2026/02/15 [Osaka, Japan]
The past 2 weeks went by in a blur. So, let’s catch up.
I continued going to the weaving studio 6 hours a day and made better time of my commute to and from by reading and journaling.
With other commitments throughout the schedule and getting into February, I was more motivated than ever to make progress on my project.
Runner’s High
As I’ve mentioned in the past, I tend to enjoy work that is detail-oriented and sometimes tedious, which weaving definitely can be. Most days, time passed at a steady pace, but each day by around four or five in the afternoon I felt worn out and ready to go home.
There were a few specific days where I hadn’t been making much progress and it was de-motivating. With upcoming plans I couldn’t miss, there was pressure to see improvement. I eventually decided to skip both lunch and tea breaks and just push through as much as possible. Before I realized it, I had only thirty minutes left before I needed to leave. Time had flown by and I really didn’t want to go.
At the beginning of 2025, one of my resolutions was to run regularly throughout the week. More specifically, I wanted to be able to run ten miles comfortably by the end of the year… which we won’t get into…. I’ve never enjoyed running, even as a kid, but during the first couple months (when I was actually consistent) I experienced “runner’s high” for the first time in my life. Until then, I just thought it was a myth runners invented to trick people into running.
When it finally happened, I felt like I could run forever. Of course, it only lasted a few minutes before the pain returned, but it stuck with me.
That same feeling began to surface in the studio. On days when my motivation was lower, I had the option to stay longer and keep working on the piece, but I chose not to. On the one day I actually had somewhere to be, it was suddenly difficult to pull myself away from the work.
From that point on, I stayed each day until my teacher closed the studio, and I finished the project far sooner than I had expected.
Kill Your Darlings
One of the hardest things for me to learn while weaving was developing a sense for how something would look once it was compressed by all the layers above it. Watching my teacher, Hirano-san, work was always interesting because part of me couldn’t help imagining what I would do the same (or differently) if I were working on the piece. He always knew exactly where to place each line of thread and how far to take it. Whenever I thought something looked like too much or too little, he would inevitably prove why his choice was right. Which of course is why he’s the master with over seventy years of experience, and I’m not!
Which brings me back to the point. This sense of knowing when something is right was something I struggled with all the way through my piece. What I realized midway was that if something wasn’t working, I needed to undo it immediately. Even if I only noticed after finishing an entire petal, I would go back and start again.
It’s very easy to get attached to something, or to make excuses for it, simply because a lot of time and effort have already gone into it. But deep down, you usually know when something isn’t right. Letting it stay that way, when it could be something so much better, is the real waste. Some unnecessary time did go down the drain because I didn’t restart sooner, but it was always worth it when I reached that same point again and it was something I and Hirano-san approved of.
Finishing Up
As the piece neared completion, I set a deadline. I gave myself until the end of the upcoming week, but before leaving for the weekend my teacher told me he had made an appointment with his friend of 20 years who owned a local frame shop for Monday afternoon. I didn’t attend on Saturday or Sunday, so I thought Hirano-san was really reaching if he thought I’d be able to finish the rest of the piece in one day.
Either way, I showed up Monday morning prepared to do my best so that he at least wouldn’t be rescheduling the framing appointment for nothing. Somehow, by 2 p.m., the piece was finished, and we left to choose a frame. Whether it was decades of experience or pure intuition, Hirano-san was spot on once again.
I decided early on that it would be a gift, to my aunt who has been very kind and helpful to me this trip. Hopefully, she enjoys it.
Here’s a short compilation of photos from the past 3 weeks:
Side Quests
While I’ve enjoyed all the main courses and classes I’ve taken so far, I look forward to doing more spontaneous/fun activities when I can. Those side quests has already lead to new experiences, like being asked to be on TV at an event or meeting up with interesting readers!
Just a couple fun endeavors I’d like to do are:
mushroom hunting
Japanese cooking class
hiking (solo & with others)
rock climbing/bouldering
Reading
Finished ‘Memoirs of a Geisha’ by Arthur Golden':
This book has become an instant favorite. While it contains some uncomfortable themes, it’s incredibly immersive. Great insight on Japan in the early 1900’s - WWII and the lifestyle of Geisha.
Continuing ‘The Courage to be Disliked’ by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga:
The only thing Japanese about this is that the author’s are Japanese. Still, it’s been good so far. It delves into Adlerian psychology and philosophy which I’ve never explored before.
Room for Improvement & What’s Next?
Planning ahead and thoroughly continues to be something I need to put more effort into, as well as procrastination. As for what comes next, I start my kimono construction and dressing course on Monday!
Here’s to more progress next week! - Morgan Senna
Amazing. Congratulations!
Great insight! I enjoyed reading about your experiences and revelations! Well done!