Divya Marie Kato’s Blog

Day 3: Now that you know what a Perfect Day is, I want you to visualize yours and write it down as a blog post. Start with the moment you wake up, through to the time you go to sleep.  Be as detailed as you can – what do you see, smell, feel and see. Remember to write in the present tense, as if you are living this day right now. It makes it much more real and feels more inspiring. If you want to, you can add in in pictures and graphics too. Have fun with it!  – Natalie Sisson, The Suitcase Entrepreneur, 10 Day Blog Challenge 2016

I’m up early. I wake up in the arms of my beloved. I feel restored, refreshed and rested. I’m warm and still and take a moment to say thank you. I hear birds. I see green outside the window. Sunshine filters in.

As the world wakes up, I walk over to a wooden chair, at a great, wooden desk and wait to see what happens. There are flowers on the table that say good morning. Some days this time is for drawing. Others, it’s writing.

After showing up in the creative space, I check in with my assistant.  A lovely mama and friend.  We’re always looking for ways to improve.  Our exchanges are clean, clear and open. I check over my workshops and classes for the week ahead.  I get excited preparing for my signature drawing retreat. I double check travel arrangements for my book tour.  I check in with social media channels to see how I’m showing up.

When finished, I walk back into our bedroom and have a cuddle with my love. We enjoy a pot of tea talking about dreams we had, the day ahead and check in on our goals.

Then, it’s getting shoes on, big and little shoes – out into the park for a walk with our dog and our kids. We talk about them more often these days!  Their names a combo of our own: Madi and Dima.

The air is fresh and cool. My body feels good. Sometimes it’s the beach we wander down to and let them all run and run and run.

Then it’s off to school –  either with me, or with Papa or off for an adventure. I love watching them together and my heart feels like it might well burst. They laugh and sing and snuggle close when needed.

If it’s not my turn, I get home to my studio and get to work. A sacred, still space for drawing, painting, writing and reading.

Our home is full of drawings, by all of us.  Instruments and sketchbooks and everywhere – evidence of exploring mixed in with the smells of sharpenings, crayons, glue and paint.

My books have been published. There are 3.  A trilogy.  All I have to share about drawing.  I see them over there, by the fireplace, on the shelf.  Right next to Stillness Speaks. Our dog loves that shelf and the big, squashy armchair that sits next to it.

At 11am, I pack up my bag and materials and head outside for a workshop.  Today my students are teenagers.  I walk them around and talk through different ways of looking at things. Ways of translating and expressing what we see onto the page. Lines. Light and shadow. Shading. Mark making. Movement.

Capturing Nature’s intelligence. Leaves, waves, flowers and mountains.  Drawing on the wisdom of the wild places.

They take up the challenge and begin exploring with their pencils.  I walk around watching them – making discoveries from nature; lighting up with connection.  Sparks fly.  We regroup to share our drawings and discoveries.  We say goodbye and I look forward to their final exhibition.

Lunchtime: I see this as a colourful table and hear the many, varied tones of friends and family.  I smell freshly baked bread, feel touches on my back, see smiles and hear stories playing with music – sadness and jokes equally received by loving ears and full hearts.

I’m home and sit quietly reflecting on the day.  It’s now afternoon.  I begin stretching.  I get out my trainers and run. I feel my strong lungs and strong legs and am grateful for a healthy body that has brought me this far.

Chai ‘o’ clock. Love my chai. Coffee works too. Depending on which, the smells relax, soften, make me smile.  This is cherished alone time with me if needed and other times to share conversations with a dear friend.

We get outside again before the end of the day.  Feel the wind on our faces and expend energy. I feel the joy in my belly.

My husband is gifted at many things and his strengths bless our home with music and soul food.  We gather round our wooden table, say a blessing and eat.  Lots of vegetables and home cooking that’s a fusion of our blended cultures.

Bath time and bed time. Skype’s with family. Stories read to loved ones in soft pajamas.

