Start & See

“Sometimes the best place to go is nowhere at all.” – Pico Iyer

This summer, I stayed in Japan and embarked on another kind of adventure; an inner journey into all the big questions. Here’s what happened.

Drawing Retreats & Learning From Nature

“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

I’ve been spending a lot of time drawing flowers. Getting still and revisiting old teachings, such as this one from Krishnamurti. I really struggled to understand these when I was younger and find that drawing, especially in nature, is a good tool for helping me inquire.

I took myself on retreats to find out more. I visited the mountains and the sea. Here’s a picture of me enjoying sea studies: capturing movement into marks. Looking and learning. As I did so, I began working on drawing retreats with a difference: to listen, intently, to what nature has to say. If you’d like to come with me next time, please email me to register your interest – 4 people max: info@divyamariekato.com I’ll be sending out information soon on my next trip.

Start & See

Every month we have a theme that we write on our calendar at home. Last month’s theme was celebrate everything. We celebrated our anniversary and my husband’s birthday on top of our favourite mountain. We celebrated what we’re grateful for and hopes for the future. We celebrated giving each other a chance, our work a chance and mostly giving practice a chance.

He sat on one bench and drummed. I sat on another and drew.
He started with a beat. It built into a rhythm that played out across the mountains.
I started with a line. It built into a drawing that played out across the page.
One beat. One line. Small ways to start and see.

And so to this month’s theme: start and see.

Big Words

Peace. Love. Consciousness. Mindfulness. Meditation. BIG WORDS. In a big world, with big issues. Together, let’s break these down into a simple practice of start and see. Experiencing Vs. Explaining.

Doing Vs. Defining. There are many ways to start and see. One beat. One line. One step at a time.

“What if I’m just not creative?” “I’m a beginner and…I’m scared!”

Here’s the thing. Everyone, who has made anything, ever, has started with a blank page. It can be of great comfort to keep this in mind. You’re in the very same, sacred space as your heroes, when they began.

There are incredible things to be discovered when confronting the blank page. Drawing is a universal practice that unlocks numerous benefits for anyone, at whatever stage of life – whether you’re: seeking inspiration, wanting to spark ideas or make changes, at a crossroads seeking purpose, seeking relief from the rat race, seeking inner peace in uncertain times, or simply seeking. And sharing it is what I do best.

“Fear is good. Like self-doubt, fear is an indicator. Fear tells us what we have to do. Remember…the more scared we are of a work or calling, the more sure we can be that we have to do it. Resistance is experienced as fear; the degree of fear equates to the strength of Resistance. Therefore the more fear we feel about a specific enterprise, the more certain we can be that that enterprise is important to us and to the growth of our soul. That’s why we feel so much Resistance. If it meant nothing to us, there’d be no Resistance… Don’t cheat us of your contribution. Give us what you’ve got.”

– Steven Pressfield

So What Have You Got?

And what’s holding you back?

Maybe you believe you aren’t creative, you can’t draw…

BUT, you secretly always wanted to draw, paint and create something incredible.

Maybe someone made a comment similar to this once – “Haha! You can’t even draw a moon!”

BUT, that little artist in you still wishes and dreams of creating.

Maybe you even tried a few times and couldn’t get your vision down on paper in all it’s awesomeness.

BUT, you’d like to try again and have someone help you fully translate your imagination onto paper.

Get From:

Stuck to Sparks: Discoveries, Possibilities, Ways To Move Forward

Seeking to Connection: Clarity, Purpose, Meaning

Stressed to Source: Calm, Presence, Processing Your Story

Draw your way from doubt to done.

An Overview: What This Start & See Practice Looks Like

Introduction: The Blank Canvas Mindset

Drawing From Nature: Harvesting Connection & Presence

Drawing In Ink: Mark Making & Bringing Out Your Style

Light & Shadow: The Basics Of Colour & Why We Need Both

Exploring Mediums: Play Like You Once Played Before

Self Portraits: Learning More About The Face In The Mirror

An Invitation: The Unknown

Through the many years I’ve been sharing drawing, I’ve experimented with different ways and have arrived at this – in short, the complete toolbox. By the end of our time together you’ll have all you need to create pieces of your own and in your own style.

Why This Is Different

This is NOT a cookie-cutter way of learning i.e. I draw, you copy, and repeat…

This is about giving you another tool for your tool box, with which to explore the world.

