20

25

SUMMER

/TOKYO

PINK MEMOS

VOL_01

/retrospective series on creativity and growth
sketchbook_EP__why are you so shy?

1.naïveté     
2.channeled
3.happiness
4.voiceless  
5.shy           
6.sage         

Each volume in this series has 6ix chapters, representing the different phases of creative growth I experienced during a one-year period.

These chapters are recurring themes that popped up during a music challenge of writing a song a day for one year.

Pink represents shyness, like blushing; the struggle of putting myself online for the first time and finding my voice…in public.

All music is from that challenge. The art and significance is retrospective. Nothing was planned; meaning found itself in hindsight.

This is volume one of a multi-volume series.

Naïveté is the romance and innocence of starting a journey. Taking action. The expectations are fun and you believe struggles will be tiny or easily handled by future you. This is not a temporary state to overcome once and forever. Creative innocence shows up continually. But naïveté is okay…it’s nice and warm. A welcome feeling. It creates action and is far better than overthinking.

na

ïv

eté

That feeling in the beginning…

‘creator’

Optimism taking action; the inner child traveler who’s not worried about “the how”.

Channeled focuses on moments of flow, when you’re in love with the process and out of the (over)thinking mind. Confidence. It’s almost as though you’re tapping into another version of yourself. It’s a channeled-like state. And these moments are very great.

cha

nne

led

Future man is real and I like wasting time with him.

‘future man’

A version of myself who has already done the things I fear or doubt; a frequent cowriter.

Happiness is clarity and trust in your intuition. The joy of curating the custom context in your life with intention. The rebellious act of embracing your creative calling, despite no external evidence that this is the “right” path…happiness is not found in security…it’s found in taking the risk of betting on yourself.

hap

pin

ness

Fuck it, let’s do it all

‘curator’

Curator is my life designer. That intentional side of me who curates my environment and creates the mood I seek to feel.

Voiceless moments are creative obstacles and bottlenecks…and turning mistakes into meaning. Unplanned situations and moments that force you to adapt or pivot.

voi

cel

ess

I wanted to sing so bad. But I couldn’t that day, so this is what I made.

‘nature finds a way’

A slight tip of the hat to my favorite movie, creativity is something innate…and even in the face of limitations, it finds a way.

I struggled to draw the eyes in this one…I was quite impatient and things were not working…so I gave her flowers instead of eyes.

Shy represents recurring feelings of being an imposter, struggling with confidence, overcoming shyness and dealing with the (s)low points of a journey.

s

h

y

But what if I try and they find out I’m a fraud?

‘not a real artist’

Hopping between feeling real and valid vs. feeling like a fake artist. These feelings come in waves.

Sage represents wisdom, experience and moments of growth. Nostalgia with present moment awareness. It’s a reminder that I am the youngest I’ll ever be right now and that future me would give anything to be as young and dumb as I am in this very moment.

s

a

g

e

One day, I’ll look back and realize “shit” these were the good old days.

‘old (s)age’

There’s a version of me beyond space and time looking back and feeling nostalgic.