Suzie Shin

It was in college that artist-designer Suzie Shin was introduced to the medium of collage. Struggling with the rigidity of grids and typography, collaging was a chance to use her hands and senses. Ever since, she’s been chasing that feeling in her art. Between teaching and selling her art, setting up multiple streams of revenue has been essential as a freelance creative. Suzie tells all below.

About my work

My creative practice
I see my work in three parts: creative direction for Haan Coffee (a roastery in Orlando), teaching graphic design courses as an adjunct professor at DePaul University, and independent exploration as an artist. I’ve been seeking the ideal balance of work environments and have found that I thrive in a mix of tactical, relational and solo work. A long-time dream of learning how to sew was recently realized, so I’m hoping to use textiles as an extension of my collage-based artmaking.

Influences and inspiration
Artists who have influenced me deeply include: Henri Matisse, Ellsworth Kelly, Alexander Girard, Sister Corita Kent and the quiltmakers of Gee’s Bend. A common thread between these artists is a sense of play and an embrace of color. This past spring, the Art Institute of Chicago held a special exhibition, 'Matisse’s Jazz: Rhythms in Color' – I must have visited about five times! My favorite piece was 'Oceania, the Sea' (1948).

I first learned about the prolific multidisciplinary artist Alexander Girard in 2018 when I was sent to Columbus, Indiana for a special project. Last summer, Rick Valicenti and I returned there to co-curate an exhibition that speaks to his lasting influence: 'Alexander Girard – Reverberations Forever'. We called the show our “love letter to Girard.” Both the exhibition and a modest catalog were recognized by the STA 100 earlier this year.

My training
I received my BFA in Graphic Design at RISD. Whenever I talk about my education, I have to include a shoutout to my professor, Suzi Cozzens, who taught a class in color when I was a sophomore. She introduced collage as a medium, clearing the path for me to enter the field of design. At that time, I couldn’t relate to the rigidity of typography and the grid and even wondered if I'd made a mistake in my major. Cutting and pasting paper – using my hands and my senses – resulted in work that felt like me. I chase this feeling in all that I create.

Favourite recent project
Since last fall, I’ve been working on a large tapestry to go on display at Sohn, a new Korean-American cafe in San Francisco. It’s been a very slow process of getting everything just right, but it was finally installed last month. A smaller version will be released for purchase at the end of summer, marking five years since the release of my first Korean-inspired blanket design. It’s so special to create for a specific audience who not only understand my intentions, but are also able to place their own memories and emotions onto my artwork.

A day in the life
My days are dynamic, but my weeks are regular. On the days I’m teaching, I’m up early, prepping the classroom for activities and workshops. A large chunk of the rest of my time is spent on calls, meetings, writing emails and designing decks for Haan Coffee. Anyone who has been a graphic designer for some time knows that the largest wedge of time in the profession is spent in administrative tasks. I make sure to save my nights and weekends for the tactile work I enjoy the most – drawing and sewing.

A starter pack for my job:

How I got here

Starting my creative journey
I’m thankful to have inherited a strong work ethic and entrepreneurial spirit from my father, who immigrated from South Korea to the States in his late 20s. He encouraged all of my creative endeavors and taught me to never fear a “no.”

After graduating from RISD, I moved to Chicago without a job lined up, hoping that my immediate availability would make me a more attractive candidate. While waiting to be employed, I worked on personal projects, volunteered in my local AIGA chapter and aimed to become the most persistent (annoying) candidate possible. 

Landing my first few jobs, clients and/or commissions
As a new grad, I had my eyes set on an internship at 3st Design, though no such opportunity was available at the time. I cold-called, emailed, tried every connection possible, even sent physical mail. Finally, after volunteering as a door-holder at an AIGA event, I shook hands with 3st’s founder, Rick Valicenti. He invited me back to the studio and offered me an internship on the spot. 

In addition to the dream position, he devised a plan to send me to Columbus, Indiana, after perusing my sketchbooks. My first project as an intern was to create a small booklet with the illustrations I drew of Exhibit Columbus’ temporary architectural installations. 'My Week in Columbus' is still one of my favorite projects. As a mentor, Rick has the incredible ability to fill a young designer with confidence.

Biggest challenges along the way
Given that I was so eager and hungry to learn, I didn’t feel any hardship until a few years in. A full-time studio position meant that freelance projects were pushed to late weeknights and weekends, leaving no room or creative juice for personal work. The traditional structure of a studio wasn’t the right fit for me; I was itching for a far more flexible schedule that would allow for more drawing and collaging. Craving a change, I left my stable job and dove into the world of freelance.

Everyday skills I’ve found helpful for my creative work:
Similar to the superstitions and routines of professional athletes, artist-designers should find their own recipe of movements that unlock a state of focus. I call this an on-ramp to creative work. When it comes to working with my hands, I always begin with tidying my space and laying out my tools. With my base cardstock sheets pre-cut, I can quickly work in multiples without breaking my flow.

The second skill that keeps me productive is utilizing deadlines. The project with no deadline will never be completed. Often, a vendor, event or client will provide that hard stop; with passion projects or collaborative work, I find accountability in regular check-ins. Completing solo work requires the most discipline, given that there are zero consequences to missing a self-initiated deadline.

My social media and self-promotion vibe is…
A dream of mine is to be completely offline and deviceless. Unfortunately, this is only a luxury accessible to celebrities with social media managers. I’m very reluctant to use social media, seeing it as a semi-necessary evil.

Anyone creative likely feels the pressure to post for virality, the algorithm and the clout. Perhaps as a form of resistance, I don’t post frequently. I also only post my most favorite pieces – maybe 5% of my daily work – in the hopes that I’ll find people looking for artwork in that 5%. 

Three things I've found useful in my career:

My greatest learnings when it comes to making money and supporting myself as a creative:
Unfortunately, I’m a terrible businesswoman and nobody should take financial advice from me. My family members often tease me, saying that I hate money. What I can share is advice from my father: “Don’t chase money, make it chase you”. I’ve walked away from stable and well-paying positions in favor of flexibility that allows me to make art.

Practically, some of the financial risks of being a freelancer can be offset by creating as many different channels of income as you can. These include: selling artwork on your own platforms and in retail stores (wholesale & consignment), finding retainer work, teaching part-time, hosting workshops, being a vendor at craft fairs, and applying to grants, residencies and competitions. Eventually, you’ll find the right combination of income streams worth your time.

Advice

My most useful career tips
My first boss, and now mentor and collaborator, Rick Valicenti, advised me to pay close attention to who’s a taker or giver to my creative flame.

My advice to young designers is to start a solo project with a regular cadence (once a day, month, year – make it realistic). I’ve been designing at least one Valentine's card every year since 2019, and I enjoy how I can look back and identify change. Many artists have utilized this format to document their life.

Where I go to feel connected as a creative
As an introvert, I feel most connected in one-on-one settings. I might even be allergic to networking events and conferences. In my first year as an adjunct professor, I sought out guest speakers who could drop by my classroom and share their work. This gave me an excuse to reach out to local designers I admired for a coffee chat.

What I'd say to someone looking to get into a similar role
Find designers and artists whose work you admire. If you live in the same city, request a coffee meet-up and prepare questions as if you’re writing an article about their work. Don’t be afraid to ask for mentorship, and don’t forget to follow up after the meeting. If you get the brush-off, move on to the next artist on your list. Making a connection like this may feel awkward and forced, but it’s essential exposure therapy for what will hopefully be a very long career with the help of mentors and collaborators.