Doing What You Love Again
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Being at Kansai Gaidai and being in Japan in general, every day is a new experience even in a small way. I canโt control my environment the same way as I did in the United States and stick out when before, all I wanted was to get by peacefully and to complete my little mission. Being goal-oriented isnโt a bad thing, far from it, but it is nice to wake up in the morning here and not know what Iโm going to do for once.
Iโm learning to love the uncertainty and find myself with more time than I ever had in the U.S. I wonder if it was that I didnโt have time, or that I just didnโt gift myself any. I had started a sketchbook over a year ago that normally I would have finished in a few months before college, but Iโm still only halfway through.
It might sound strange coming from a self-proclaimed animation-enthusiast and artist, but last semester when I noticed a decline in the quality of my work because of my inability to consistently practice, I was starting to feel like maybe Iโd chosen the wrong career path. That what I had to offer wasnโt good enough because there is always going to be someone who is better than you. So, when do you call it quits? When will I finally prove every elementary teacher right, that I should stop scribbling because it is impacting my ability to focus on REAL things. That I shouldnโt spend so much time doodling and writing in my little notebook about people who donโt ACTUALLY exist.
Needless to say, I think if you grow up hearing that you start to internalize it, and when youโre down you remember and wonder, were they right? I was starting to feel that way and imagine what my life might look like if I put my pencil down altogether. In school, theyโll show you the hierarchy of needs, in career development workshops they show โin-demand positionsโ, in college when you say youโre an English major you get comments about how thereโs too much reading and are asked, โOh. What do you plan on doing with that?โ.
In Japan, Iโm surrounded by beautiful stationary stores everywhere and manga books sit right beside โrealโ books like on things like career development or learning another language. My craft is treated like it has value in public sphere, which is a first for me. My first week here, I saw an elderly man reading through a Shonen magazine, laughing to himself on the train. Iโve seen signs advertising the next big hit or volume of a well-loved series, I see Moomin characters and cartoons everywhere and there are numerous character-themed stores throughout the country. Obviously, there is a demand for new stories from people outside of the creator-bubble. It warms my heart to see how there are opportunities to contribute to society in the way that I most equip for. It is good to feel welcome and wanted.
With this glimpse of a life where the things I care about arenโt silly, it feels like I can be real person, like I can show my love for creativity without shame. I remember how every story Iโve read has changed me and why telling stories is so important to me. I really donโt know who I would be without them, and I imagine that if I feel this way, then surely there are many more who do even if they only engage from a consumer end.
So, when I think back to my sophomore year when I felt devastated about my future, when a someone told me that my exams werenโt as difficult and I shouldnโt be so stressed just because I was studying English and Studio Art instead of Neuroscience, I realize that those words canโt hurt me anymore. Your individual purpose has value, even if some people canโt see it or donโt appreciate it. Creative career paths arenโt selfish just because they donโt involve brain surgery, nor are our jobs frivolous because we arenโt earning millions at the start. We have the important job of making something that makes people feel less alone, or teaches them, or makes them chuckle to themselves on the 5 oโclock train back to Hirakata Station.
Iโve grown tired of having to explain why art or story-crafting has value when it is something that enriches society, even ones that donโt view it as vital. I think about how happy that old man was, flipping through the pages as the sun passed through the train car windows. The responsibility we have is unique and deserves to be appreciated as much as any other profession or hobby.
The more time I spend in Japan, the more comfortable I become with the idea that positive reception towards my work begins with me. Itโs important to never forget that you have to be certain in your abilities.
*The photo is from my sketchbook’s most recent instalment. Thank you for reading!