We had the good fortune of connecting with Julisha Jooeun Kim and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Julisha, any advice for those thinking about whether to keep going or to give up?
Frankly speaking, I don’t know. I do ask myself this question frequently though. Four years ago, I took the career jump from industrial design to hand lettering; and I second-guess my decision from time to time. I think haven’t given up yet because I can still visualize myself ‘making it’ and I’m not done finished putting in the effort. I would regret if I give up now. 

While I don’t have an answer because the decision up to oneself, below is a list of some helpful determining questions I ask myself. Ask yourselves and use your best judgement based on your individual circumstances!
1) What do you want?
2) Can you visualize yourself achieving that dream/goal?
3) Is it realistically difficult to keep going? What adjustments can you make in order to keep going?
4) Have you really put in 100% effort?
5) If you give up today, will you feel refreshed or regretful?

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Getting where I am today wasn’t easy. Freelancing requires a lot of hard work, to say the least. Moreover, I faced many obstacles as an immigrant, DACA Dreamer. (For example, being forced to quit a job and be unemployed for months because my status and working permit renewals were delayed.) I don’t have a special tactic for overcoming challenges. My mantra is to live and survive the day. Days summed up to months and years. When challenges are broken into bite-sizes, it’s easier to overcome. Along the way, I learned to be more resilient and patient while staying rooted.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Trip itinerary would depend on my friend’s preference. But I would take her/him to downtown Seattle, Capitol Hill, Ballard, U-District and/or Belleveu to get the city vibe and to grab food. Then we would go picnic-ing at places like Greenlake, Gas Works Park, Alki Beach and etc.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Crystal Reed / IG @_haysalty — My supportive partner in business who’s full of new ideas and inspirations.

Martina Flor / IG @martinaflor — Inspiring lettering artist, designer and mentor who preceded the path and teaches aspiring artists and designers.
Lauren Hom / IG @homsweethom — amazing lettering artist and mentor who always fuels my creativity.

Website: https://www.julishakim.com/work

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julishakim/

Other: https://creativemarket.com/julishakim https://dribbble.com/julishakim https://www.behance.net/julishakim

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