Daily Inspiration: Meet Michelle Kim

Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle Kim. 

Hi Michelle, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
2017 was one of the most difficult years that I’ve endured. I’ve experienced trauma that triggered my entire mind, body, and soul to shut down from the world. I removed myself from the life I had by running away from anything and everything that tied me down to that traumatic memory. I shut down all my social media accounts, changed my phone number, and stopped talking to everyone I knew. I fell into a deep dark hole with depression, anxiety, and PTSD. From that year on, I lived every day in a strict routine and in fear of the unknown. 

I’ve always had a love for crafts and started to be more creative as a room mom for my boys. Crafting became therapeutic source for me along with my weekly therapy and EMDR sessions. The creativity inside of me helped me in so many ways. I started to feel somewhat normal again. 

I started to log my journey as room mom via Instagram thinking nothing of it. But over time, my account grew, my community grew, and I grew. 

I received so many positive feedback for sharing my personal struggles on my platform and saw how crafting can be therapeutic to those who are struggling with mental illnesses. It inspired me to give more back to the community. The launch of our non-profit is right around the corner and can’t wait to share it with the world. heARTS and Crafts create therapeutic art/craft kits to donate to other Non-profits hoping it will bring joy and happiness. 

What started as a diary of perfecting the art of crafting, is becoming a learning journey to celebrate mistakes and bring hope and joy back to my life. 

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I wish I can say it has been a smooth road, but it hasn’t. There are times when my anxiety gets the best of me. It prevents me to finish projects or do daily tasks. I actually had to start taking a week or so off at a time to maintain my mental health. It can be a huge hindrance in collaborating with brands or working on launching our non-profit. 

I started to incorporate taking “bye” week on a monthly basis to focus on self-care and my mental health. I plan my content and business planning based on that and so far, has been helping tremendously. 

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am an amateur crafter who’s in the process of launching a non-profit. I love using paper goods as a medium with cardboard being my fix. A lot of people know me for being a mental wellness advocate. I’ve shared my struggles with depression, anxiety, and PTSD on my platform and developed my own community via Instagram because of it. 

I’m proud of the person I am today because of crafting. It not only opened up many doors for amazing opportunities but it also gave me a chance to help others who are going through something similar. 

What does success mean to you?
I was raised to believe that success was measured by monetary value, from how much you make to, how big your house is to what designer bags you have. I had to untrain that belief and define success on my own terms. 

Success to me is the ability to accept your failures and flaws and grow from them. I know it sounds a bit odd, but I look forward to any failures and mistakes I make because it gives me the opportunity to learn from them. 

Contact Info:

• Email: hellowunder.days@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wu.nder_days/
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/109127717984171/