116. A slice of art residency life

Reporting live from Japan!

It’s been a few days since I landed in Japan. I’m writing this from a shaved ice cafe along the coast of the Izu peninsula.

I still wake up at 5 am due to jet lag, and even when I go out for a morning walk at this hour in mid-September, the sun hits like a deadly laser. Even along the coast, the humidity is no joke.

Needless to say, I’ve spent most of my time indoors.

It’s been great having studio space to work – I’m so focused in this tiny room. I’ve been sketching from art references I’ve saved and experimenting with what form I want my final project to take.

Outside of work, I’ve been getting to know the residency founder better and cooking meals.

Today, we did an ritual to set my intentions for my residency.

I scooped matcha powder into a bumpy ceramic bowl and thought about what I wanted to get out of my time here. As I held the thought in my mind, I vigorously whisked the matcha with hot water.

Once the matcha was frothy, I cupped the bowl with both hands and drank, ingesting both the matcha and my wish.