The Road to Japan
DISCLAIMER: My grammar and spelling are terrible… I am not a professional blogger.
At the end of May, I impulsively decided to apply to an artist residency in Japan. I was feeling stagnant in my career. I decided to take a break from school so I can focus on my own art, figure out what’s next for me, and let’s be honest, that student loan bill was starting to scare me. I asked myself, “How can I do something for my career and personal growth now without college for now?” Apparently, my solution was to fly my ass to the other side of the world, away from my husband and family. Now I’ll be spending two months in Japan creating art!
I’m filled with a whirlwind of emotions. Excited, nervous, scared, excited, happy, guilty, and did I mention excited? I just needed something to light a fire under my ass and get myself out of my comfort zone. This trip helped make this website happen, which was supposed to happen in the spring, but we won’t talk about that.
I’ll be in Japan from May 2026 to the end of June 2026. May, I’ll be spending my time in Takeo, Japan, at Arts Itoya. I’ll be sharing a house with three other artists, and we’ll be working in a studio that was once a kimono shop. At the end of our stay, we will hold an exhibition showcasing the work we’ve done during our stay. Once May is done, I’ll be heading up to Itoshima, Japan to Studio Kura, Arts Itoya’s sister studio. This location is in a little more of a rural area next to rice fields, near mountains, and the ocean. There are multiple houses at this location, I believe it’s 3 houses. Each house holds 3-4 people. We’ll all be working on our pieces to do a shared exhibition at the end of our stay.
What are my next steps? Save, fundraise, and save some more. If you’d like to support my residency, check out my shop! Anything you contribute will help me make my way across the world. After my deposit, the program is 180,000 yen, which is a little over $1,200. Then there’s food… This is going to be a struggle because all I’ll want to do is eat out, but I must resist. I’m not lying, the other day I was getting all teary-eyed thinking how glorious it’s going to be to eat Japanese food. Every. Single. Day. I’d like to have $1000, maybe more, for food, just as a buffer for those two months. I plan to cook as much as I can while still taking the opportunities to try new cuisine… It’s for the art, I swear. Then there’s art supplies, an emergency fund, money to travel outside the town I’ll be in, and any miscellaneous things that might pop up. I’m looking to save $4,000 to $5,000 for this trip. Any additional savings that we generate will help Chris out while I’m away.
It feels weird talking about money, but I want to be transparent for anyone who wants to contribute to my trip. I’m excited to share more as things get closer. I’ll try to keep an update on how much I’ve saved for the trip. Currently I have money saved for my flight and the residency it’s self. So now all I need to save up for is food, extra travel, and art supplies. I can’t believe this trip is a little over six months away.
With all that being said make sure you check out my store if you’d like to support the trip! I apricate you and thanks for taking the time to read my little Japan update!
