korean american   she/they   bowl cut   portland   artist   cello   Ed.M. learning design   creative    
    1. searching for 할머니
    2. i live in a cave
    3. stuck in help
    4. joolea doodles
    5. bLOSSom: a guide for growth
    6. GBH (wgbh)
    7. Let’s Talk!
    8. libertango string quartet
    9. i need help guide
    10. parry hotter
    11. my best friend
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    ©2024 julia 해은 kim

    i live in a cave

    what is it: a story about anxiety, mannequins, and caves
    my role: storyteller, illustrator, designer
    tools: procreate, adobe fresco
    Meet Hani Park - a homeschooled girl who lives with Grandma in a cave. When the world is suddenly taken over by mannequins, Hani watches Grandma taken away in front of her. As we follow her journey to get Grandma back, we see that it's a story that goes beyond a typical rescue mission. Will Hani ever get Grandma back and will she be able to escape her own mannequin chasing after her?

    I experimented with three different reading formats. It's still a work in progress and I'm continuing to look into ways to publish this story. To be continued.

    graphic novel



    My latest adaptation of “i live in a cave” is a graphic novel. The plot follows the chapter book closer (mentioned down below), but with a few differences. I completed one chapter. 

    In this particular version, I explored anxiety and the concept of home and included a dream sequence that plays with a shared consciousness. 

    I have included a few pages (not in order) of the first chapter as a sample. If you would like to preview the entire chapter, or would like to learn more about the progress of the graphic novel adaptation, please contact me

    I worked on completing this first chapter during a course called "Making Comics and Sequential Art" during the Spring 2022 term at MIT.

    picture book




    This was the first adaptation of the “I Live in a Cave” story. Anxiety is represented by two lawn gnomes that grow bigger when Hani experiences more conflict.

    I have shared a few pages (not in order) of my picture book. 

    This was created for my undergraduate honors thesis called "Creating a Children’s Book and a Family/Educator Companion Book about Anxiety to Destigmatize Mental Health Disorders". If you would like to access the complete picture book or would like to view my thesis, please contact me

    middle grade readers chapter book


    I tried turning “i live in a cave” into a middle school reading level chapter book. Anxiety is later replaced by mannequins that are obsessed with breaking out of the mall and living in “real” homes. In this version, the lawn gnomes are removed and she lives in a cave with her grandma. 

    I completed the first two chapters and am in the process of writing more. If you would like to learn more about my writing process or what exactly this is, please contact me



    If you would like access to my detailed "I Live in a Cave" omnibus report, please contact me