Divya Marie Kato’s Blog

Fantastic video from last week’s LUSH event for Henoko, Okinawa.

If any of you have the opportunity to visit this beautiful place, go for it!

Catching up on the latest news – the issue is currently escalating as the government pushes ahead with plans – we’ve been talking a lot about people power and our ability to influence and inspire change – love to hear your thoughts on taking action and standing for something – on ‘fighting’ and celebrating a cause

“What do you stand for and how do you choose to go about it?”

Also, the team at LUSH Omotesando are fantastic humans! I used to think that LUSH were ‘wafting soapy bubbles out onto the street people’ – enjoyed learning about all the thought and careful planning that goes into each and every product – gorgeous transparency, beautiful stories – I was given ‘The Olive Branch’ shower gel as a gift – made by Israeli and Palestinians – one example of love and care and community.

VIDEO: LUSH Japan Event for Henoko 2015

Incredible event celebrating Henoko, Okinawa at LUSH Omotesando. Wholehearted thank you to the incredibly hard working team at LUSH Japan. Maho Takahashi for her tireless organization, insight, dedication, passion and for inviting me to be part of this creative collaboration celebrating Henoko with body painting.

Paint Design (top to bottom) Sun, Sky, Mangroves, Rivers, The Bay and The Sea

The cycle explained to us when we visited – making up the extremely rare and diverse area of Oura Bay, Henoko – everything connected and dependent.

Risa, manager in training of the Omotesando store, as my beautiful model – beautiful inside and out – thank you for being such a joy to work with

Friends who came out thank you -everyone who gave us smiles and waves, popped in to say hello, checked out the amazing photography exhibition by local Henoko diver, Nishihira-san – could you believe ll the weird and wonderful creatures of Oura Bay?!

Everyone who came in to talk, ask questions and find out more – Big thank you from me and all the team from LUSH – we celebrated Henoko well!!

With love to all in Henoko, Okinawa

DMK x

Full Facebook Post Here

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Can Drawing & Creativity really impact & inspire me, my school or business?

Don’t take my word for it, read more stories on the Inspiring Stories page here to find out how Creativity inspires change & growth, its essential role in education & personal & professional development & why it should be

Accessible to All

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Liked this? If this helped or inspired you, please pass it onto a friend or someone you feel it could help uplift.

How can I best help you? Click here for my services or drop me an email: info@divyamariekato.com for a free consultation.  Ever draws, DMK x

 

 

Over 100 Drawings since I first started this creative exchange.

On the day I finished drawing 100 I remember sitting there for while.  Me.  A smile.  A heart swell.  Then the tears fell.

That’s how I knew.

This means so much to me.

Humbled by all the stories.  A big thank you to everyone who has shared so generously.

Onto the Book!

Onto the Documentary.

End of the Drawing A Day Giveaway.

The Drawings will continue.

To purchase and view all of the drawings created as part of the exchange head over to the Drawings for Stories page here.

Ever draws, DMK x

Drawing for Stories

I’ve been drawing my whole life.

It has helped me through a lot of the ups and downs life puts on the table.

I began sharing the skills of drawing.

I now have personal, first hand experience of how drawing, and in turn creativity, have empowered and inspired change in others too.

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The Book

I began reflecting and gathering all of the drawings and stories and working on a book centred on:

“When in doubt, draw”

I’m interested in what helps us get over doubts & difficult times. For me, it’s drawing. How about you?

In order to learn more from the stories of others, I created this exchange; leaving out money as I wanted to explore value.

I post a drawing every day to give away. To receive the drawing for free I ask that others share:

1) Why they connected with it
2) Their biggest doubt/difficult time
3) What helps them move forward

The drawings can be seen on my Facebook Art Page , Instagram or Twitter .

The first person to comment, either in the comments section or via a private message, receives the drawing in the mail.

One drawing.  One person.  Every day.

No money.  A creative exchange.  Exploring value.

You can follow the Drawing A Day here  to see all of the drawings created & mailed out so far & how this exchange & the book continues to go & grow.

Ever draws,

DMK x

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Drawing for Stories.  

Here are a few that have been mailed out already.  To see more click here for the Drawing A Day page

Keep in touch & watch this space for how this creative exchange unfolds!

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To see all the drawings and to follow the exchange and the book click here for the Drawing A Day page

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Can Drawing & Creativity really impact & inspire me, my school or business?  Don’t take my word for it, enjoy reading the stories on the Inspiring Stories page to find out how Creativity inspires change & growth, its essential role in education & personal & professional development & why it should be

Accessible to All

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Liked this?  If this helped or inspired you, please pass it onto a friend or someone you feel it could help uplift 

How can I best help you?  Click here for my services or drop me an email or get in touch with me via the links below 

Ever draws,

DMK x

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Good morning & happy Sunday!  Corporeal mime artist, Tania Coke of http://www.tarinainanika.com/, nominated me to do an Art Challenge.  I have been sharing a window into beginnings, ‘growings’, up to what’s happening now

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Stage 1:  Beginnings  “Art or Craft?”  Full article click here

Stage 2:  Japan  Dragons.  Identity.  “What makes you feel at home?”  Full article click here

Stage 3:  Breakdown & Breakthrough  “How do you find your ‘tribe’?”  “How do you define ‘success’?”  Full article click here

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 Stage 4: BACK TO THE DRAWING (board)
a.k. (affectionately) a. – Lessons Learned in the Rabbit Room

Beginning to find my ‘tribe’ & plant fresh seeds of purpose via creative, collaborative, community centred projects (see Stage 3 here) One glaringly obvious fact still remained.

