A work of many stages, a character fluid as mercury and changeable as the seasons. How can one create a character which is always easy to recognize, but whose form is not fixed and may appear in many different shapes and sizes? I love this […]
Hi, my name in Freyja, for many years now I have been fascinated and inspired by the concepts of mindfulness and transience. Much of my work as a designer has been concerned with facilitating reflection and sensory concentration in our increasely distracting and hectic world.
In September 2014 I moved to Tokyo as a Daiwa Scholar, this provided me with a unique opportunity, a clean slate, a chance to re-design my mind far away from the distractions and attractions of my life back in London.
I embarked on a personal experiment. Mindfulness is a simple, scientifically-proven way to bring our mind back to our body, become aware of what is happening in our present experience and connect with happiness, joy and freedom. I spent the next 19 months (the length of the scholarship) exploring these and other related ideologies, for example Shinto and Tea Ceremony. I am particularly interested in the objects and spaces that I came across during my investigation. I attempted to re-design my mind and my life, to bring mindfulness and meditation into my everyday landscape.
My time in Japan was incredibly fruitful, and has had a huge effect on my practise, both as a designer and meditator. This experience is in no way over, rather it served as a beginning to what I now understand will be a life long journey to, and I use this word with respect and in some way trepidation for what it will mean to others, enlightenment.
This blog is a record of this voyage, welcome.
close