I create comics and webtoons as a coping mechanism, which has led me to change my career. After quitting my 9-5 job in March and dedicating myself to creating comics full-time, I want to share how this experience has significantly improved my life, helping me appreciate my life in South Korea.
If you are a foreigner living in Asia or someone dealing with the challenges of adulthood and marriage and seeking relatable stories, you've come to the right place.
I still have many more things to share through my comics that undoubtedly rekindle my love for life here and bring more joy into life in general. I hope you can capture some of that joy when reading my stories.
Looking for my webtoon? You can find the full episodes on Webtoons.com, searching for “Aay Malo!” Or try the link from the article.
More info: webtoons.com | Instagram
I start by introducing, in a simple way, how my partner pushed me to publish my comics
Living in a different culture or facing life-altering experiences can make it easy to lose focus on the positives and stop appreciating the good things it offers. It's essential to shift your focus towards the positive aspects, allowing you to navigate these experiences more effectively and eventually see them in a better light.
As an expat, living abroad is a mix of excitement and challenges, with the latter often outweighing the former. South Korea brought positive changes to my life, but the journey wasn't always smooth, including a period of depression during my studies.
Despite the challenges, I pursued my passion for illustration and completed my degree with high scores, securing a more permanent life in South Korea.
Despite the challenges, I pursued my passion for illustration and completed my degree with high scores, securing a more permanent life in South Korea.
I've now embarked on a full-time path in comics and webtoons, sharing my story from a lighter, humorous perspective to inspire others to see rewards after enduring difficult journeys.
I started this endeavor on Instagram, creating two-panel comics in a very beginner style. After years of trial and error, I decided to redesign the characters, which represent me, my husband, and our two cats. I aim to depict our reactions to various situations as faithfully as possible, infusing a hint of fantasy and exaggeration to add humor and, at times, convey the emotions we experience. The visual style I've chosen for the comic draws inspiration from my love for the chibi style, reflecting what I enjoy drawing the most.
Once I had the characters and the comic's message in mind, I compiled a long list of situations to share, both good and bad. My focus was always on delivering a humorous twist or heartwarming touch. Initially, I was writing dialogues while sketching, as it was based on personal experiences, making it easy. Over time, I found it more effective to write scripts with dialogues and provide a brief scene description. Afterward, I would proceed to the sketching phase in Clip Studio Paint. This software facilitates drawing comic strips in the webtoon format and offers numerous tools to streamline the artistic process.
For publication, I opted for Line Webtoon Canvas, a platform that supports independent creators and fosters connections between creators and readers.
This is how we thought we should come to South Korea in the first place
Our first regrets and challenges of that decision, which mostly included spicy food
Initially, the first and most significant challenges revolved around starting and posting the first episode. I had carried an idea for years, approaching it in a very modest way due to a lack of confidence in how it would be received on a larger platform. There was a fear that I might not possess the necessary skills to create comics that matched my vision. However, I've come to realize that readers are far more invested in the message and the creator's consistency in providing content than in the visual aspect. They understand that a comic artist is always a work in progress. They are even excited to witness us artists achieve milestones and notice improvements in our abilities.
If I had known how warmly readers would receive the comic, I would have shared my comics much sooner. In this, I must credit my partner, who listened to my ideas and actively encouraged me to take that first step.
Also, traditional “treats” and flavors, now forever engraved in our memories
The second and ongoing challenge I face is monetizing my comics. While Webtoon offers partnership programs, they come with the condition of reaching specific milestones on the platform, such as achieving a certain number of subscribers. My only way to overcome this is to persevere, keep creating, and exercise patience. Actively sharing my story has greatly contributed to this effort. I've found immense love and support, which provides the motivation to continue this journey.
Even after several years of living here, some things are still hard to get used to
I had a very clear goal when I arrived there, assimilating the culture, so to speak
If you want to venture into the webcomic industry, my first piece of advice would be: please, start. I understand that this is often easier said than done, but pursuing a career in illustration, especially as a comic artist, can sometimes feel like climbing a staircase in the dark while holding a lantern. You can only see a few steps ahead, but the only way to discover what lies beyond is to take that initial step and keep moving forward. How should you start? Write a brief description for your comic, envision what you want to convey with it, describe your characters, imagine their appearances and traits, and establish work schedules that align with your lifestyle. Dedicating time to creating, instead of endlessly planning, can be a real game changer.
Secondly, be receptive to criticism and consistently seek ways to improve the skills necessary to create better comics each time. Avoid getting trapped by excuses such as 'This is my style' or 'People don't connect because they don't understand me.' Continuous improvement is essential when pursuing this as a full-time career and striving to become a more accomplished professional.
After years of being a couple of foreigners here, anything else becomes the daily challenge of just being a couple in general
Lastly, have a clear 'why' to derive joy from the journey. When times become challenging and doubts arise, returning to your 'why' serves as a lifeline. This journey can sometimes resemble an endurance race, and you need that motivation to keep moving forward.
In conclusion, it is undoubtedly challenging, but let's not give up just yet. We deserve to share our passion, and there are always eyes around the world ready to appreciate our talents.
There’s always appreciating the beauty of each season and learning about Korean traditions
How we became cat parents after years of trying (to be financially stable and have a pet-friendly place)
Also, how we lost one of our cats too soon
Also, how we lost one of our cats too soon
Then the kitten miracle came soon after
Finally, I decided to bring to you the comic in a more global language
