Why kira kira life was Created #2

kira kira life was created because Akari (the founder of kira kira life):
Reason #1 - It had to do with Akari following her dream.
Reason #2 - It had to do with Akari's grandpa and her mom.
Reason #3 - It had to do with Akari being mesmerized by the world.

In this blog entry, I will write about reason #2 - "Akari loves supporting artists."

I remember seeing my maternal grandfather working in his studio in a solemn manner. He was a bamboo basket weaver.  But he created more than just baskets. He wove animals to entertain our eyes, vases to hold flowers, and other interesting shapes to express his inner world.

Whenever I walked by his studio, I remember feeling a strong curiosity in his work. His hands moved fluidly to produce intricate patterns on his thick dark blue apron. He was in the zone. I loved smelling the freshly cut bamboo. But at the same time, I felt like I was not supposed to be there. There was a sacred communion between him and the creative force I was witnessing. I felt that it was a private affair, and I wasn't officially granted permission, so I walked by slowly to satisfy my curiosity but did not stop to disturb the flow of energy.

He passed away when I was in high school (so it was almost 15 years ago). I now think that maybe I should have asked him if I could sit by him to watch. He may have enjoyed having a granddaughter's company.

As an artist, he struggled to make a living. He was shy and did not market himself well. He needed a spokesperson for himself. All of his children grew up without much material abundance. My mother was a good gymnast, but she could not go to competitions because she did not have a leotard and did not want to ask her parents to buy it. My mother told me that she used to hear my grandfater say, "Art is luxury. Food, shelter, and clothes are all you need to survive."

Having survived the wars, he was right in a sense. Yes, these are our bare necessities to sustain the physical being, but my grandfather should have known that art is required to nourish our souls. We are humans. We cannot help but to feel. We cannot help but to have the urge to share what we feel. We cannot help but to be inspired by that which others share. I believe this is because we are all deeply connected beneath the surface. We feed off each other's artistry to go on.
Therefore, I wanted to make kira kira life - in order to support artists and to be a spokesperson for their beautiful creations. I wanted to contribute to the circulation of inspiration.

Every dollar you spend at kirakiralife.com is supporting the artists, and you're now a part of the circulation.

Therefore, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

May you shine from within,

kira kira life

Why kira kira life was Created #1

kira kira life was created because Akari (the founder of kira kira life):
Reason #1 - It had to do with Akari following her dream.
Reason #2 - It had to do with Akari's grandpa and her mom.
Reason #3 - It had to do with Akari being mesmerized by the world.

In this blog entry, I, Akari, will write about the reason #1 - "Akari needed another income source."

I was a full-time school teacher until this past June. Becoming a teacher was my dream ever since I was a kindergartener, so I can say I did have a dream job.

However, my other passion - dancing - needed to be recognized and realized. I've always danced since I could walk, even in my mother's womb according to her. 

Here on Maui, I have been studying a classical Indian dance called Odissi under Sarala Dandekar's guidance. In April 2013, I went to India to study with Sarala's teacher, Guru Jhelum Paranjape. I had a profound time studying with her for one solid month.

This one-month visit did not satisfy my desire to be immersed in the art form, but fueled more. In India, I was given an opportunity to perform with Jhelum and her senior students. When I watched her solo piece from the wings of the stage, something profound touched me. It was similar to when I saw Sarala dancing for the first time, and this time, it echoed at an ever deeper place in my soul. I found myself crying. I had a full make up on my face, especially around my eyes, and I still had one more piece to dance. Despite every attempt to hold back the tears, my eyes welled up. I looked straight down keeping my face parallel to the floor, so that tears would drop straight to the floor. At that moment, I realized how much my soul yarns to study this ancient art form.

Since then, the desire has not faded one iota. I’ve had many dialogues with myself. A part of me said, “You barely make a living being a teacher. What do you think you are doing by giving up on a secure income source?” But the other said, “You’re right, but you cannot dance as much as you want as long as you are teaching. You happen to be the only one in your household. You’re free to do whatever you want to do now. Your body is still capable of handling rigorous practice. You can teach again after your body is no longer able to tolerate the strain. If not now, when? When are you going to do it? I just don’t want you to regret on your deathbed that you didn't’ dance when you had the chance.” That was it. The last sentence from myself has found a permanent place in me. 

Therefore, I decided to take a year off (at least) from my teaching job to focus on studying Odissi. It was one of the toughest decisions I’ve made to date in life. I miss seeing children everyday, but I do not regret having done so. I feel very alive today while I can dance as much as I want, and knowing that I would probably be able to say, "I did everything I could" even if my life ends tomorrow is a great feeling.

But was I able to make a comfortable living just dancing? No. Not quite. Although I had saved some money while teaching, it is not enough to allow me to just dance for the whole year. However, taking another full-time or part-time job that sets a certain schedule and a place to show up will not serve the whole point of leaving the teaching job. I needed flexibility (schedule and location wise), so that I could set enough time aside for dance classes, rehearsals, and practice time. 

Based on this background and intention, kira kira life was brought to life. Every dollar you spend at kirakiralife.com is supporting me to follow my dream. Therefore, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

You might be thinking, "So does this mean that Akari started this online store just to make money?"
The answer is no.
I started this because this was passion of mine also. 
How so? 
#1 - It had to do with Akari's grandpa and her mom.
#2 - It had to do with Akari being mesmerized by the world.

I am kind of a person who follows through with to whatever I commit myself and will not do a half-baked job. I will put my heart into this business, so please stay tuned.

May you shine from within,

kira kira life

Welcome!

 

Kira kira means shining sparkling, glimmering, and twinkling in Japanese. 

kira kira life was created by Akari who believes that we truly shine from within when we are connected to our inner beauty - our essence.

It is Akari's hope that the products she carefully handpicked help you to be you - not the you who is a a couple of pounds lighter, the you who has less acne, or the you who has high grades or more recognition.

It is Akari's hope that the hand-made, one-of-a-kind products will remind you what it's like to be beaming with joy and how unique and precious you already are - just the way you are.

May you shine from within,

kira kira life