Today we’d like to introduce you to Youjin Shin.
Hi Youjin, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My parents first started teaching art here in LA in 2006. My dad was an art director in Korea, and my mom taught art students, K-12, in Korea at a studio she opened up since she was 21 years old. When we moved here to California in 2006, my parents started teaching together at our home studio. We specialize in portfolio building and curation for high school students, who are wanting to apply to art college & universities, and as supplements to their college application. My dad unfortunately passed away in 2019, so I took on the role of instructing and managing our art studio since. It was difficult at first, to follow in my dad’s footsteps. He was a great teacher and mentor. He had a lot of students who looked up to him and his guidance on becoming a great artist. However, I was able to grow our studio by the grace of God, and we’ve sent numerous students to the best art colleges and universities, even with full-ride scholarships, and multiple awards. Today, we still provide mentorship for young artists, looking to further their artistic talents beyond high school. It has been such a great blessing, to see my students grow into the artist they’ve always wanted to become, and find their way into the creative field,
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has not always been a smooth road. I struggle a lot with impostor syndrome! I always feel as if my efforts are not enough, and I constantly doubt my skills. I’ve also failed a lot, and learned from my mistakes early on. It was hard not to get disappointed in my failures, but I realized that success isn’t always a smooth destination, and the more mistakes you make, the better you become in the end. I also realized that as a teacher, you have to have a lot of empathy towards the younger generation. You have to be willing to listen to them, their stories, and not dismiss their needs. That makes me a better teacher, not because I teach them how to draw well, but because I care deeply about each of my student’s growth as a person. This also reflects in their works as well.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am also a Branding / Graphic Designer on the side! I do brand strategy and design for businesses all over the country. I love being able to connect with new people, and learn about their passions for their business and hope to create something they love and resonate with for their company. The skills I learned from design business, I apply to teaching as well. Designing is all about being strategic and learning about people’s needs and how to solve them the best you can. Portfolio building mentorship for students is the same way as well. We need to be strategic about the concept behind a portfolio, and we need to understand the student in order for us to find their niche in art.
