Hatsuyukie - First snow of the season

My mind, it wanders. My words, they slip away.

[niceferatu]

man FUCK work-life balance. work should not be this central to our lives. the idea that we're meant to perfectly balance equal parts Work and Everything Else is so so dismal

[000l]

be around people who think everything about you is a big deal. your birthday. favorite food. favorite flowers. you in general. a big deal.

[sunsetquotes]

Is it better to out-monster the monster or to be quietly devoured?

Friedrich Nietzsche

[qvotable]

And once the storm is over, you won’t remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won’t even be sure, whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s what this storm’s all about.

Haruki Murakami; Kafka on the Shore

[ladyofstarlightbloom]

[drbrevity]

"But, I don't know, maybe it takes a long time to figure out what you're truly searching for. Maybe you spend your whole life just to figure out a small part of it."

Satoshi Yagisawa, Days at the Morisaki Bookshop

[desdasiwrites]

– Satoshi Yagisawa, Days at the Morisaki Bookshop

[japanwords]

起死回生 (kishikaisei) recovering from a hopeless situation

起死回生 = recovering from a hopeless situation

起 = to get up

死 = death

回 = revolve

生 = life

One of the first calligraphy works I posted online, I like the message of hope in this idiom.

This is a special kind of Japaneses idiom known as a 四字熟語 (よじじゅくご、yo-ji-juku-go), or 4-character idiom. As the name suggests, these are idiomatic phrases made of 4 kanji.

They often contain a small life lesson or moral message, similar to English sayings such as “you reap what you sow” and “the early bird gets the worm”.

[japanwords]

春雨 (harusamé) "gentle spring rain"

April is a rainy month in my home country of the UK.

[wholeheartedsuggestions]

i hate to break it to you but you are lovable, flaws and all

[japanwords]

桜梅桃李 (o-bai-to-ri) “never compare yourself to others”

This yo-ji-juku-go (Japanese 4-character idiom) is comprised of 4 beloved Japanese trees. They are:

桜 = cherry (sakura)

梅 = apricot (ume)

桃 = peach (momo)

李 = plum (sumomo)

Each of these iconic trees blossoms in its own time and in its own unique way.

桜 (sakura) are of course the cherry blossom trees famous for blooming spectacularly and incredibly briefly once a year, usually in April. Sakura trees in full bloom is an annual event, and people go to their local park to see them, take photos, and have picnics underneath them. It's such a big deal that it's reported on the weather forecast, with reporters commenting on how quickly the "sakura front" is moving northwards across the country.

梅 (ume) is the "ume" in umeshu! This is a sweet liqueur which is made from soaking ume in sake. It tastes amazing, and is one of the things I miss most about Japan. Japanese learners will no doubt recognise "ume" as usually being translated as "plum", however it is technically closer to the Western apricot.

桃 (momo) is one of the best-loved fruits in Japan. There is even a fairy story called "Momo-taro" about a little boy who comes from inside a peach. He grows up to be a great hero, of course, and saves everyone from a demon. "Momo" is also a fairly common girls' name.

李 (sumomo) are known as "Japanese plums" or "Asian plums". The trees are famous for their delicate white flowers. They usually bloom just before the sakura. Whilst not as famous or as showy as sakura, they are well-loved for their elegance, and for being a sign of spring.

This one-off calligraphy artwork is available on my Etsy shop here:

An original shodō (Japanese calligraphy) work - not a print! 桜梅桃李 (o-bai-to-ri) “never compare yourself to others” This yo-ji-juku-go (Japan

[wholeheartedsuggestions]

if you haven’t, i hope you fall in love with life again. i hope you wake up with a happy sigh, hope you feel like doing things you enjoy, hope you are surrounded by people who make you feel safe, hope you smile at yourself in the mirror.

[mienar]

at the artist's loft

instagram | shop | commission info

[frogapples]

Groceries

[sunsbleeding]

Letters from a cowboy pt. II

[dabiconcordia]

May your heart be light, your days be bright and your new year be just right!

[bennime]

Tự nhiên tui có một suy nghĩ, nếu sau này tui có con,

Con tui có hỏi:

"Tại sao mẹ lại muốn có con?"

Tui sẽ trả lời nó là:

"Tại vì mẹ muốn con giúp mẹ, làm cho thế giới này tốt đẹp hơn"

Từ đó tôi sẽ dạy mọi điều tốt đẹp trong cuộc sống này cho con bé và dùng những trải nghiệm của mình để nó thấy mọi góc nhìn thú vị về cuộc sống này...