Sharing a glass of wine with M.  Either on the sofa or outside on our bench, looking out at the green. Sometimes guitar, sometimes talking, sometimes drawing, sometimes simply sitting, holding hands.

Turning off the lights now and saying thank you with each switch.

If there’s time, a little reading before bed.  If not, it’s time to drift into dreams. I end the day with a thank you and feel warmth in my heart.

This is day 3.  If you found this useful, do come back again for my response to Challenge 4. Best wishes for a good week ahead friends, back soon, DMK x   This blog post is in response to Natalie’s 10 Day Freedom Plan Blog Challenge Day 3  #10DBC #freedomplan

Previous 10 Day Blog Challenge Posts

Day 1:  DMK’s Challenges Click here or on the pic above

Day 2:  DMK’s Why Click here or on the pic above

Hi, I’m Divya and I champion the arts for speaking a universal language that inspires and influences change. I share drawing as a way to keep moving forward with purpose and presence and recently married my best friend. We live in Tokyo, Japan. Best way to keep in touch is here on Instagram:

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Divya Marie Kato | “When in doubt, draw”

Day 2:  Write down a reason for why you want to live the freedom lifestyle. Bonus points if you can figure out how to make a positive impact in the world by living this lifestyle. I do want you to think about it deeply because it will help you start to create a life you love – trust me. – Natalie Sisson, The Suitcase Entrepreneur, 10 Day Blog Challenge 2016

Why do I want to live the freedom lifestyle?  You see that drawing up there?  That’s me, with a chunky graphite stick, at 16.  I was screaming into my sketchbook and kicking out on canvas.  Trying to make sense of what was going on at that time in my life.  It was painful and heartbreaking.  Broke me down.  And, built me up into who I am.

Drawing had helped me find my voice, express my feelings and process my story.  

It has continued to help me throughout the years – through all the ups and downs that make up a life.  It’s helped me release stress, express myself, stand up for something, get people together, spark fresh ideas, find a way forward – and so much more.

Later as I got older and began experimenting with work opportunities, nothing gave me more joy than sharing what I’ve learned through drawing.

I saw people light up.  

People who thought that they weren’t creative.  People who thought they could never, ever draw. I’ve heard people say that they found themselves.  Others have told me that they felt connected.  A recent client said she had new eyes and could see the world differently.  Another client told me she’d had coaching before, but had never understood her place and purpose as clearly as when she began drawing.  She hadn’t drawn anything since the 3rd grade.

One client said she wanted to better connect with her son and is now working on a children’s book.  Another client wanted to think differently, to get out of the left brain and into the right.

The most powerful story is what I observed in a small fishing town following the 2011 earthquake and tsunami here in Japan.  About a graffiti artist, Shuhei Sakimura from Onagawa.  Onagawa was largely washed away in the disaster.  Shuhei Sensei (aka D-Bons) began painting fishing containers.  Colour on a barren landscape.  He then opened a small shop to sell his work. He printed t-shirts. He helped create a skate park.  He’s literally been building back with creativity and is a key player in his small town’s regeneration.

I have experienced what creativity, in all its ways, has the power to do. And this is the why that keeps me going.

 It can inspire and influence. Empower and rebuild.  In terms of how the world is changing, not only in terms of technology and an increasing demand on our attention, but also given our current political and environmental climate, more people than ever are on a search for meaning, purpose and connection.  A way back to themselves and a way back to each other.  The need has never been greater to find ways of harvesting inner peace. For many people, with unprocessed stories, stress rules and inner peace is hard to come by.

Wow. Feel this post in my heart and mouth. The why is what keeps me practising and keeps me sharing what I’ve learned about drawing.  Something we all did as kids.  Something all too often left behind at school.  And something I’m bringing back.

I want the freedom lifestyle to continue this work in a location independent and flexible way, that allows for change and growth.  I want to be able to work from anywhere, at anytime and be free to create a schedule that will change as I do and focuses on my family.  I want the freedom lifestyle so that my work can continue to reach those who need it and become increasingly more accessible to more people around the world.

