One morning, I woke up from a haunting dream. In it, I was a child, crouched down, covering my face, and crying. A group of people surrounded me, staring fiercely down at me. Their eyes were void and cold.
As time passed, the weight of self-loathing and depression grew heavier, pressing down on me. I realized I needed to do something—anything—to avoid being consumed by these emotions. One evening after work, I sat down with a sketchpad, just to vent out my feelings into something else. I began sketching the dream, hoping it would help me release the burden on my heart. I drew a crying child, but for some reasons I couldn’t explain, I couldn’t continue to draw. The next day, I tried again. I stared at the figure on the screen for a good few minutes, my hands still wouldn’t move. The child seemed just too sad.
Work in progress (Delight, 2021)
Two months went by without returning to the drawing, the heaviness in my chest began to fade slightly. I revisited the unfinished piece—the crying child—looking at it with the same dull gaze as before. But this time, something shifted within me: I felt sympathy for the child. I wanted the child to smile and be happy—not living the life consumed and controlled by negative emotions and thoughts.They may not be true or real.
This realization led me to reflect deeply on joy. Searching for answers, I looked through saved screenshots of cute dogs and silly bird reflections in a cup—simple yet heartwarming images that once brought me joy. I also turned to the Bible looking for verses that speak about joy. Even called my mother in Korea to ask her about my childhood.
“When do you remember seeing me filled with joy?” I asked her.
Work in progress (Delight, 2021)
She laughed and shared a funny dream she’d had years ago,
“You were a little kid in a room, half-naked. You stripped off your pants and started peeing—so much that it filled the entire room! But your face—you looked so happy and full of joy.”
I gathered these fragments of memories, conversations with my mother, and Bible verses, and used them as inspiration to complete the drawing.
Delight!, 2021
One morning, I woke up from a haunting dream. In it, I was a child, crouched down, covering my face, and crying. A group of people surrounded me, staring fiercely down at me. Their eyes were void and cold.
As time passed, the weight of self-loathing and depression grew heavier, pressing down on me. I realized I needed to do something—anything—to avoid being consumed by these emotions. One evening after work, I sat down with a sketchpad, just to vent out my feelings into something else. I began sketching the dream, hoping it would help me release the burden on my heart. I drew a crying child, but for some reasons I couldn’t explain, I couldn’t continue to draw. The next day, I tried again. I stared at the figure on the screen for a good few minutes, my hands still wouldn’t move. The child seemed just too sad.
Work in progress (Delight, 2021)
Two months went by without returning to the drawing, the heaviness in my chest began to fade slightly. I revisited the unfinished piece—the crying child—looking at it with the same dull gaze as before. But this time, something shifted within me: I felt sympathy for the child. I wanted the child to smile and be happy—not living the life consumed and controlled by negative emotions and thoughts.They may not be true or real.
This realization led me to reflect deeply on joy. Searching for answers, I looked through saved screenshots of cute dogs and silly bird reflections in a cup—simple yet heartwarming images that once brought me joy. I also turned to the Bible looking for verses that speak about joy. Even called my mother in Korea to ask her about my childhood. “When do you remember seeing me filled with joy?” I asked her.
Work in progress (Delight, 2021)
She laughed and shared a funny dream she’d had years ago: “You were a little kid in a room, half-naked. You stripped off your pants and started peeing—so much that it filled the entire room! But your face—you looked so happy and full of joy.”
I gathered these fragments of memories, conversations with my mother, and Bible verses, and used them as inspiration to complete the drawing.
Work in progress (Delight, 2021)
Slowly but surely, the downward lips of the crying child uplifted into a joyful smile. What once was a pain from fragile human promises, now turned into a new hope, an eternal promise of new life.
I found the new hope from creating this piece, or the hope diligently found me. I pray it does the same to you too.
Work in progress (Delight, 2021)
Slowly but surely, the downward lips of the crying child uplifted into a joyful smile. What once was a pain from fragile human promises, now turned into a new hope, an eternal promise of new life.
I found the new hope from creating this piece, or the hope diligently found me. I pray it does the same to you too.
The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.
Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Instead of the thorn bush will grow the juniper, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow. This will be for the Lord’s renown, for an everlasting sign, that will endure forever.”
The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.
Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Instead of the thorn bush will grow the juniper, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow. This will be for the Lord’s renown, for an everlasting sign, that will endure forever.”
