This blog post explores how to effectively incorporate planning skills developed while growing up in an environment that enjoyed culture and the arts, along with experience working at a performance planning agency, into a planning job application.
Growth Process
“Growing up in an environment where I could enjoy diverse cultural and artistic experiences”
Because my father was the eldest son in the family, many relatives and guests would visit our home during holidays. Growing up naturally in this atmosphere of welcoming guests, I learned courtesy and consideration early on. I learned how to greet the adults who visited our home, and developed the habit of always treating people with a respectful attitude. At school, I was often praised by teachers as a well-mannered student. It became second nature to approach and offer help to elderly people in need while walking down the street. Respecting elders and caring for the vulnerable has remained a core value for me, from childhood to the present day.
Furthermore, influenced by my mother, who majored in Korean dance, I cultivated an appreciation for culture and the arts from a young age. Attending diverse cultural events with my parents—orchestral concerts, piano recitals, Korean dance and ballet performances, musicals—broadened my horizons. Growing up in a home where classical music constantly played instilled emotional stability. These experiences taught me not just to appreciate art, but to embrace and enjoy various art forms with an open mind. Thanks to this, my interest in the cultural arts of countries around the world naturally expanded. Even now, whenever I encounter a new art genre or performance, I derive great pleasure and inspiration.
During high school, I actively participated in the drama club, deepening my interest in cultural arts. Given the nature of an all-boys high school, roles requiring cross-dressing were common. I would readily take on roles that my friends hesitated to play and participate in the performances. My involvement went beyond simply performing on stage; I took the lead in selecting plays and adapting them to suit our sensibilities, and I also served as the director overseeing the entire production. As club president, I cultivated both responsibility and creativity through the process of leading and coordinating members while harmonizing the stage and the story. Through theater, I developed expressive and communication skills, and above all, I learned a great deal about leadership in guiding collaborative projects.
This growth environment, grounded in courtesy and consideration, combined with artistic experiences I naturally encountered from a young age, nurtured me into an emotionally rich and sensitive person. Moving forward, I aspire to become someone who connects people, culture, and art with a warm perspective, building upon these experiences and attitudes.
Strength Introduction
“Growing through education that nurtures creativity.”
I am a highly creative person with abundant ideas. During my childhood, my mother guided me to write reflections on the various literary works I encountered. After reading my reflections, she would often ask how the protagonist should have acted or how the ending could have been more interesting, prompting me to think deeply to answer her questions. This naturally led me to interpret situations within the works through my own perspective and add imaginative thoughts like, ‘If it were me, I would have done this.’ This habit proved invaluable not only when appreciating literature but also when tackling school assignments, helping me generate creative ideas and approach problems in fresh ways.
My love for exploring and trying new things is another strength. During overseas trips with my parents in middle school, I loved wandering down alleyways not featured in guidebooks. Though my parents worried it might be dangerous, I often explored the city’s hidden paths for an hour or two at a time, on the condition that I was accompanied by my father and avoided overly remote areas. The small restaurants and places steeped in local life that I discovered this way taught me the true joy of travel and fostered an attitude of approaching unfamiliar environments with interest, curiosity, and proactive engagement.
Furthermore, when I find something I want to do, I don’t impulsively dive in. Instead, I thoroughly prepare and plan before executing. Thanks to this drive, even when I announced I was going to do something seemingly outlandish, my parents gave me their trust and support. Because I didn’t just stop at trying, but approached things with a mindset to see them through to the end and with thorough preparation, the outcomes were often positive.
Thus, grounded in creative thinking, a spirit of challenge, and solid drive, I possess the confidence to find meaning in any endeavor, enjoy it, and see it through. Moving forward, I aim to leverage these strengths to discover new possibilities in a broader world and actively pursue those paths.
