Hi folks!
It’s been many months since I last updated, but it’s been quite the ride. I’m blogging as loosely as possible, so grammar and spelling be damned!
SHIRO ONI
I spent a lot of time in Japan for most of June through July. It went by so slow and so quick. I learned a lot from my time there, and mostly that I don’t do well as a solo traveler… now that I have people I want to share my experiences with forever. I love my partner and my best friend dearly that I don’t want to travel out of the country again without them again.
My time at Shiro Oni was lovely but it definitely presented its challenges.
Great things:
Was introduced to the locals, and since I participated in the summer music festival, I met a lot of folks who really aren’t around until the festival activities begin.
So much quiet time. The town is very sleepy and gentle. You get to learn about the town in little snippets, from people just explaining the history. Stuff I don’t think you can get from anywhere.
Lots of great little places to swim, if you’re used to swimming in rivers.
You have some time to work on your art, while balancing living in a small town in Japan.
Lots of things are biking distance! Going back to Tokyo is so easy as long as you know the rails.
Challenges:
Expectations change and fluctuate based on the mood and schedule of the folks in charge. We had a particular challenge of having our exhibition on the same days as the summer festival, and while the sleepy town was so lively and people did come by, it was chaotic figuring out how I could get myself involved in the festival.
During the summer festival, they say it has a chaotic schedule that is unpredictable, but there are set events that do happen every year that they could inform the residents of. But they don’t, because it’s simply run by one guy and an assistant.
If you don’t do well with the summer heat, artists who are not ceramicists are kind of out of luck. The reservations for more temperate weather months are for ceramics. Sorry to all those with heat intolerance and disabilities. They say they have a room with AC but you are NOT allowed to work on your artwork in there.
If you have social anxiety or any kind of mental health issue, it’s kind of a tough place to be. Not having my group of friends I rely on to keep myself together, fighting the heat, and punching through social events while not knowing Japanese was much more of a challenge than I thought. I had the issue of being with only one (1) other resident at the residency… Originally meant to have 5, but 3 had to drop. I think it would have been easier with more than one person to rely on socially. I had many meltdowns, and people would sort of make light of them. Prior residents wouldn’t understand the struggles or make fun of past residents who expressed stress or meltdowns. (Except staff member Megumi. She was an angel and really amazing the whole time.) All these kinds of stories of past residents made me so on edge, and while I’m not disabled, I definitely had my limits with the heat and physical exertion… and those limits made me feel very vulnerable. Do not expect to be supported emotionally!
I definitely was made fun of by one UK person and Australians for being American. Lmao…
They tell you the exhibition is not important and could just be stuff you’re working on/have in progress. Take it to heart and really spend time focusing on the town. If you’re hoping to have something for the exhibition, because you need it for grant purposes etc, figure out what you’re doing ahead of time. This cuts down on headaches and you can potentially get stuff done sooner. They don’t push these expectations at all, and ceramics folks have different expectations. But just enjoy the town.
Unexpected charges for going to parties. This only applies to summer festival people, but hanging out with the locals can be expensive if you pass as male. They do NOT tell you about all the little fees that stack until it becomes “a thing”. If you are going and read this, it’s just Japan customary things, but ask the studio director/assistant about those expectations ahead of time.
I loved my time at Onishi. I think it was really worth it for me to go to the residency because having someone introduce me as an artist and get to know the townsfolk at a more intimate level was VERY important to my future work. I went in wanting to learn about the dams and the locals, and I spent a lot of time learning the customs and the hardships of life in the rural areas. If you go in with the same goals I do, you wont be disappointed even with the challenges. Enjoy the town, and appreciate getting to know the space you get to inhabit… it’s so unforgettable. I have so many regrets, but I look forward to going back on my own time and own terms now that I have connections to the space.
HOUSING
I have been spending August and September working on moving from my apartment to my new house! My house!!!! That thing that was once dirt and now a real house that I’ve been living in for the past month while slowly moving all my things over… yes! IT’S DONE! and I’m typing at my desk in my dream studio with my best friend behind me.
So updates will resume! I am so sorry for the huge delay!
STORE?
It’s crazy to say, but I have new products on the way! I’ll open a members-only store after NYCC, and it will have my ginkgo bags and perhaps my new bolero!
Some extra thoughts
I know folks have been unsubscribing from lack of updates lately and I know that times are changing! Our economy is shit, despite the reports, so I’m not pressed. BUT, I would love to know what you guys are interested in learning from me again! I have time again to write long tutorials and give my thoughts on manufacturers.
Maybe! Just maybe. I’ll do a monthly Manufacturer review. How does that sound?! I am ready to talk about my sources in a private space, I think!
Hope you all have been well. What have you all been up to?! I’m curious!