If you are seeing this, you most likely scanned the QR code in the corner of this image! I hope you’re having a great time here at FESTA and at the concert!

What I’d like to share with you is a little story, one that spans the 500+ days we’ve been waiting for our boys to return.

Ever since December 17th, 2023, just days after all the members left for their service, I’ve been on a journey that has changed me as both an artist and a person. I began to draw each member, every single day, until they return!

(If you’d like to see every drawing from this challenge, click HERE)

When I first started, I honestly didn’t think I’d get too far. Drawing every day for 500+ days? It sounded impossible. But day after day, something inside me shifted, and I became determined to see it through.

At first, this began as a small act of love and connection. Like many of you, I felt the weight of that moment when BTS entered military service, suddenly the stages went quiet, and we were all waiting. One night, scrolling through Twitter, I noticed a few ARMY starting “daily drawing” challenges. A little competitive spark kicked in, and I decided to join them.

Just four days later, I lost my 20 year old cousin unexpectedly. In the middle of my grief, drawing became more than a fandom activity, it became an outlet. A small act of consistency I could hold onto when the rest of life felt uncertain.

That’s when I realized: this challenge wasn’t going to be all sunshine and rainbows. But no matter what happened, I would keep going.

Over time, drawing every day taught me discipline and resilience. While balancing college-level classes, algebra, astronomy, painting, I found ways to blend my learning with my passion. I listened to educational documentaries while drawing, and one night while painting Taehyung, I was inspired to dream about writing a musical one day.

Some nights were brutally hard. I remember spending seven straight hours on a math assignment, finishing just before midnight, only to realize I still needed to draw J-Hope before the clock struck twelve. Somehow, I did it.

Beyond academics, this journey reconnected me to another dream: concert photography. Watching J-Hope’s concert in 2022 had inspired me to pick up my camera again, after years of neglect. And as I drew BTS every day, I began chasing this dream for real:

📸 Interviewing artists, writing for an international magazine, reviewing RM’s album (which connected me with ARMY around the world), and even applying to photograph Lollapalooza. That particular door didn’t open, but through rejection, I learned to keep showing up, just like I did with my drawings.

This challenge also helped me grow as an artist. Through studying manga styles and experimenting with techniques, my portraits evolved from hyper-realistic to uniquely my own. Each drawing now carries a piece of my voice, and my heart.

As life kept moving, starting at a public high school, learning Korean, joining my school’s band, performing in competitions, dealing with family loss, I kept drawing.

No matter what the day held, joy or sadness, victory or setback, the simple act of putting pencil or brush to paper grounded me and reminded me why I started.

Now, 544 days into this journey, I’ve come farther than I ever imagined. My challenge will end on June 21st, 2025, when every member returns. But I know I will carry this growth, discipline, and deeper understanding of myself long after the final portrait is complete.

Being a fangirl, something too often dismissed, gave me this beautiful opportunity to grow, to connect, to dream bigger than ever before.

And it all started with drawing seven boys from South Korea. 💜

Being here in Korea right now truly feels like a dream come true. I’ve dreamed of coming here for so long, and to be here during FESTA and for J-Hope’s concert makes it even more special. This journey started with drawings from afar, but now I get to experience the energy and love of ARMY right here, in person. And I’m so happy to have met YOU, too, whether online or here in Seoul. Thank you for being part of this moment with me!