Week 13 - Reality -- The Flip Side Part II

Going from one extreme to the next, I'd like to talk about my muse.

I fell in love with Japan at a young age. I was fortunate enough to have video games, cartoons, and stories from this country sent to me. There is no doubt in my mind that this has been one of the greatest, if not greatest, influences in my capabilities, interests, and love for story telling. I will admit that with all the tragedies that are happening on the planet, and the ones that are soon to come, I feel the most connected and troubled by the pains Japan is facing, for this country is one of my favorites. Their teaching have given me hope, have brought emotions to my heart, and have given me the mindset to expect more out of reality, to see the more brilliant side of every color.

My heart mourns for this country as the news rattles out more concerns from earthquakes, radiation, to individual instances of death within families. This country has faced a number of tragedies throughout the ages. More than any other historical moment that I've been born into through American citizenship, I feel more guilt and shame at the dropping of the atom bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. For such a country of such rich ideas and souls, knowing the amount of pain that's been incurred over the centuries pierces my heart.

All of who we are, the kingdoms we try to build, the systems of knowledge we try to bring together, so easily fall apart within a handful of seconds. Life is far more fragile than we realize. Just the right air pressure, gravity, oxygen, heat, lighting, distance from the sun, distance with the moon, the terrain, and so much more -- if the tiniest thing is taken out of its balance, we so easily fall.

Japanese art has taught me to think big. To think of emotions and the spirit. One must always think of their characters, that it's okay to make fun of the art you are working with, and to take bold risks. Not everything has to have a rhyme or reason; it may have larger implications and be an open case in the end. Everything that is beautiful, wonderful, and inquisitive isn't always smashed into a white or black box, sometimes emotions and everything else have a way of overflowing rather than sticking to one label.

Overflowing with ideas is exactly what I want in writing.