It’s about how drawing – if approached in another way – can help us practice presence, process experiences, cultivate inner peace, clear up doubt, gain clarity, help us through difficult times, spark ideas, forge fresh paths forward, make discoveries, manifest the future we imagine, reflect, explore big questions, release stress, contribute to our collective community and, so much more.

Things I’m Starting & Seeing

Drawing Classes at Afrika Rose

“Flowers As Teachers.”

Wowzers. This month we’ve been on Japanese TV. This is Megumi Hagiuda, founder of Afrika Rose, and I drawing together. So much has happened since I first stepped into this shop in June, following the FEW meeting where Megumi was our speaker. 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. Roses that have travelled 17 hours from Kenya to be here. Beautiful example of social entrepreneurship. No donations. Baked into business. So happy to begin teaching here with the roses. Our teachers. 2016 classes are fully booked but we’ll be opening classes, including weekends, from 2017. Details below.

An Online Drawing Course

Drawing. Done Differently.

This has been a lot of fun and, in terms of starting and seeing, in the making for the better part of 2016 with lots and lots of learning and trying AND….

I’m incredibly excited to announce that I’ll be launching it in October! Wanted to get my classes online and into one handy package so you could start from anywhere and, as they’re all recorded, at anytime!

4 x 60 minute classes including Q & A

The Guide is divided into 4 Steps which we work through together in 4 Classes. All classes will be recorded – life happens! – so you can work when you can and review.

The Full DMK Guide, Drawing. Done Differently.
By the end of the 4 classes, you’ll have the full DMK Guide – released in 4 rich, beautiful and instantly downloadable PDFs. Support with each step. Yours for life.

Bonus Videos, Resources & Friends
Committed to treating you each step of the way. Plus support from a community of friends to share challenges and discoveries with.

1-1 sessions with Divya
Available as an option once you’ve completed the course.

Course Dates
Next course begins in October. All classes are online and recorded.

And, Part 1 is yours for free for immediate download right here.

Rise Retreats Japan

“The mountains are calling and I must go.” – John Muir

This also started as an idea. Taking women into the mountains for drawing and deep work. Coach Sarah Furuya and I bringing art, coaching and our combined years of experience, together for one thing: working with our stories and to be ourselves. We love stories. Getting to the truth. And finding out what we need to let go of in order to rise. All with a wicked sense of humour and looking to nature for clues. We’re now fully booked for our retreat in October – one weekend with 8 wonderful women, in a beautiful, Japanese ryokan hundreds of years old, at the foothill of Coco Farm and Winery, in the wild of Ashikaga. For retreats in 2017, email either Sarah or myself. Details below.

Drawing Classes New Hanzomon Studio

“Courage starts with showing up and letting ourselves be seen.” – Brene Brown

This is brave work. Drawing after 30 years. Being a beginner again. Surrendering good, bad, right and wrong for curiousity and exploration. There’s a deeper happiness that isn’t shiny and loud, an inner kind that fills you up; heart to head, tummy to toe. Love this work. Bearing witness. Watching it happen. Seeing unknown unfold. Love my clients. The trust in the process and courage in seeing it through, after years and years of having never picked up a pencil, moves me. I’ve also started up private classes in my new studio right by the Imperial Palace in Hanzomon. Availability below.

Sarah: “I’m going through the processes, learning from the brilliant Divya and just trying everything. No “is it good or bad?” No “do I like it?” Just do the work, follow the process and make a mark. No talent required. Just take action. My head hurts because I’m going places I wouldn’t usually and because I’m thinking about the incredible paintings in galleries. I can’t even. Much much much respect to artists.”

Happy soon September friends. What are you going to start and see?

If you’re curious about what the blank page will open up for you, I’ll be right here. Come and find me at FEW (For Empowering Women) meetings or email me: info@divyamariekato.com

Big love & Ever draws,

DMK x

DMK SERVICES

Private Drawing Classes, Hanzomon, Tokyo. Dates 2016:

September 1 spot open, October 2 spots open, November 2 spots open.

Group Drawing Classes, Afrika Rose, Hiroo, Tokyo. Dates 2016: Fully Booked.

Reservations for 2017 email: info@divyamariekato.com

Online Course. Drawing. Done Differently. October 2016:

Part 1 Free For Immediate Download Here

Drawing Retreats To Learn From Nature: From The Mountains To The Sea.

4 People. To apply: register your interest and receive information by emailing: info@divyamariekato.com

Rise Retreats For Women. Dates 2016: Fully Booked.