar fasciitis. X-rays, steroidal pills, red light therapy, anti-inflammatory pills, ESWT, acupuncture, more pills, the list goes on and on. 16 hospital visits within 7 weeks, and lots and lots of rest.

There was so much that happened in between, like booking a big commercial, getting let go from a Broadway show, a relationship with someone who was very disapproving of my artist lifestyle, lots of friends left the picture. I eventually had withdrawn into a deep depression and I was not okay. The conditions I mentioned may not seem like a big deal, but the uncertainty of the diagnoses and how long it would go on for really affected me, especially as a dancer. How was the rest of my career going to change after I lost my confidence to move my body at all without pain? I became much more aware of my abilities once I felt I lost them.

I left the entertainment industry, many of my relationships, and I spent a lot of time healing and finding myself again. I found a deeper truth, sense of identity, and hope in my faith in God. I began to try different things that proved to me I hadn’t given up on myself yet.

I’ve been made fun of or criticized in the past because I was told I can’t sing, but I still sang and performed my music in shows around NY and LA. I never knew how to use a digital camera but I got my photos and writing published in a magazine using my iPhone. I finished a UX/UI design certificate program, wrote and acted in my first short film which won Best Direction in a 72-hour shoot competition, and I began working as language interpreter at huge Kpop concerts. I also started to use my writing and creative direction to assist in both live performances, film projects, and brands.

I started to dance again last summer, and earlier this year, I signed again with my talent agency for artist representation. Just a few days ago I returned from Asia, with the very vivid memory that the last time I was there, I was hospitalized and couldn’t leave the apartment. This time around, I went to Japan and I climbed to the top of Mt Fuji. I went to Korea and I danced and I walked around aimlessly just to buy silly keychains, amazing coffee, and stumble onto charming alleyways.

The pain is not fully gone, but I’ve learned how to strengthen my body and actively care for myself with the help of my friends and a personal trainer. I’ve found friends in people who were around me all along, who provided kind words, resources, and jobs at times when I felt like giving up. I’ve found help in therapy and my hope in Jesus. I’ve found myself longing to check in with me, and I am still learning to make plenty of room for her wherever I go. I just want to give her all the chances she deserves.

Sometimes I’m surprised I haven’t given up yet, but I’m clearly nowhere near finished.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.debjkim.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/junginbabyy

Image Credits

Dazil Aquino (@dazilvisuals)