This Meditation Cat comic strip skit was initially written by my comedian friend Danny T. Yang. From his experience performing comedy improv, he had an idea of how to write the first draft, and I filled in some of the dialogue to build tension and then illustrated the final version.
We hope you like it!
-If you want to see how it all began, read the first Meditation Cat comic HERE.
-Another popular one is all about When Shouldn’t You Meditate HERE.
This one was a challenge. I hope you enjoyed it.
Figuring out how to expand on Rongo’s meditation needs and make him a superhero without preaching the benefits of mindfulness while also making it fun and funny—not easy.
A shower of thanks goes to the friends who gave feedback and suggestions. Especially to comedy writer Danny Yang, who helped me tie it all up with a nice button at the end where the cops also meditate.
It was an enjoyable challenge.
Thanks for reading!
How do you see yourself? Maybe you don’t think about it all that much. As a cartoonist, drawing a version of “me” for all of you often makes me think about how I come across to the world.
I often feel it doesn’t align with what others see.
Read More
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https://khalidbirdsong.substack.com/
Cartooning workshops I teach are a lot of fun and ordinarily predictable.
They work how you’d expect. You advertise to a particular age group of kids, that age group shows up at the school or library, and we draw comics together. Everyone learns something new and leaves getting what they signed up for.
It didn’t go exactly this way at the one I taught last week.
I met an interesting man who showed me that sometimes classes might be the opposite of what you're accustomed to, so always be ready for anything.
When I say the class was opposite, I'm talking about Bizarro world opposite.
This particular one was advertised for teenagers—which worried me because I’ve never done one for that age group, and I was afraid they wouldn’t show up—they’re not who I would think would be interested in group cartooning lessons.
Cartooning classes are always packed when I hold them for elementary and middle school age. The younger kids love them! Teenage artists tend to hide away in their rooms or with their close friends.
I remember my mother signing me up for a comic book art class in high school, and I couldn’t wait to go. Classes about making comics were impossible to find back then, so I was definitely going. Of course, I was the only teenager there; all the others were elementary school students, but I had a blast.
Unfortunately, my suspicions about how many teens would show up for my class this time were correct.
I was surprised because I can never get any students I usually teach art to at my school to attend these library events. The first person to walk in was one of my sixth graders, let’s call her Amy, who lives in the area and saw that her art teacher was holding a cartooning class at her local library and was excited to join.
Very cool, I thought. I don’t usually get students I know, so this might be fun and more relaxing than my regular workshops.
I’m always put in a classroom with a whiteboard to draw for the students, but this colossal presentation-style room didn’t have one. Luckily, the kind librarian who invited me found a large paper pad and an easel.
We were off and running!
The only problem, no one else was coming in, and it was time to start. Would we only have one student? A student I already teach?
“Let’s give another few minutes for people to arrive, and I’ll make an announcement on the intercom for the whole library.” said “Judy,” our librarian.
It worked. Gradually people started showing up.
A lovely family with a middle school-aged daughter and an elementary-aged son walked in with their dad, excited to sit down and draw.
Not teenagers, though.
A mom and her six-year-old son came skipping in, ready to draw.
Still no teenagers.
Right before I started the class, a woman stopped at the door with her one-year-old daughter looking in like she was eager to join.
Um, was this for her or her child?
Judy, the librarian, ushered them in and gave them paper and pencils. Maybe Mom likes to draw? Her toddler daughter sat quietly with a pencil in her fist, scribbling along with everything. I guess this is fine.
Not one high school teenager in sight.
I introduce myself and share my Fried Chicken and Sushi book collections and Youngbloods graphic novel. Just as we start getting into how to draw interesting cartoon faces, an older man, maybe in his late sixties, is standing at the door staring inside at us with wide eyes.
He was eager to join the drawing fun and immediately lit up, shouting, “Is this class open to the public?! Is this for anyone?! Can I join?!”
I reluctantly said yes. He wasn’t a teenager, after all. But that didn’t seem to matter today.
Librarian Judy didn’t tell him no; maybe she recognized him as a regular.
The man excitedly shouted, “I normally just come to the library to make copies! I didn’t know they had drawing classes.”
He strutted in, grabbed a paper and a pencil, and immediately sat beside my sixth-grade student, Amy. Plenty of other tables were open, so she was mortified he chose to sit right next to her.
“What’s your name?” He enthusiastically asked me.
