Hello, everyone at Parsons. Thank you for inviting me to the honor. But I want to mention that it’s 4 am in Seoul. It means that I’m quite sleepy. To be honest, I have to sleep now.
This.
Hello, everyone at Parsons. Thank you for inviting me to the honor. But I want to mention that it’s 4 am in Seoul. It means that I’m quite sleepy. To be honest, I have to sleep now.
In addition, 37 Signals, my favorite company, said this.
“8 hours for work, 8 hours for life, 8 hours of sleep. That’s a fair formula. It’s not work/life balance — it’s work/life/sleep balance. A lack of sleep isn’t a badge of honor, it’s a mark of stupidity — literally.”
We have to sleep at least 8 hours. Don’t forget this.
But I’ll try to do my best. Please don‘t blame me, if I’m a little weird. It’s not my fault.
I’m Min Guhong who is a director of AG Lab and a CEO of Min Guhong Manufacturing.
Sometimes I’m called as an artist, an author, a translator, a designer, a programmer, a teacher, and so on. But I like to be called as an editor. Because I think that editorship is needed in all my practices.
I made this small website as a presentation for this time and for you. It’s the way I use it every time I present something. I put the address of this website in the chat room, so you can see this through it freely.
But until a few days ago, I couldn’t decide on the color of the text and the background. Every time choosing colors is quite difficult for me. Because all colors are good for me. But yesterday I found the good way from your Instagram post.
This.
Thank you so much for choosing the colors for me. If I hadn’t decided on the color of the text and background, I was going to cancel this presentation.
Today I’m going to talk about my thoughts on the act of “introduction.” Before beginning, I want to mention I’m more comfortable speaking in Korean than English. I may look like a kid because of my English. But I believe that you can understand, and most of all, feel my mind, if you like me at all.
Anyway, let’s start.
Introduction, which informs something around and connects it to others, is an essential act and procedure regardless of the field. Roughly speaking, if we don’t go through the introduction, usually nothing happens, and we don’t start talking about anything.
Adding business to the introduction leads from promotion and marketing to sales. Adding art to the introduction leads from creation to publishings, exhibitions, performances, and so on. Adding love to the introduction leads from courtship to having a relationship.
As such, introduction is located in everything, whether it is large or small, wide or narrow. That’s why introduction matter for me.
At the very bottom of every creative act is pure pleasure. And next to it, there is precious and beautiful desire to introduce oneself, which is the subject of production, along with pure pleasure.
Lee Ufan…
Virgil Ablo…
And maybe you…
Is that all? Editors, designers, programmers, journalists, and musicians all introduce somethings in their own way.
We don’t know if we’re here to introduce something after all.
What makes a big and small difference in their desires is ambition and taste. That is, how much to introduce, and how to introduce. That’s why introduction matter for me.
Profile is a useful tool or method to introduce me. The profile is for me as a result, but it starts to work completely while others read it face to face. So profile is both a personal and social text.
Someone who likes to read something recognizes or misunderstands me only with my profile.
Due to the importance of profile, there are valuable places for it everywhere. When you write for a magazine, when you write or translate a book, when you display your work in the exhibition hall.
Since I first introduced me around 2013, I’ve edited and updated it one phrase at a time whenever I have a chance, that is, whenever I have to introduce myself.
And all of a sudden, since about 2015, I have been organizing the process and references intermittently through my website, https://minguhong.fyi.
I feel a little sorry because it’s in Korean. But, as you know, Google Translator is getting better and better. Technology should be used at times like this.
Websites and books (or vice versa) are also good tools to introduce something widely. For about 10 years I’ve made quite many websites and books. But I think it means that I’ve made quite many worlds through it.
Completing profile is no different from editing a variable called “life” consisting of a random array of “coincidence.”
The driving force that has moved me so far has been the pleasure of editing and updating my profile one phrase at a time, that is, the beautiful and precious desire to introduce my thoughts, worries, skills, achievements, and even myself.
And most of all, it was a desire to connect with others through the introduction.
I think that the moment we’re connected to others, or believe that we’re already connected, a new story begins. And this leads to people (colleagues, clients) who will continue to be with you in the future, career (portfolio), and economic profit (money).
Of course, perfect triangles are made very rarely…
That’s it.
Thank you for watching and listening.