Daily Inspiration: Meet Alex Myung

Today we’d like to introduce you to Alex Myung.

Hi Alex, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was adopted from South Korea at four months by a family in Albany, NY where I grew up there until I went to college at The School of Visual Arts in NYC for Traditional Animation. My classmates and I unfortunately graduated during the recession in the early aughts and animation jobs were scarce so I ended up working in the fashion industry as a Technical Designer for labels including Phillip Lim, DKNY, Tory Burch, and Diane Von Furstenberg. During this time, I focused on my second short film, ‘Arrival,’ which I completed in 2016. Fashion was fun, I got to make my own hours, acquired lots of free clothes, and I met a lot of really incredible and talented people. But, spending time on my film reminded me how much I wanted to work in animation professionally, so in 2019, I moved out to LA for my first job as a Background Designer on Steven Universe Future. Since then, I have designed for shows like Centaurworld, Inside Job, and Dogs in Space. I currently serve as the Background Design Supervisor for the upcoming Netflix production, “Jentry Chau vs The Underworld.”

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I think like many folx, my life has been an ebb and flow of struggles and gifts. I grew up in a very white area, as many transnational and transracial adoptees do, and even though I had a family that very lovingly celebrated my Korean heritage, practiced Tae Kwon Do for over ten years, and was fortunate enough to have a group of adoptee friends, I still struggle to this day with understanding my “Koreaness.” Throw in “came out as gay in rural America” somewhere into that timeline and enjoy the ensuing hilarity and drama!

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am an animation artist whose work tends to focus around the points where my Korean, adoptee, and queer identities all intersect; Deconstructing those facets of my life and re-imagining them as part of a whole rather than separate experiences. I want the people experiencing my artwork to ask themselves two questions: Is it within the realm of what they consider Korean or Queer imagery? What allows anyone to make that decision for someone else? Our journeys are all so unique, and yet many of us allow others to dictate how we view ourselves. Even as an adoptee, my opinions, my relationship with Korean culture, and my desires for our community, are not necessarily shared by other adoptees. I hope my work encourages people to be more open about their life experiences by way of presenting my own journey truthfully, without restriction.

My animated short film “Arrival” (2016) gives me the most pride. At 22 minutes long, my team and I basically animated a pilot episode without even intending to! While I think youthful naivety helped a little, we were determined to make a film, and we did it! That’s no small feat for any indie artist, no matter what you think of the outcome. I remember worrying my skills might not translate over to a “pro level” once I started working in the industry. I’ve since seen just how much “Arrival” prepared me for where I am today; My managerial skills, my communication skills, my interpersonal skills, all were honed working on that short and help me in my job today. I am so grateful for that experience. I worked closely with my producer and composers over a period of three years, and those are some of the most important years of my life.

So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
Right now, the thing that matters most to me is honesty – being honest about what you want, what you are feeling, how you’re doing, the reason you’re taking time off, the reason you’re starting back up, the story you’re trying to tell, the budget you’re working with, the things that make you uncomfortable, your missteps, your successes, your struggles, your joys, the people you love! Am I always good at being honest myself? No. It’s hard. Really hard sometimes. But if there is one thing I’ve learned that is paramount over the past few years, it’s honesty. I think a lot of us struggle with it because we all have parts we try and hide from the world, but in reality, it brings us closer to each other, and closer to ourselves. I think that’s why my work has started to focus so heavily on this idea.

Contact Info:

• Website: alexmyung.com
• Instagram: alexmyung
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R47uiGLivP0