This is an activity report for January 2023.
In December, I flew around Ibaraki, Kanagawa, and Tokyo and painted a total of four murals. I was tired from all the traveling, but I felt like I had to go for it. However, I've learned from experience that continuous output is not good, so this month I decided to do something other than painting.
If drawing is output, then what is input? I've recently come to think that it's not something you "do" but something that "happens." The moment your heart is moved by something you see, hear, or feel primarily through your five senses. Input occurs.
What happens when you produce output, that is, draw, continuously?
In my case, one day I suddenly find myself no longer enjoying drawing. Strangely enough, this happens not when I'm drawing, but when I'm not. Even when I try to draw after that, I somehow can't put any feeling into it, and it ends up being sloppy, or I only come up with boring ideas.
I don't want to spend even a moment of that unpleasant time, so lately I've been trying to be conscious of the balance between output and input.
My personality tends to lead to excessive output, so recently I've been making plans outside of drawing, even if it means forcing myself a bit.
This month I decided to redecorate the gardening space in my studio.
Since I was at it, I decided to repaint the background as well, so I removed all the flowerpots and painted a picture on the background wall. When I look at an old picture I drew, I always want to fix it, so I painted this one in a simple style so that it wouldn't get boring.
...But I ended up drawing it. Lol
When I'm in contact with plants, I find it easier to have input.
When I see a cactus that was wilted during the winter absorbing water and swelling up again, I feel an indescribable emotion. It makes me feel like it's still alive.
I went to a few shrines in my neighborhood as part of my first visit of the year. When I go to a shrine, I feel like I can escape from my daily life for a little while, and I can feel a sense of solemnity.
I had heard that shrines are like a neighborhood relationship with the gods, so when I have time while shopping or taking a walk, I start stopping by a nearby shrine to pray.
Kagoshima is home to many historic shrines. Since I started visiting shrines, I somehow feel better mentally.
Input is also likely to occur when you see a beautiful view.
Even if you see the same scenery from the same place, the ratio of inputs changes greatly depending on your physical and mental state. The view you see from the top of a mountain by car and the view you see from the top of a mountain by walking up a mountain trail are completely different, even if they are the same scenery.
I take the vibrations of my heart that I have input in this way and filter them through myself, outputting them as pictures. I want to hold my pen in my hands as if I am converting the invisible vibrations of my heart into visible images.
I would be happy if the pictures I create in this way can inspire someone else. Thank you for reading to the end.