. . . and a surprising side project!!
It’s been a brutally hot summer here and I haven’t been able to get to any of the usual museums and galleries in Tokyo or Yokohama. Then I remembered the Hakone Open-Air Museum, a sculpture museum set in the forest. Thankfully I am able to ride the trains when they are not crowded, going in the opposite direction of the busy commute times.
Despite the steamy heat of Japanese summers the forest in Hakone provided a nice respite from the need for rumbling air conditioning. Many parts of the trails at the museum provided benches in which to sit in the shade, out of the heat.
I chose to splurge on a seat in the Romance Car train, it’s faster, feels more Shinkansen-like. This is the first time I’ve been out on a big art adventure since February and I was ready to enjoy the day. I’ve taken the time to compile my best photographs of my favorite works into a short video and do hope you will enjoy the visual tour of this amazing museum in the forest. I comment on my favorite works below the video and mention my surprising side project, too!
- Overall most loved pieces: My favorite pieces where the Henry Moore sculptures. Big. Bold. Reclining is how he preferred to depict the human forms and I felt I wanted to recline with them, on them, or just read a book in the shade they cast on the lush green grass.
- Biggest disappointment: I enjoyed the colorful, crocheted, playground Woods of the Net and was disappointed I was unable to play also. Children only.
- Most inspiring artwork: The most inspiring piece for me was Aiko Miyawaki’s うつろひ (Utsurohi – a Moment of Movement). So simple, a single line of wire starting here and ending there, telling a beautiful story as it undulated, dipped and soared in the forest. I felt like it was telling the story of a bug or bee in flight amongst the trees. It inspired me to come up with new ideas and new designs. I made notes in my sketchbook. For the first time in months I can feel the creative thoughts bouncing around again.
I do highly recommend visiting the Hakone Open-Air Museum if you get a chance. It’s in a gorgeous setting in Hakone, it’s worth the train ride, make a day of it. Dress for the weather, it’s cooler there than in Tokyo.
What’s this side project?
I’ve written a book! In my continuing minimalism madness, I have been digitally decluttering and when I searched for a comprehensive checklist to systematically do a good clean out, I couldn’t find one. So I created my own! Digital Decluttering: The BIG Checklist to obtain digital minimalism is now ready for pre-orders on Amazon. Paperback is coming soon, too.
So my book may seem less art-y but considering all of the behind the scenes business administration and operations work that goes into running a creative business, this is essential to the smooth running of my business moving forward. I’m glad I did my big decluttering and am glad I’m doing the work to maintain my progress.
Invite a someone along on your decluttering journey, every quest is better done with friends!
For more digital decluttering tips you can follow me;
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