The first illustrated essay by Sohyoung, an illustrator and organizing expert, titled "Creating a Life That Fits Me," has been published by Tteundol Publishing.
This book is a picture diary in which the author, an organizing expert, documents the process of organizing and tidying up her space and life.
In April 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, as everyone began to isolate themselves from the world, the author sat at his desk instead of his usual library or cafe.
One thing I realized after being inside all day was that I wasn't very familiar with my own space.
So he started looking for ways to make his space comfortable to relax in and a great place to work.
As I started to organize my home and establish daily routines, I found myself getting to know myself better.
This book is a compilation of a year-long journey of self-cultivation, and with small but meaningful tips and in-depth essays, it approaches readers who want to cultivate a life that suits them.
For everyone who is walking the endless path of 'normalization of the extraordinary,' 'Cultivating a life that suits me' will serve as a milestone.

As we spend more time at home due to COVID-19, I think we've come to rediscover the function of our homes.
As I spend less time meeting people outside and more time with myself at home, I need words to define myself as an individual rather than a member of society.
What kind of personality and temperament do I have, beyond what can be explained by relationships and positions? First, knowing myself allows me to create a space that suits me and helps me figure out how to spend my time effectively within that space.

--- p.10

When you take care of an object and put your heart into it, the object holds onto that memory and returns it to you.
We become kind to each other.
In this respect, the value of an object does not decrease as it is used, but rather it has value from the moment it is created in the world.
is to increase it.
Antiques are nothing else.
These are things that have remained undamaged for a long time thanks to the care of those who treated them with care.
Buy common items that are available everywhere, give them time, care for them, and think about them.
'I'm growing my value.'
--- p.54

The more time you spend with me, the more you come to know my personality and individuality. I am a person with low energy.
Because the five senses are sensitive, the speed of depletion is fast, but the speed of recharging is slow.
When your energy level drops, you feel lethargic and depressed, so I always check my energy level and try to recharge it when it drops a little.
I try to clear my mind by taking walks in nature, avoid being exposed to loud noises, and keep my distance from people I don't get along with.
Creating a money management routine that provides financial stability and a household routine that divides household chores to reduce energy consumption are all aimed at saving mental and physical energy.
Use the time and energy you save to do things you enjoy and have time to relax and recharge.
It's about creating an energy-saving routine that focuses your energy on your life's priorities.

--- p.85

The virtue of everyday life comes from boredom.
Because generally speaking, boring things are good for the body.
When I was working at a company, I envied freelancers who could freely decide their work and play times, but now that I'm actually a freelancer, it's not always like that.
It's not fun when a free day becomes routine rather than special.
Since there is no set time, comfort becomes a priority, and lifestyle patterns become disrupted, which is toxic to the body.
So now, even though no one tells me to, I wake up early, sit down at my desk even when there's nothing to do, and create work on my own.
I try to spend each day feeling bored and unstimulated.
It is to confine oneself in coercion.
The sweet rest that comes afterward is never superfluous.

--- p.130

When you're absorbing new information and suddenly feel like you're being swept away, the stories of experts you hear all sound wonderful but distant.
When that happens, I look at the words I wrote down in the corner of my notebook.
It is more like me than any knowledge or great lecture in the world.
Because it's something I've selected from what I've heard and learned.
I also look at the photos I took with my cell phone.
Because that's what I wanted to keep among the many, many images in the world.

--- p.193

The good thing about habits is that you don't have to think, 'What should I do now?'
It can also eliminate the anxiety of feeling like you have to do something but aren't doing it.
Also, because you end up doing things you don't want to do anyway as inertia builds, the stress of blaming yourself for being lazy and not doing what you need to do is reduced.
Nothing eats away at a person more than self-reproach.

--- p.198

I want to be an honest and consistent person.
The sight of someone consistently doing small things gives strength to those who see it.
There is someone who gives me strength like that, and that is the man at the auto parts store in front of my house.
Every morning at 7:30, you can hear the sound of a broom sweeping in front of the store.
When I hear the sound of the sleet, I open the window and quietly watch the regular movements of the man who carefully sweeps the floor.
There is a kind of sincerity that only I know.
That kind of sincerity feels like true courtesy to life.
That's why, at some point, I stopped admiring geniuses.
Rather, we discover the beauty contained within objects or living things that mindlessly repeat repetitive movements and see an image we want to emulate.

--- p.245