I realize what I am trying to do is extremely difficult to achieve in todays’ society. I am asking the audience to be mindful in learning where awesome free(cheap)-entertainment is available everywhere in every minute. It is like asking one to eat the chunky, plain, and ugly looking vegetable while soft, sugarly-sweet and colorful candy is available for free unlimitedly in front of them.
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Being mindful requires incredible brain power. Our consciousness needs to keep convincing the brain to choose “what is best” for us. We live in a society where simulation is everywhere made by experts & geniuses. For me, marketing is the incredible achievement of human activity – like programming to tell our brain what to do, yet can be harmful when it comes to “Cultural Sustainability”.
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One of the tricks we really have to realize, or probably the fact I finally need focusing on is, that “One has to DO it to really enjoy it”. There are Tons of contents available with both free & paid. Movies, Tutorials, MasterClass, you name it. Most of them are great entertainment. The issue is, though, no one can be a master by just watching it. We know that we do not become a professional cellist by just watching Yo-Yo Ma talk about it. His teaching is extremely valuable, but one has to actually practice to play “Cello” to be like him. Or, put the expectation to play the Cello like him aside, and enjoy his music.
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For some reasons, in Sashiko, some think that they can be a Great Sashiko Artisans by just watching the video without practicing it. One has to “Stitch” to get the core & essence. I understand that many of my audience are here for the “technique”. Therefore, the most of the questions I receive is “how to”. They gotta “stitch” instead of looking for the comfortable information – ideally the way the Japanese practice(d) if they want to call it Sashiko, not by someone’s interpretation or marketing.
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I see the sweet candy, too. But, I will resist it, to keep my dignity and identity. It is my resolution in 2022, and has been the same since 2019.
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今年も変わらず、愚直に信念を突き通していく所存です。続ければ続ける程、とんでもない無理難題に挑戦していることに気がつくのですが、諦めるという選択肢はありません。（日本語でのご説明も頑張ります！）
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