We had the good fortune of connecting with Esther Um and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Esther, what do you think makes you most happy? Why?
Community makes me happy! Good community, whether artistically or just personally, is difficult to form and or find. As a young artist, who has so much to learn and unlearn, a community that holds me accountable while cheering me on has been so important. It’s mentors who take the time to share their hard-earned wisdom with me, as well as their resources! It’s peers that are willing to collaborate with me, even when I barely have anything to offer them in return! It’s all of us seeing the humanity in one another and hoping to grow together, understanding we are all flawed and constantly in need of growth and change, through support and accountability.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I immigrated to the US from South Korea when I was eight and was raised by a lower middle-class family so as an artist most of my work takes inspiration from those experiences. Sometimes my art reflects those experiences quite literally and other times it embeds itself into my work as it propels me to seek out collaborators and mentors who understand the importance of diversity and equity!

My parents, being immigrants to the US, faced a lot of difficulty (emotionally, physically, and financially) supporting me throughout my arts education journey. But they did everything they possibly could to make sure they could drive me to rehearsals and pay for dance and theatre classes, even when we had very little. They were and still are very adamant about my younger sister and I being able to pursue our passions.

In terms of what I’ve learned along the way, I’m still only a quarter of a way to a century so there’s so much more left to learn haha. But the biggest thing so far has been realizing to let go of the idea of competition and embrace community. When I was younger, everything felt so fleeting. I felt like if I didn’t feel like I was claiming every moment and achievement as mine that I was failing. But so many people had grace with me, even with my impatience and selfishness. It made me want to let go and have that grace for others. Now, I really hope to cheer on and help other artist peers around me to succeed and further their journeys, too.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
We would start at Veselkas in the East Village getting some Ukrainian pierogis! I normally get the short rib pierogis and the potato pancakes. And then we would make our way to the beautiful Elizabeth Street Garden! It has all these sculptures and flowers… Oh, and they do events like poetry readings! It’s really cool. At some point in the week, we’d have to stop by the Happy Medium. It’s an art cafe where you can draw, paint, and sculpt while having some snacks. Also if this is my best friend, they are likely just as obsessed with Sanrio and cute trinkets as I am so I’d take them to the Elizabeth Center Gift Shops in Chinatown to look for Hello Kitty merch and a lot of other cute little phone charms, jewelry and things like that! Then, we’ll likely go get some amazing vegan Chinese food at the Red Bamboo.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Ah, this one’s so difficult because if I really could I would share a list of 50 plus people! I want to shoutout the team at CJAM Consulting LLC. and One & Other Productions. To say that they have made my dreams come true would be an understatement. I think some people might think that’s odd considering I’m still just another 25 year old creative in New York but in sophomore year of university, I realized that my dream wasn’t necessarily to become an Oscar-winning writer or actor (though that would be nice) but rather to work creatively for values I believe in and be able to support myself doing so. CJAM and One & Other made that possible. CJAM is a New York-based firm committed to arts, cultural and justice institutions that foreground communities of color, honor legacy and contribute to economic vitality. I’m the youngest in the team there but everyone has made me feel so welcomed and I’ve learned so much since I joined the team almost immediately after undergrad. I joined One & Other Productions a bit later, a year or so into post-grad, as a film festival consultant. One & Other Productions is a multimedia narrative production company with a focus on producing stories and working with collaborators who inclusively illuminate the significance of multicultural identities. It means a lot that both organizations, whose missions I align with so heavily, have trusted and embraced me so.

Website: https://www.estherum.net

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/estherumm/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/estherum98

Image Credits
David Spector, Jessica Osber, Benjy Berkowitz

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