An extraordinary experience overcoming extreme hardship
If I had to pick the most memorable moment from my college years, it would undoubtedly be the ‘National Great Trek’ I challenged myself to undertake during the summer of my sophomore year. Starting from Busan and ending at Imjingak, this was a trek covering approximately three weeks on foot. It was far more than a simple trip or walking event; it was an extreme challenge to test my own limits. We followed a pattern of walking for one hour and resting for ten minutes, though as time went on, our rest periods sometimes stretched to fifteen minutes. Still, marching an average of over eight hours a day was grueling work unlike anything I’d ever experienced in daily life.
Blisters started forming on my feet from the very first day. They would burst, only to form again, repeating this cycle for a week – the pain was so intense it brought tears to my eyes. No matter how much treatment I applied or how much sleep I got at the lodgings, the next day brought the same intensity of schedule, and the blistered areas stung even more fiercely. The smell of pain relief patches permeated every lodging, as most participants suffered from muscle pain and exhaustion. Yet, surprisingly, no one gave up midway. Everyone silently maintained their own pace, enduring each day.
By the time we entered Gyeonggi Province, we were so physically and mentally exhausted that we desperately wanted to take a bus home. Yet, fueled by the single-minded thought, ‘We can’t give up now, the summit is in sight,’ we persevered to the very end. When we finally arrived at Imjingak, the overwhelming emotion and sense of accomplishment felt throughout our entire bodies was beyond words. We embraced each other, cheered, and shed hot tears.
The Great Trek across the nation wasn’t just about setting a record for walking a lot; it was a valuable experience of enduring pain and achieving a goal to the very end. This experience instilled in me a strong confidence that I could ultimately overcome any hardship life might throw at me, becoming the mental foundation that sustains me today.
Career Story
“Planning an Original Musical”
After graduating from university and starting my career, I heard countless times from my parents and seniors about the importance of my first job. This made me deliberate even more carefully about my career path, and I ultimately joined ○○ Group Co., Ltd. This company is a performance planning agency that stages original musicals, and I worked in the Planning Team. The planning team handled the entire production process from start to finish. This included actor casting, venue booking, marketing planning, and even the smallest details on stage—a job demanding meticulousness and patience. In fact, many new hires couldn’t endure this complex and grueling process and quit midway.
While licensed musicals involve importing pre-completed music from overseas and only requiring domestic direction, original musicals are, as the name suggests, centered on ‘creation’ – a completely different world. Every element, from the script and music to choreography and stage design, must be created entirely from scratch. This makes the creativity and effort of both the cast and production team absolutely essential. The thrill when a completed work finally takes the stage after overcoming countless obstacles is beyond words. It’s no exaggeration to say we work for that very moment.
Because staff members divide and coordinate each element of the production, when a work successfully hits the stage, you feel a deep sense of accomplishment knowing you were a crucial puzzle piece in assembling the entire performance. Especially when seeing the audience moved, laughing, and applauding, I am reminded anew of how valuable this work is. It is precisely because of this reward, even amidst the grueling process, that I constantly rediscover the meaning and joy of working in the world of original musicals.
Motivation for Application and Aspirations
“I will create world-class performances!”
Since childhood, exposed to diverse arts and culture, I nurtured a dream of contributing to the arts not merely as an appreciator, but as an active creator. My interest in the stage deepened starting with theater club activities in middle school, and in college, I majored in performance planning, exploring this field more systematically. Later, through practical experience at a performance planning agency, I got to stage original musicals myself and personally felt the process of my planned performances moving audiences.
This experience solidified my conviction in choosing this path. Just as the name ‘Artsplay’ combines the meanings of ‘arts’ and ‘play,’ this company embodies the very values of art and performance I aspire to. At Artsplay, I aim to grow further as a cultural marketing planning specialist.
My goal is to transform performances into cultural content that resonates deeply with life, moving beyond mere spectatorship to connect and communicate with audiences.
Building on my accumulated understanding of the arts, performance planning experience, creative ideas, and tireless passion, I want to realize new value on stage. Armed with robust stamina and perseverance, I will plan and execute performances recognized on the global stage. I wish to contribute my energy and capabilities to Artsplay’s vision of enriching the world through the emotion and happiness conveyed by culture and art. And within that, I will become a producer who grows continuously.