From:

Well paid, secure, ‘successful’ job
Beautiful, spacious apartment
‘Dreamboat’ boyfriend

I had gone to:

No job
No place to live
No partner

The ‘artist nightmare’ complete with empty, shopping trolley squeaking along beside me & polystyrene cup of tea in hand…

Sort of came true!

Despite best efforts to ‘stay positive’ – I withdrew – one persistent thought circled around me like a vulture:

“If I can’t even help myself, how on earth can I expect to make a difference & help others?”

Cue: Dark Night Of The Soul

I remember distinctly being scrunched up into fetal position and crying myself to sleep.  I was in the beautiful, vibrant birthday dress my mother had bought and sent over to me, my fingernails still carried the colours from the live painting I had done for a fund raising event, the angrily, shouted words from my former boss ringing in my ears, the moving out paperwork on the bedside table, the stone-weighted words, dropped out of the telephone, that the man I was in love with was engaged to another pregnant with his child…

I felt broken.

Worthless.

I began collecting stories that strengthened this view:

“That’s why your father left you…”

“That’s why no man will ever stay with you…”

“That’s why no one will ever pay for your work…”

Give up.  Give up.  Give up.

You’ve had your ‘fun’, your ‘adventure’.

Playtime’s over.

Around and around the vultures went, thoughts and feelings circling, circling.

Although I don’t recall falling asleep, I do recall waking up.

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I went through the motions of getting ready and

 Came across this:

“Fearlessly place your desire into your imagination”   Wayne Dyer

I sat down to draw. I wrote out ‘IMAGINATION’ & drew a NO ENTRY sign around it.

Imagination as sacred ground – no one or nothing else granted permission to enter – I loved this idea.

I stuck it on my fridge.

It was the last thing I took down as I left that apartment.

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 My friend, April, got in touch with me re: a spare room she wished to rent out in her house just up the road from me.

Craig’s List buyers relieved me of all the furniture and appliances I had all in the same week.

Another friend, Diana, recommended the perfect job for freelancers in Tokyo.

I began working for an arts centre, Tokyo Creators, where I met and made and married my best friend.

BOOM

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 If there’s anything I believe in it is this:

To remain, forever and ever more, fully open to the possibility that what seems dark or feels like an ending is just another turn of the wheel – no more, no less – the light and fresh beginning is always available and waiting

The confirmation?

The synchronicity that happens when aligning with your ‘soul’s calling’, your heart’s longing:

“All the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it”   Paulo Coelho

I moved into that little spare room in April’s house (formerly the room where the rabbit lived) and began drawing again.  These are drawings from that time.

April, my dear friend, is as many of you know, still going through what must be the hardest time for any parent.  I had the immense joy and pleasure of attending one of her Jolly Phonics training workshops that she still put on, despite everything else that was going on.  I nominate her next to share the work she continues to do in the field of education.

Would be interested to hear from you:

“What life experiences or turning points have had the biggest influence on you and how you choose to live now?”

Ever draws,

Divya x

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Can Drawing & Creativity really impact & inspire me, my school or business?  Don’t take my word for it, read the stories on the Inspiring Stories page here to find out how Creativity inspires change & growth, its essential role in education & personal & professional development & why it should be

Accessible to All

---

Liked this?  If this helped or inspired you, please pass it onto a friend or someone you feel it could help uplift 

How can I best help you?  Click here for my services or drop me an email or get in touch with me via the links below 

Ever draws,

DMK x

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Nominated to do a 5 Day Art Challenge, I have been sharing a window into beginnings, ‘growings’, right up to what’s happening now

Stage 1:  Beginnings  “Art or Craft?”  Full article click here

Stage 2:  Japan  Dragons.  Identity.  “What makes you feel at home?”  Full article click here

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Stage 3:  Breakdown & Breakthrough

Community – Collaboration – Connection

The Dragons (see Stage 2 here) had put me in touch with so many incredible people & at this time I had been living & loving Japan for a few years.  I had found a ‘dream’ job, was living in a beautiful apartment right in the centre of Tokyo and had just met someone I thought I could love.

‘Success’ & smooth sailing!!

Or so I thought.

BIG.

BUMP.

Unfortunately it was at this time that I realised:

The job I was in wasn’t where I wanted to be or where I wanted to go.  

The beautiful apartment, as my friend Joy correctly pointed out, wasn’t big enough for what I wanted to do.  

The dark, handsome ‘dreamboat’ man turned out to be a complete nightmare.

One by one each of these things fell away and I found myself:

Without a job

Without a place to live

And, alone.

The amazing corporeal mime artist, Tania Coke, http://www.tarinainanika.com/, nominated me to do this 5 Day art challenge – so sharing a window into beginnings, ‘growings’, right up to what’s happening now

Stage 1:  Beginnings “Art or Craft?”  Full Article Click Here

Stage 2:  Japan

Identity & Belonging

I boarded a plane to a country just about as far from London as I could go (little did I know back then that it would become home!) – hungry for adventure.  Mindset:  My mother had recovered from breast cancer & this powerful reminder of life & living gave me the strongest push to take all chances