This is day 2.  If you found this useful, do come back again for my response to Challenge 3.  Best wishes for a good week ahead friends, back soon, DMK x    This blog post is in response to Natalie’s 10 Day Freedom Plan Blog Challenge Day 1  #10DBC #freedomplan

Previous 10 Day Blog Challenge Posts

Day 1:  DMK’s Challenges Click here or on the pic above

Hi, I’m Divya and I champion the arts for speaking a universal language that inspires and influences change. I share drawing as a way to keep moving forward with purpose and presence and recently married my best friend.  We live in Tokyo, Japan. Best way to keep in touch is here on Instagram:

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Divya Marie Kato | “When in doubt, draw”

Day 1: Take some time to think about your biggest challenges, then list down 2-3 of them and write a few lines about why you think they are holding you back.  It might seem difficult at first, but there’s a reason for it. Once you know exactly what’s stopping you from living a life of freedom, you can focus your energy on these specific things and start off on the right foot. – Natalie Sisson, The Suitcase Entrepreneur, 10 Day Blog Challenge 2016

Ok, so here I am with my biggest challenges right now.  I’m here because I’m taking as many steps as I can towards who I want to be, in this one, precious life.  And, I’m dedicated to sharing my work and journey, in a way that you can access wherever you are in the world.  My friend here in Japan, Helen Iwata, of Sasuga Communications, recommended this 10 day challenge as one to help us grow – thank you Helen!  Which brings me to sharing my first challenge:

• Growth

And all it means to fully grow. Last year, I drew and wrote about how the sound of summer’s cicadas took on whole new significance.  They are un-ignorable.

Understandable. Years in the deep, dark earth and not long above. Last year I got the message loud and clear:  you’ve got something to say, REALLY say it.

Growth is also a painful one. It involves stretching beyond safety, and in doing so, outgrowing.  This year, looking at discarded cicada shells, left clinging to the bark of trees after they emerge with wings, I felt a deep and knowing pain.  There are things you come to know that you didn’t know before. There are things to be left behind as well.

This means letting go and saying no. Both are difficult and I’m working through this by practising; even when it’s uncomfortable. Simply saying no. I’m reading a lot too, my favourite at the moment is Stillness Speaks, by Eckhart Tolle.  About making sure I leave enough time to sit still, so I know my decisions are coming after reflection and with perspective – from a good place and not as a result of stress, pressure or immediate reaction.

I’m also seeking guidance from my parents, which is interesting, because I’d never thought to ask them before!  The great thing is, I’m feeling closer to them through doing so and also learning more about their experiences through their advice.

• My Book

Since March 2015, I’ve been putting together a collection of my drawings and the stories that inspired them.  It’s a mammoth task, and one I’m wholeheartedly hell bent on.  I invested in a book proposal course and coaching.  I carved out slices of time.  I did all the things – all the things! – and I’m still working away.  My big challenge now is one of kindness and acceptance.  Being kinder to myself – I didn’t know you had to write the book AND this thing called a proposal! – staying focused by allowing space and time for growth (challenge number 1!) instead of chastising myself for not meeting deadlines I had set.  Accepting that the process will take longer than I thought. Believing that the publishers are rooting for me to show up too.  And this post by hero, Seth Godin: 

“Erosion.  The Grand Canyon wasn’t created by an earthquake.  While it’s tempting to imagine that the world changes via sudden shocks, that our culture is shifted by dramatic changes in leadership, that grand gestures make all the difference…  It turns out that our daily practice, the piling up of regular actions, the cultural practices and biases that we each choose—that’s what makes change happen.  False promises and urgent reactions are a trap and a sideshow.”

Ok, that’s day 1!  If you found this useful do come back again tomorrow for my response to Challenge 2.  Best wishes for a good week ahead friends, back soon, DMK x  This blog post is in response to Natalie’s 10 Day Freedom Plan Blog Challenge Day 1  #10DBC #freedomplan

Hi, I’m Divya and I champion the arts for speaking a universal language that inspires and influences change. I share drawing as a way to keep moving forward with purpose and presence and recently married my best friend.  We live in Tokyo, Japan. Best way to keep in touch is here on Instagram:

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divyamariekato

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Divya Marie Kato | “When in doubt, draw”

Let’s talk about stress, baby.