“Khalid. Nice to meet you.” I responded.
“Cali? Did you say, Cali, like short for California?!”
“Actually, it’s Khalid. Khalid Birdsong.” I clarified.
My last name caught his attention, “Birdsong! Like a singing bird?! Tweet tweet!”
I forced a laugh and went on teaching.
I wish he quietly listened and followed along with my cartooning lesson, but dealing with his behavior felt similar to teaching six-year-olds. He continually shouted out responses to my drawings and tips throughout the class.
It was difficult to get mad because he was charming and flattering to my artwork, albeit loudly.
“Wow! You’re pretty good at drawing, Birdsong!” he shouted a couple of times.
“Hey, you’re cheating and making this look easy!!”
You know those times when you realize you’ll have to practice patience, and the phrase "grin and bear it" is all you can do? I was deep in the bearing it stage.
When I taught them how to draw characters, he continued to talk and shout his amazement at my drawing skills. Flattering, yes, annoying, most definitely.
The librarian tried to shut him up. Politely.
It didn’t work.
I smelled no liquor, but he still could have been a little drunk. Maybe he was genuinely ecstatic to draw again in a real class environment. We’ll never know.
By the end of the hour, he was eager to come up and look at my books and original art. I appreciated his interest and kind words, but it made giving time to the other students difficult.
He gave me his drawing, and it was pretty good. Perhaps he enjoyed drawing at one point in his life and gave it up or lost interest at some point.
The mystery man’s actual drawing from class that day.
I know I’m tall, but I didn’t think I looked as big as he made me in the drawing. I look super huge!
He didn’t put his name on it, so I told him an artist has to sign their work before giving it to someone. It looks like his goal was to stay anonymous because he only signed it as Doodlers 7575. Maybe he somehow knew he’d make an impression on me, and I’d share this story.
When he was ready to leave, he walked towards the door and shouted an enthusiastic farewell.
"Hey, Birdsong. Keep TWEETING!"
I smiled and gave him a nod. My cartooning workshop for teenagers without any teenagers turned out alright.
Definitely, one to remember.
Even though I was having fun sharing about this unique class experience, I wanted to make sure to thank all the librarians and schools who’ve invited me to teach cartooning to their students and communities.
It’s one of my favorite things I get to do, and I’m blessed to have people who believe in my work and the power of visual storytelling.
This article originally ran in my Substack email newsletter, A New Creative Life.
You can join us by CLICKING HERE.
A new Honeybuns comic about adventure with a purpose.
The Honeybuns and all characters ©khalid birdsong 2023
Happy Easter to all who celebrate! It was fun making Baxter and Isabel dimension-hopping Easter bunnies.
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Dear Scott,
You described Black people as members of “a racist hate group” during an online video show and ranted about how white people should distance themselves from all Black people.
Now that newspapers are, unsurprisingly, dropping your Dilbert comic strip and your syndicate is letting you go, you’re complaining about a lack of free speech in America and surprised you’re being “canceled?”
Listen, Scott, you can go on all the ridiculous racist rants you’d like in public, but you still have to deal with the consequences of your actions. You don’t get a pass.
No one is that famous.
As a Black cartoonist myself, not as famous as you are, of course, but my comic strip Little Fried Chicken and Sushi is syndicated online, also through Andrews McMeel on GoComics. I know how hard the weekly grind can be for publishing new strips consistently, and they must be funny and topical always without even a week off or break.
Making a syndicated comic strip is enjoyable but an endless marathon.
It can drive you crazy, but you’re also smiling and trying to make gags that get a laugh. Your over thirty years of drawing Dilbert for over two thousand newspapers worldwide is mighty impressive.
Why would you ruin all that, even though the pressure can drain you, by saying racist crap for attention? You’re already getting plenty.
It’s obvious you’ve been going too far for a while now, and perhaps you haven’t noticed how offensive you are. Some things aren’t funny, though.
Losing your career is a painful way to learn.
I don’t like what you did and am pretty pissed about it. But I’m not going to hate you. That would be too easy.
Let’s see if I can understand you. After all, I’ve read plenty of your comic strips and two of your books over the years, and I’d like to think I was one of your fans.
So what went wrong?
On your Coffee With Scott Adams online video show, you said Black people are a hate group, citing a Rasmussen survey which shows nearly half of all Black people do not agree with the phrase “It’s okay to be white.”
