culture, creativity, community Tomosumi culture, creativity, community Tomosumi

storing clothes

How do you survey your environment?

piece by piece

articles of clothing

form new ridges

inside our drawers

standing them up

side-by-side

instead of stacking

them from top-down

gives us the necessary space

to assess our essentials

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culture, community, creativity Tomosumi culture, community, creativity Tomosumi

intermixing

How do you approach exploring new material?

red oak acorns

harvested by squirrels

left on the ground

red, yellow, and blue

creates new hues

that shapes our understand

of inputs and outputs

and at the same time

piques our curiosity in exploring

new shades and possibilities

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culture, community, creativity Tomosumi culture, community, creativity Tomosumi

the placement

How do you organize and design your life?

white tablets

dissolving into

dixie cup

of our toothbrush

next to the floss

or bottle of fluoride

is in a way designed

for us to intuitively

move from one routine

onto the next without resistence

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culture, community, creativity Tomosumi culture, community, creativity Tomosumi

apathy

How do you manage laziness?

radio taiso

stretching till

the song ends

is but a symptom

to the overarching problem

of how we engage

with others and ourselves

in the age

of digital addiction

and consumerism

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culture, community, creativity Tomosumi culture, community, creativity Tomosumi

a strategy

What are you prioritizing?

evening stroll

swirling by oak trees

children play

for traveling

starting a family

to even volunteering

and giving back

to our community

means prioritizing

our time and energy

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culture, community, creativity Tomosumi culture, community, creativity Tomosumi

endgame

What fills you with motivation and desire?

nara park deer

bow their heads

for shika senbei

don’t mistake

the tools we use

to achieve our goals

to be main reason

why we were successful

without considering

our motivation and desires

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culture, community, creativity Tomosumi culture, community, creativity Tomosumi

thumbnails

What draws you in?

blue polaroid

sun-kissed film

rolls out the box

we came for

the glossy picture

the enticing title

the brand name

but stayed for

the content that changed

our perspective

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culture, community, creativity Tomosumi culture, community, creativity Tomosumi

it's all relative

What would you put in a time capsule?

newspaper ink

imprints onto the

kitchen table

our favorite food

tv show, book, or game

to even what makes

us happy or sad

is part of the reveal

for the next generation

to discover about us

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culture, community, creativity Tomosumi culture, community, creativity Tomosumi

if it's true

What wealth are you accumulating?

speaking japanese

a conversation

with my grandparents

wealth is more

than money

then shouldn’t we

be asking ourselves

what can we do today

that shows us a new way

for appreciating what we have

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culture, community, creativity Tomosumi culture, community, creativity Tomosumi

gutters

What requires regular maintenance in your life?

rainy afternoon

loose debris collects

around the drain

more than

a seemingly simple

decorative design

much is left unsaid

about maintaining

our skills and senses

to guide us in the right direction

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creativity, culture, community Tomosumi creativity, culture, community Tomosumi

off script

When do you improvise?

elastic straps

wrapped around

vintage denim

takes away

our fear of failure

or set expectations

to motion in

our burning desire

to take risks and

expand our imagination

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culture, community, creativity Tomosumi culture, community, creativity Tomosumi

back and forth

What is your daily ritual?

four wheels

taking the owner

back home

people pass by

in their cars

or taking their dog

for a walk around

the neighborhood

are the everyday rituals

we see outside the window

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culture, community, creativity Tomosumi culture, community, creativity Tomosumi

stamp

What legacy are you leaving behind?

hanko stamp

vermillion coats

handmade washi

pressed onto paper

brands approval

or in other words,

our reputation

to this body of work

we are reluctant to save

from the shredder

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culture, creativity, community Tomosumi culture, creativity, community Tomosumi

on and off

When do you find yourself to be the most creative?

hydrangea

in the shade

opens up

the switch goes

when the power is on

everyone sees

our finished projects

and when the light’s off

we start all over to make

another masterpiece

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culture, creativity, community Tomosumi culture, creativity, community Tomosumi

vagabond

How do you leave your mark?

flash floods

breaking apart pavement

for shrubbery

take a moment to consider

how we change

the people, places, and things

for the better

is a generous letter

we hope to receive

long after we depart

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culture, community, creativity Tomosumi culture, community, creativity Tomosumi

get it right

What patterns do you notice?

polka dots

on the carpet

rolling over

on our first attempt

is considered rare

on our second attempt

may seem appropriate

on our third attempt

almost always means

we can identify the pattern at play

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culture, community, creativity Tomosumi culture, community, creativity Tomosumi

possibilities

What medium do you choose?

the aurora

fickle bands ripple

behind mountains

pen and paper

brush and canvas

film and frame

the mediums we choose

set us on a path

full of discovery

to infinite outcomes

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culture, community, creativity Tomosumi culture, community, creativity Tomosumi

inherited

What traits do you possess?

breeding koi

streaks of red spots

take on new forms

the traits we possess

that have been passed

down from generations

of our family tree

isn’t meant to cast

judgements and opinions

but to make peace and progress with

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creativity, culture, community Tomosumi creativity, culture, community Tomosumi

climbing the wall

How do you approach daily obstacles?

vast canyons

reflected in the mirror

of the greyhound

whether physical, mental, or spiritual,

walls provide us

with a personal choice

to approach daily obstacles

with the grit and optimism

or get stuck complaining

that we have more work to do

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culture, community, creativity Tomosumi culture, community, creativity Tomosumi

heads or tails

Do you leave fate up to chance?

the year 1943

a green face covers

copper pennies

is a fifty-fifty chance

enough for us to wager everything

and go for broke?

for some, potentially

but then again,

when have the odds

really change our gut feeling?

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