Excellent post, Ellen! I learned a lot and am inspired to find out more!
Posted by Kim Lordier · via ellenhowardart.com · 32 months ago
“The main thing is to be moved, to love, to hope, to tremble, to live.” – Auguste Rodin
"The Art of Ikigai & Finding Longevity!"
In Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles' book "Ikigai," the Japanese concept Ikigai roughly translates as "the happiness of always being busy" - of finding your reason to be. The place where your passion, mission, profession and vocation meet. The discovery of being able to find your own uniqueness that you can bring to the world.
Ikigai originates from the island of Okinawa, Japan, a blue zone where Garcia and Miralles interviewed some of the world's oldest people. Okinawa was a place of extreme suffering during World War II, with over 200,000 casualties but today it is known as a place where the greatest population of people over the age of 100 can be found. Not only do Okinawans live incredibly long and healthy lives, but their lives are filled with happiness, serenity, camaraderie, and plenty of activity. The inhabitants of Okinawa are doing all the right things to support a long and meaningful life. They have found their ikigai. They understand the value of kindness, community, and living in the moment.
The studies done by Garcia & Miralles have found that Okinawans don't retire, they keep producing and contributing to society. People in the arts are especially known for having ikigai, but enjoying or creating beauty is something that all humans have access to. The famous Japanese artist, Hokusai is known for his wood block prints and kept working till his passing at age 88. Carmen Herrera who died at age 106 sold her first painting at age eight nine and currently has work in the permanent collection at the Tate Modern and the Museum of Modern Art. Artist Ellsworth Kelly states "that it is a myth that we lose our faculties with age, instead we develop a greater clarity and capacity for observation -- everyday I am continuing to see more things."
Hokusai "Under the Wave off Kanagawa"
Carmen Herrera, "The 1970's: Part1 4 May-11 June, 2022
As Washington Burnap so eloquently stated two hundred years ago "The grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for." For me, it is about my ability to create but also to share my knowledge with others. One of the best things about being an artist is that the learning never stops. There are so many ways to expand your knowledge and experiment with new materials or styles. I have been working with more abstract shapes in my paintings and pushing the color harmonies. The two paintings below show examples of this experimentation: "Come with Dream with Me", 20x20 and "Idyllic Beauty", 8x16.
Finding your Ikigai or leading a Ikigai lifestyle is not only about finding your purpose but building community and sharing both the ups and downs of life. All the people in the Okinawa community belong to a neighborhood association, where they feel cared for as though by family. They celebrate all the time, even the little things. Music, song and dance are essential parts of daily life. Locals have a strong sense of yuimaaru- recognizing the connection between people. They help each other with everything from work in the field to building houses.
Garcia and Miralles interviewed over 100 people living in Okinawa about their secrets on longevity. Here are some of their wise comments:
-"The secret to a long life is not to worry. And to keep your heart young-don't let it grow old. Open your ear to people with a nice smile on your face."
-"Here everyone gets along. We try not to cause problems. Spending time together and having fun is the only thing that matters."
-"To live a long time you need to do three things: exercise to stay healthy, eat well, and spend time with people."
-"Talking each day with the people you love, that's the secret to a long life."
-"The Secret to long life is going to bed early, waking up early, and going for a walk. Living peacefully and enjoying the little things. Getting along with your friends. Spring, summer, fall, winter...enjoying each season."
A key to living a long life is also about their diet. There is research on this subject by Bradley J. Wilcox, D. Craig Wilcox and Makoto Suzuki called "The Okinawa Program". Some of the keys to this diet is that the locals eat a wide variety of vegetables and have their own vegetable garden. They eat an average of eighteen different foods a day and at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables. Grains are also the foundation of their diet. Japanese people eat white rice everyday and sometimes add noodles. Okinawans rarely eat sugar and eat approximately half as much salt as the rest of Japan. They also live by hara hachi bu which is an 80% rule-when you are feeling 80% full, stop eating. Here are some of the beneficial antioxidants found in their diet: tofu, miso, tuna, carrots, goya, kombu(sea kelp), cabbage, Nori (seaweed), onion, soy sprouts, sweet potato, peppers and jasmine tea. If you'd like to try some of these foods and recipes, the cookbook "The Blue Zone Kitchen" by Dan Buettner is a great start.
Curious about how to find your own Ikigai? There is great toolkit by Positive Psychology. Here is the link: https://positivepsychology.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/IKIGAI-Tool.pdf Just scroll down to find the toolkit.
