Warmest wishes to you and yours and all the best for 2017. To health, peace and creativity. See you all in the new year. Love, Team DMK x
So to the last week of 2016. It’s been a big year.
Recently posted a picture of a tiny, mustard seed in my hand. Remembering words taught to me long ago: “even if you only have the faith of a mustard seed, it’s enough.”
How to keep faith and keep going? Simple. We take whatever steps we can to contribute and to create.
Contributing to community. Creating for joy.
In my last post, I talked about happiness and what makes a good life. (you can read about it here) Timely as many of us head into the holidays. About creating a life you don’t need a holiday from.
On a recent coaching call with the marvellous Natalie Sisson, aka The Suitcase Entrepreneur (if you haven’t checked out her Freedom Plan – get your lovely self over here) we talked through my one main thing – “What’s the dream, the one, main thing, why you do what you do, what you want more of?”
We talked business, what’s fun, income streams, what to focus on, websites, online presence, present moment presence – we went through it all and then got to the JOY. Natalie brought me to my big why:
“The dream is basically that face. That face that lights up in recognition of what they’re able to do.”
And what does that face look like?
This beautiful face from the TEDx Youth drawing workshop I did last month. Beautiful faces from my drawing classes at Afrika Rose this year. Faces that light up.
And I want to help more faces light up. I also want to do more things that make my face light up. And so…
I’m making more space for it. Next year looks like, more classes in person – have opened 3 courses in 2017: new year, spring and autumn, more classes online for those who aren’t in Tokyo and more workshops.
Partnering with my favourite human, my wonderful husband Masa, to bring one of a kind, bilingual, creativity workshops to homes, schools and offices A workshop that’s fun, inspiring and joyful? A team build with a difference? An unforgettable experience creating an art piece with your family? 2 hours. 2 artists. Bringing it to you in 2017. More on that here
For now, one call to action. Talk through your one, main thing with a friend. Keep going. Talk through all the practicalities and possibilities. Until you reach that point in the conversation. That point when your face lights up.
Happy holidays friends and see you again soon in 2017.
Ever draws, DMK x
Found these links helpful while researching how to help Aleppo:
Link to Huffpost article | Link to Glennon Doyle Melton & Together Rising post
So who am I?
As adults, we often lose sight of our creativity:
Have you always wanted to draw, but think you’re not good enough? Did you draw before when you were a kid, but now you’ve left it behind?
Have you heard all these great things about creativity and drawing and how it helps you release stress, problem solve, spark ideas…but you don’t know where to start or it’s been a while?
Well, did you know that drawing’s the easiest way to get it back?
Through drawing, we can rediscover our creative selves and receive inspiration, happiness, creativity and joy in the process. Drawing’s also frequently used in forms of art therapy, personal and professional development, for its cathartic, stress releasing and idea sparking properties.
Hi I’m Divya and I help people reconnect to their creativity through drawing. I’ve been drawing my whole life and have been sharing drawing, in some form or other, for the same amount of time. I get assigned by TEDx to host workshops, by companies like LUSH to highlight issues they care about through creative events, by the British Chamber of Commerce in Japan to take part in creative community aid work, by For Empowering Women in Japan to host creativity workshops, by Dokkyo University to empower their international students through creativity classes and by Tokyo Helps to raise money for community relief fundraising campaigns.
Years of experience teaching within the international school environment, have familiarised me with what’s good and what’s not so good about our education system. Being raised around the world, meeting people from all walks of life, has made me into someone who lights up around others.
I’ve coached preschoolers to students to adults and have held countless live painting events, community events, classes and workshops. Since leaving full time employment in international school teaching back in 2012, increasingly so. And I have no intention of stopping. Sharing drawing is my life’s work and what I absolutely know I do best. Why? I love the light up moments. When faces light up in recognition of what they’ve created.
Been a while? Believe you can’t? The biggest renewable resource available to us, is one that doesn’t get given enough attention at school or at work. From idea sparking to stress relief, team building to highlighting important issues, discovering purpose, motivation and daily joy – creativity is the one thing that no one can take from you and the one thing that only increases the more the you use it.
Pick up a pencil. Start and see. I’ll show you how.
Wanna dip your toe in? Click here
Wanna join us for classes or workshops? Head here for classes and here for workshops
Can’t find what you’re after? Get in touch with me right here: info@divyamariekato.com
And…things just got even better! Want us to bring creativity to your home or office?
Divya’s now partnered with her husband, Masahiro Kato, to be able to deliver workshops bilingually. The British-Japanese husband and wife team are combining their shared experiences of creative living around the world, in order to being creativity to your home or workplace.
These are workshops with a difference and the experience will be an unforgettable one for your family or for your team. Creativity workshops click here
The ways of business are changing. The new way involves connection, creativity and innovation.
divyamariekato
Hi I’m Divya and I help people draw again. Been a while? Believe you can’t?
3: Informing performing. Behind all that happens on stage, is all that happens off stage. Fun meeting the TEDxYouth Tokyo team – all there after school prepping and planning at this year’s venue: Shibuya Smart News.
