Scribble, paint, scribble, paint.
Intense watercolors dance across cardstock material, creating an appealing design with expressive, handmade stickers framing names in unique fonts. Marker ink flows through the card to add extra pizzazz – the norm for Coppell High School junior Jiwoo Choi’s evening while creating products for her student-run business.
Choi runs Jiwoo’s Corner on Etsy, selling personalized cards and sticker sheets with her original designs. After posting videos of her packaging orders, she has garnered more than 15,000 followers on TikTok. Choi has been creating art as a hobby since the sixth grade, when her fervent passion began.
“I make art as a way to put my thoughts and feelings on a tangible piece,” Choi said. “I’ve always loved being able to manipulate certain things and create something visually appealing and eye-catching.”
Jiwoo’s Corner was established during her freshman year in 2022. Originally beginning by selling stickers, her business grew, adding cards and envelopes as potential available products.
“I started off selling stickers because I really like journaling and pen palling,” Choi said. “I have an Instagram account for pen-palling, and I think I got an email from someone asking for a card commission. I accepted, and I set something up on Etsy so I could get a money transfer. Then, some people found my account and just bought it.”
This fortuitous incident launched Choi’s business.
Choi’s enthusiasm for her business is conveyed through her merchandise. Her precision and dedication, along with the immense amount of time she puts into all of her work helps her craft interesting designs and compositions for each of her products.
“She obviously cares about the quality of her work, and that goes a long way,” art teacher Brennan Frugé said. “She has a clear vision as well which also helps as an artist.”
Choi’s creative power and artistry allow her to create customized cards and envelopes suited to match each of her buyers’ tastes. Her products hold a medium of artistic elements within them, giving each one a unique and special individuality.
“She’s got a great imagination and you can see that in her artwork,” Frugé said. “She has no shortage of great ideas. Speaking as an art teacher, sometimes it’s hard to come up with great ideas. But, every time I give her an assignment, she can quickly make something that stands out.”
Apart from being a resilient entrepreneur, Choi’s open-minded personality helps her shine as an artist. She strives to grow and make her work the best it can be.
“She reaches out to a lot of people to get advice,” junior Saanvi Chiliveru said. “She’s always looking for ways to get better or improve what she’s building on. Jiwoo isn’t just hard-working but also takes what others have to say into consideration.”
Though Choi is skilled at making a multitude of items, she enjoys planning and decorating cards the most.
“I love to see what people are getting for their loved ones and the whole process of interacting with them,” Choi said.
Choi’s entrepreneurship has given her the opportunity to delve into her artistic passion while composing heartfelt creations, ultimately instilling growth in herself and others.
“She’s definitely going places,” Chiliveru said. “She has such a good work ethic and personality, so she’s going to go places with her business and as a person too.”
Choi plans on continuing her business after high school and through college. Nonetheless, throughout the process so far, Choi has learned useful life skills such as patience and diligence that help her sustain her business.
“Work hard,” Choi said. “That’s all I can say. Working hard is the only thing that got me here – you just have to push yourself.”
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