Adams stated, “I would say, based on the current way things are going, the best advice I would give to white people is to get the hell away from Black people.”
I’m not sure if he’s trying to make a joke, but he states that at one time, he chose to identify as Black and didn’t get any respect for it. What the hell, Scott?!
Apparently, he had been identifying as Black “because I like to be on the winning team” and that he used to help the Black community. I’m not sure how, though.
Adams said the results of the Rasmussen poll changed his mind.
“It turns out that nearly half of that team doesn’t think I’m okay to be white,” he said and decided it was time to return to being white. “I’m going to back off from being helpful to Black America because it doesn’t seem like it pays off,” he said. “I get called a racist. That’s the only outcome. It makes no sense to help Black Americans if you’re white. It’s over. Don’t even think it’s worth trying.”
“I’m not saying start a war or do anything bad,” he added. “Nothing like that.
I’m just saying get away. Just get away.”
Do you want us to give you a medal for being a good person toward a minority group? Once again, I don’t know what he did to “help” Black people. I hope you don’t think finally adding a Black character to your comic strip counts.
I’m a Black man and a cartoonist. I don’t hate white people. I do dislike people who are racist and unwilling to see how closed-minded they are.
I guess you feel you should have the freedom to say whatever you want about Black people, and we won’t get angry or upset with you because you decided to care about us. That’s never going to happen. Being rude and racist is never okay. No matter how much you believe, you’ve done for people.
Think about it. What if you were friendly and helpful to women? Does that mean you can call them names or openly talk negatively about women just because you decided—in all of your high and mighty white male privilege—to be a good human being?
And doing all of this during Black History Month?
You should have expected severe backlash. Or, maybe that’s what you wanted.
Leaving such a successful comic strip must be a challenge. I bet you’re sick of it and couldn’t figure out a way to escape. Writing gags about working in an office when you haven’t worked in one for years.
You can’t relate to today’s office worker. There’s no authenticity to your gags. Just idiocy. How can you get away from it all? Make everyone think you’re a racist, so they have no choice but to drop you.
I know how getting tired of a project feels and wanting to let it go. My Little Fried Chicken and Sushi strip on GoComics wasn’t working right, and I worked hard with my editor trying to improve it for two years.
After seven years of trying to find my humor and voice through the characters and gags, I ended the strip. Fortunately, GoComics runs the repeats twice weekly so new readers can find it and, hopefully, enjoy the years of work I put into the comic.
Admitting it wasn’t working was hard, but instead of going on a rant and blaming my readers, I fessed up to failing to make the comic successful.
Stopping production on my strip was easier because it wasn’t a big hit. If it were, maybe I would have felt the pressure to keep making it and trying to improve. I might feel trapped. Living inside that small comic-making factory might drive me to say insane things too.
But I doubt I’d turn to fear and hate like you, Scott. You should be ashamed of yourself.
The only upside to this is that you will get people rereading your comic strip and buying up all your books. Controversy, unfortunately, is a powerful drug people want to snort up their noses.
Look at me; I can’t stop talking about you.
Unlike most cartoonists, you like to draw your cartoons and write blog articles and books. I respect that as someone who also clearly enjoys doing the same.
I hate to admit it, but you’re interesting.
You’re someone I’ve enjoyed watching and reading to hear your take. Also, I’ve learned how pushing to the edge of culture, and free speech can backfire on you. It’s a slippery slope, and I get that.
You may end up with only an alt-right white supremacy fan base from here on out, but I bet you’ll be able to make plenty of money speaking at Klan rallies and Donald Trump appearances. Probably not as much as you’re used to from those fat Dilbert paychecks rolling in over the years.
I hope you’ve saved your money.
Or, maybe it’s time to retire. You know, stop talking.
Yeah, the allure of the spotlight is too much to turn away from at this point. You’ve tasted success, felt the burn of controversy, and loved the attention. I’m looking forward to seeing how you spin this into something new.
Once again, I don’t hate you, but I’m happy you’ll stay away from Black people. We don’t need your racist rants or fake attempts at “helping.”
I don’t promote segregation, but in your case, I’m fine with you keeping your distance. Just leave us alone and do you.
All the best,
Khalid Birdsong
Get more articles and comics on making art, world travel, and culture from a cartoonist’s point of view in my newsletter A New Creative Life right here:
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Would you freak out if you saw a raccoon calmly sauntering its way through the ticket gate to the subway? Almost like it does this every day.
