This project started 8 years ago, when I wandered the deep, green, mossy forest of Yakushima. From this far off place I retained my love of moss, and this love has transformed in lockdown into this new series. Learning to Listen is a sci fi […]
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.
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