And flying sumos. More on this later.

“We now know that stress..emotional, psychological, physical… is the number one epidemic of our civilisation.”

– Deepak Chopra

We’re living in an increasingly attention deprived time – information OVERLOAD!! – expectations, pressure, prejudice, the environment, the news… all this and more, and never, enough time.

So how are we finding ways to give our busy minds a rest?

In one of my hands down favourite books of all time, Essentialism, by Greg McKeown:

“Play is an antidote to stress and this is key because stress, in addition to being an enemy of productivity, can actually shut down the creative, inquisitive, exploratory parts of our brain. You know how it feels: you’re stressed..and suddenly everything goes wrong. You can’t find your keys, you bump into things more easily…

I have seen play reverse these effects in my own children. When they are stressed and things feel out of control, I have them draw. When they do, the change is almost immediate. The stress melts away and their ability to explore is regained.”

Luckily we have a chocolate box selection of ways to play and calm down. From “woo woo” to buzz words, mindfulness and meditation are growing and attracting people from all walks of life.

My meditation practice, drawing, looks a little different, but is the way I play, invite others to play and create that small, still place to connect and calm.

Which brings me to something I’m excited about – this little place by the sea. Flying Sumo Surf in Onjuku, Japan.

Great things happening and can’t wait to share it (and pizza!) with you soon.

Happy Wednesday friends – hope you all find time in your day for play!
Big love, ever draws,
DMK x

For more on stress and how drawing can relieve the effects it has on us head over here

For details on all the ways I share drawing head here and don’t forget to pick up your free gift, part 1 of my online course, Drawing. Done Differently, so you can get started wherever you are, over here.

Wowzers.  We’re on TV!  Megumi Hagiuda and I drawing at Afrika Rose Tokyo.  Video link below.

So much has happened since I first stepped into this shop in June.  Drawing together, sharing stories, conversations with the roses (the things they have to say!) and creating a drawing course so more people can get to know the roses better too – discovering unexpected things in the process. About yourself. About looking. Really looking. You wouldn’t believe it if I told you. We find out new things every, single time.

And the ROSES. Roses that have travelled 17 hours from Kenya to be here. Beautiful example of social entrepreneurship.No donations. Baked into business. One big journey for the roses and one incredible story of how all this came to be. And I’m so full of gratitude I might well burst. Yes. I’ll go do that now. Love you Megumi, so happy to be with you and the roses. Our teachers. And there’s so much more to learn. Friends in Tokyo, stop by and say hello. You may well burst too. Happy Sunday all.

Big Love, Ever Draws, DMK x

Japanese TV Clip ‘Fresh Faces’ with Megumi Hagiuda, Afrika Rose Tokyo. Click Here

Drawing Classes at Afrika Rose Details Here

Conversations with Roses. This month’s theme -one I keep close!- is start and see. Sometimes you begin work on something and other things open up, you can see a little further down the road. And then you get there, and something else comes up. There are good things and bad things to be found, the further along you go, but some things, some things, simply knock your socks off. These guys are opening up more for me than I’d ever thought possible before. I listen to things I tried to understand long ago, like Krishnamurti, for example, as I draw, and it goes in now- not as words or concepts, as feeling. Here I’m with Eckhart Tolle.

The first time I read his books, I understood a little. Especially about flowers as messengers. Now it’s a whole new level of inquiry and experiencing. In short friends, it’s blowing my mind.

“There is an art of seeing things as they are: without naming, without being caught in a network of words, without thinking interfering with perception.”  – Jiddu Krishnamurti

Less explaining. More experiencing. Another good date night with the roses.

And, just like that, my book sprouts forth a new limb. What’s something you’re getting now that you didn’t before? Would love to know, as well as what you’re doing differently that’s made you get it:  info@divyamariekato.com

Ever draws,

DMK x