Today we’d like to introduce you to DoHyeon Lee.
Hi DoHyeon, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I spent a lot of time choosing a major in accessory design. It took me 3-4 years to find something I could enjoy doing, and it took me a year and a half to change my major to accessory design after entering SCAD. The reason was because I always wondered if I could really love and do it with enthusiasm the field that I chose.
I dropped out of the university I first attended in Korea in 2016, and before serving in the military, I had a chance to travel abroad and explore the fields that interested me to see if they could become my career. During my military service, I began to consider studying abroad, and when I was accepted to SCAD, my major was motion media design. Due to COVID-19, I had to spend my foundation year in Korea and started leather crafting as a hobby, realizing that I enjoy making things with my hands. In my second semester of my sophomore year in the US, I took an accessory class and discovered how passionate I could be about this field. I believe that my continuous efforts to explore and consider different paths have led me to choose this field. At the same time, I love this field, want to excel in it and feel that no one loves it more than I do.
Sometimes, I compare myself to friends who are the same age and wonder if I found my career too late. However, everyone has their own timeline in life, and I am grateful that I have found a career that is right for me and am living my life accordingly. In fact, these aspects seem to be motivating factors for me.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
As I mentioned earlier, my first major was motion media design, and one of the reasons I chose this field was because it is known for having good job opportunities in the United States. At the time, I was thinking about how much money studying abroad would cost, and I thought of it as an “investment” my parents were making in me. Therefore, I felt that I had to show them equivalent value, and I thought it was very important to get a job in the US and become a proud son to my parents. However, as I took accessory design classes, I continued to wonder which field I should go into, and I couldn’t easily make a decision because of doubts about whether my parents would truly support my choice. However, I felt that it was foolish to study for a job and money, ignoring what I truly wanted to do, so I honestly expressed my feelings to my parents. Contrary to my expectations, my parents were extremely happy with my choice and became a reliable support, telling me to “choose what you really want to do and enjoy it.” Since then, I have been able to focus solely on my career.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My biggest strength that sets me apart from others is my craftsmanship. Furthermore, having learned leather crafting in Korea has become my forte and I believe that I can become a designer specialized in bag-making. I know how to create something that is truly well-made, and I thoroughly consider whether it can be actually used, which sets me apart from others in terms of completeness. I believe that there are details in products that embody the spirit of a craftsman, and because I think about those details, I can create even more differentiated products.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
To possess more value for success in myself, I feel that originality and creativity are necessary. I am already very good at making things themselves, but I feel that my creativity is lacking in the process of talking about a specific topic from my perspective and expressing it in a product. I am afraid to step out of my comfort zone and I am very concerned about other people’s opinions. So, if I try something new and the result doesn’t look good or doesn’t turn out as I expected, I don’t think I will be satisfied with the work, and I am afraid that if that happens, I won’t be able to show the work that people expect from me. However, I know that these things are holding me back, and I think that I need to have a more adventurous and experimental attitude, trying new and diverse things.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.dohyeonlee.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/komeboy__/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dohyeon-lee-53989a24b/
- Other: https://komericanboy.com
Image Credits
Chan Yeol Lee
