Meet Minha Song

Today we’d like to introduce you to Minha Song.

So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I was born in Gwangju which is located in the southern part of South Korea. I grew up under parents who always had a high enthusiasm for education. Because of them, I had the chance to live in a few different countries to learn different languages from a very young age. It was a great opportunity to experience diverse cultures, but it took some time to make friends until I could communicate with their language. Art proved to be a great tool in communication. My other friends and I drew our favorite characters together and sometimes they requested me for drawings. I realized that art has the power of transcending the language barrier. After a few years in other countries, I came back to Korea to attend middle school. I told my parents that I wanted to do art as a career. My parents were very supportive and took me to an animation academy. I was very excited to learn the secret of making animation.

Yet unfortunately, the education provided by the academy was not what I expected. I wanted to make art of my own creative expression instead of copying other artists’ drawings. Around that period of time, I happened to watch The Pixar Story. The entire documentary blew my mind. I was watching industry professionals doing the work that I always dreamed of doing. They were not producing arts, they were creating arts. It also was the first time for me to hear about the existence of CalArts. I decided then that CalArts would be the place where I would be able to learn the secret of making animation. So, I set about preparing my portfolio and decided to take a Korean GED instead of going to 3 years of high school and I moved to Seoul to learn advanced art for a year. I may have missed experiences that other Korean high school students had, but those times helped me to mature as a strong artist who enjoyed making art the most. Fortunately, I got into CalArts and had the great opportunity to meet many other talented artists and collaborate with them. Through the duration of my time as a student, I collaborated with a music composer, voice actors, and my fellow peers on various film projects, one of which was a film promoting gender equality under the UN HeForShe Campaign.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I feel it was a nice asphalt road if I think of the past now, however, it felt more like a rough, rocky road in the moment. The first two years at CalArts were really tough. I wasn’t taking care of myself and was having difficulty balancing my work and personal life. I also became unsure about my career and what I really wanted to do in the future. Moreover, I became obsessed with perfection and details in my work to an unhealthy degree, which drained me physically and mentally. I was trapped in a vicious cycle. I was afraid to start making new art because I was afraid of the failure and imperfection, not to mention having to deal with the overwhelming anxiety and pressures of being in a competitive environment full of very talented classmates. After my sophomore year, my parents suggested that I come back to Korea to take a break. I agreed with them and made the decision to take a gap year back home in Korea. I was not sure at the beginning of the gap year if it was such a good idea. However, in the end, I was able to break the cycle of negativity and gradually came to enjoy making art again, not just for the finished product but for my own creative satisfaction. It was such a valuable period of my life where I learned how to persevere as an artist for the long haul and bounce back from the burnout.

Please tell us more about your art.
I always have been interested in storytelling and creating appealing content through visuals. One of my many favorite pastimes is to guess the contextual story of a still art or photograph. It fascinates me because good drawings and photographs can stimulate curiosity in the audience and encourage them to go beyond the bounds of their imagination. I want to make my art engaging for the viewer and allow them to experience a journey through imaginatively creative worlds while viewing it.

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
I am always proud of myself when I am able to help and reach others with my art skills. I am happy when my friends or whoever else asks me for feedback and finds it helpful. I am proud of the moment somebody enjoys my art and gains some form of a perspective change from viewing my work.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://minhasong.myportfolio.com/
• Email: minhasong@alum.calarts.edu
• Instagram: @ollamva
• Other: https://vimeo.com/user60508761

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