The 200th Post: Seasons of Dreams

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”
― Eleanor Roosevelt

Dear readers,

I’m delighted to announce that Canvas of Dreams marks the 200th post. During the past five years, I’ve been through a lot. And especially the last year – 2020 – told us how unpredictable our life could be. For me personally, it was a significantly difficult year for my photography. Due to the virus situation, I wasn’t freely traveling across Japan. My territory was limited to my neighborhood, and I couldn’t go far.

And how have you been? You must have been through a lot as well, haven’t you? I sincerely hope you all are well, and let’s congratulate each other for having survived this chaotic period of our lives after the end of the pandemic.

And here is my prayers and thoughts for those who lost their lives during the global pandemic and for those who lost their loved ones.

Here, let me tell you a story about how I began this blog. Canvas of Dreams began as a photographic project in late 2016. Initially, it was like my monthly photo journal, capturing city landscapes, historical architectures, and museums. Since it was a photographic journal, my main focus was solely on photography. And the writing was merely an additional factor.

But somewhere along the way, I began to write about how I think about our world. That’s because that’s pretty much what I discuss with my family and friends.

People, however, generally avoid talking about heavy stuff, such as politics, science, religion, climate change, gender equality, diversity, and basic human rights. But that’s what I want to talk about because I have so many questions about this world, such as:

Why do we divide ourselves by wealth, race, ethnicity, and gender?

Why are democracy and freedom of speech in retreat?

Why do we have two different yet relatable concepts, such as religion and science?

Why do we still embrace capitalism despite its risky side effects?

Why does loneliness creep on us despite the 70 billion population on the planet?

Why do we think we are alone in the universe?

And fundamentally, why are we here?

Those whys are the reason I have kept writing and photographing. I know most of those whys won’t be answered during my lifetime, but still, I want to keep questioning about this world and ourselves.

Because we’re living in a world with several shades of meaning, there’s no shortcut to reach the truth. Our world is complicated and so is our individual life. Unpredictability – that might be the right word to describe it.

Don’t you think you came into this world for a reason? Some would say finding a reason for living is to know our life’s mission. Do I know my life’s mission? Well, I still don’t know. But I’ll keep searching for it, and I’ll never stop adding value to my life, showing the world what I’m capable of. And also by letting the world know what I’m working on through this blog or my coding portfolio, they would know my life’s directions. That might be one way to understand my life’s mission.

How about you? Do you already know your life’s mission? Or are you still in search of it? Either way, we’re all together here. You’re not alone. Let’s keep searching for it. Day by day, plant a seed in your life and wait until the right time when they become the crop you can harvest.

At least what I can say right now is that maybe I can tell something close to the truth through those priceless interactions with my international friends. Even though we grew apart geographically and breathed different cultures and beliefs, our roots can always be tangled. On one hand, we have fundamental disagreements and plenty of differences. But disagreement is healthy, and we must accept the fact that two different people always have two slightly yet fundamentally different perspectives on life.

Resisting this truth and pretending as if we see everything eye-to-eye not only worsen the friendship but also that sort of friendship wouldn’t last long. Since we’re human beings, we can understand each other through conversation and can grow together by finding the willingness to view those challenges as crucial opportunities to learn new perspectives, which sometimes could be a wild eye-opener.

When it comes to confronting our fundamental disagreements and differences, it’s always better to deal with the truth than dealing with comfort lies. Once we leap through the challenges, our friendship will continue for many years to come.

Even though I’ve mentioned differences among those who grew apart geographically and breathed different cultures and beliefs, we can also see how similar we all are. Despite our differences in perspectives and beliefs, ultimately what we want is quite similar to each other: peace, a sense of community, simple pleasures of joy, compassion, and a sense of accomplishment.

In the connected age, where diversity is normal, you have no idea whom you’re going to meet today and what to learn. There is always something you never know existed and that thing could change your life forever. That’s why life is so unpredictable, and that’s the beauty of this world. Let’s give the unpredictability a shot. Are you in?

Anyway, the hope is to provide my readers with food for thoughts through the topic I’ve been mentioning here. And I couldn’t be more than happier if you discussed those heavy topics with your family and friends after reading my essays.

And this is my way to make a difference in this world.

Additionally, I’m aware that this blog never has felt destined for a mainstream audience. While international broadcasting corporations, such as BBC or CNN, are like megacities that attract a vast amount of audience, this blog is like a tiny cozy island that keeps telling my short stories. I know it’s small and powerless. But as long as there’s someone who’s reading my story, I’ll keep writing, photographing, and posting here.

Even though I wrote “my story”, it’s not solely mine. It’s something built upon my interactions with my friends and family. So, I’d like to take advantage of this opportunity to appreciate those who made my life wonderful and meaningful. Thank you.

Finally, here is my portfolio from 2019. Due to the coronavirus situation, my photographic activity was significantly limited from 2020. I, therefore, had to include some of the shots I photographed in 2011 as well. Enjoy!