Daily Inspiration: Meet Charlie Park

Today we’d like to introduce you to Charlie Park.

Hi Charlie, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My journey began the moment I first watched The Lion King. When I was around four years old, my dad brought me an old VHS tape from his business trip to the United States. Also, there were influences from Sailor Moon. Watching those animations, I started drawing cartoons and dreaming of becoming an artist one day. It wasn’t a surprise to pursue my degree in the arts, although it was more focused on fine arts than commercial. To be fair, my interest shifted a lot but it never left the field of art. But after I graduated the college that I realized my passion was still in animation, and I decided to change my direction towards it by taking online AND offline classes to acquire the skills to become a storyboard artist.

Nowadays there are a lot of ways to learn your skills without going to college. But the connection from the industry also mattered. When I was in New York, I realized I could only meet so many animation friends from where I lived. So I decided to take a challenge. That’s why I moved to LA during COVID. It was a hard decision to make, but I’ve never regretted it after meeting so many great people here. Many friends I met in this neighborhood were so kind and welcoming.

Now I’ve achieved my first step to animation project from the anime studio, and I’ve also launched my Webtoon series. There were eight years of working in retail and taking night classes to struggle through the path, but I realized even the hardship was necessary to my growth today. Looking back, every decisions weren’t exactly smart choices nor weren’t the wise ones, but they were necessary to make me who I am today.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Oh, there were certainly a lot of struggles. Including what I mentioned throughout my journey, being an immigrant means dealing with a lot of loneliness. And being a queer also deals with so much of it; it feels like you have no one to depend on. No one to relate to. I realized how important independence is even in my early twenties.

My first lesson was after my mom’s death. When your closest family member disappears from your life, then you have to face the fact that nothing lasts forever; the protection you have today might just vanish in the blink of an eye. I wanted to make my own support system, both financially and mentally, to prepare myself for anything ahead of my journey.

But the second lesson comes after realizing that people ARE social animals, and we live by helping each other. So many friends would willingly help in any difficult situation and I would also do the same. Meanwhile, I still struggled to be attached to someone and look out for their help. I still try to open up and face the good consequences that come with trusting the support I have. I still hanging on to my independence.

I’m in the middle of going through struggles, but nothing gets achieved unless you go through them. So I take struggles as my opportunity to grow.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m a storyboard artist and a comic creator. I am currently a storyboard artist in anime studio Qzil.la, working on an unannounced show. I’m also a creator of Stella, the webcomic about the chef from the dead world making the soul’s last meal. I’m also preparing the new comics with my friend. Last but not least, I’m currently preparing my personal short film as well!

I specialize in emotional scenes and storytelling. But honestly, I think I’m at the learning stage of acknowledging my strengths and applying them to my story. I think what makes everyone apart from others is their personal experiences. And mixing them with your skills and showcasing the best possible display must be a struggle for a lot of people. I think someone who aces it makes a great film, I think. I’m working on it to become one of them.

What does success mean to you?
Hmm, very good question. It’s easy to think that money or fame is the answer. But I think it’s related to your pride. If you’re proud to do whatever you’re doing, wherever you’re currently at, and satisfied with your own happiness, then I think it’s a success. Are you happy about what you achieved? Then you’re succeeded, regardless of how wealthy or how popular you are. You feel happiness by doing whatever you’re proud of, then you’re probably doing successfully at your life.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.charlieartspace.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/charlieartspace
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yealinpark

Image Credits
Portraits: @orange.film_
Drawings: by me