Just an average day for a busy tanuki.
On September 2nd, a little furry commuter was seen at Shinjuku Station in Tokyo, Japan, walking in amongst thousands of other people on a busy Friday evening.
In the photo above and video below, you can see it even had its own personal usher on hand, a station employee clearing a path for it and ensuring passersby gave it personal space. Even though it was treated like a celebrity — it was only a wild tanuki.
JR新宿駅構内にタヌキがいた。 pic.twitter.com/2veMxdtvz1
— CORE Kaopy (@core_kaopy) September 2, 2022
A reader of my Little Fried Chicken and Sushi strip shared this story with me in the comments on the GoComics site, and it got my imagination racing. A tanuki is thought of as a magical creature in Japan that can shapeshift and play tricks on people. Was there a spell involved in this encounter?
I love having Tanuki as a character in my strip, and this event brings the idea of an animal doing human things to life in a new way. Some might have wondered if this raccoon forgot to turn itself into a salaryman to blend in. Maybe it uses the train regularly to get around Tokyo?
The Shinjuku train station it was spotted in has a mascot of a Tanuki with a white swirl on its belly. The mascot’s name is TanuTanu. Was this the real thing?
An advertisement for TanuTanu the subway mascot.
No one was sure about where the Tanuki came from, but it was spotted at the station around 9:30 p.m. The staff guided it from the platform, and the animal went up the stairs and towards the New South Exit, where the video was taken. Then, it walked through the ticket gates and disappeared into the night.
We’ll never know what the Tanuki was up to, but it sure seemed comfortable in its surroundings. Not scurrying away, frightened of people, makes you think it does this often without much fanfare.
The city must be a tough place for a raccoon. I’m glad the station attendants helped him get where he needed to go.
It’s similar to the time Tanuki started working an office job. It didn’t last too long, though.
P.S. If this was indeed “the” TanuTanu mascot, spirit of, or a real magical tanuki on his way home from a long day of work pretending to be human, it stood out. Still, it was ultimately accepted by the people all around.
The video and news reports didn’t talk about people running away from it in fear or getting scared because a wild animal was walking next to them.
As a human being, a black male, who gets stared at, surprises others by being a tall foreigner on the train and sticks out just about everywhere when I’m visiting Japan. I’m not sure how to feel about this. A wild tanuki in the subway station is unique enough to make the news, but it doesn’t shock or get people’s attention the way a person who looks different can.
Sometimes, I wish I could shapeshift into a tanuki, ride the train with help from attendants, and everyone thinks it’s so cute.
Am I jealous of TanuTanu, the raccoon? Not really. Maybe a little envious, though.
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New ideas can be fun, but that doesn’t mean they’re good. © Khalid Birdsong
Mastering getting creative work done is one thing, but what happens if you don’t even know where to start?
Coming up with new ideas can be challenging.
Most people don’t have a magical Japanese Tanuki raccoon by their side to help them brainstorm. Fear not. You can always find inspiration in the world around you, the books you read, the shows you watch, and even in discussing current events with friends. When you expect to be inspired, you’ll look for exciting themes and discover ideas around you.
Okay, maybe it’s not that easy. Here are a couple of techniques I use to get inspired.
Free association can be a fun way to spill everything in your head and make connections by writing words and sketching them out in your notes.
Free association in psychology refers to a process of discovering your genuine thoughts, memories, and feelings by freely sharing all the seemingly random thoughts that pass through your mind. Usually, you are given a prompt like a word or image without context then, you say what it makes you think of. The person leading the exercise tries to create links between the prompt and your response to learn about how your brain makes connections between ideas.
Sigmund Freud was the first pioneer of the psychoanalysis technique of free association. Freud worked on developing this technique further between 1892 and 1898. This new method became a cornerstone of psychoanalytic therapy. Freud based free association on the theory of psychic determinism that informed all his work.
My way of doing this involves sitting down at my drafting table, staring at the wall, and writing down whatever comes into my head—even if it’s unrelated. For a project where I already have characters, like my Fried Chicken and Sushi comic strip, I might have one character in mind, like J, and throw out words that come to me when I think of him.
Some people say it’s crazy, but I also like asking my characters what they want to do next. I’ll often start sketching them in various poses, doing different things like cooking, playing sports, or dancing. Eventually, they answer me, and new ideas for strips emerge, sometimes quickly, after a lot of random writing and drawing.
If you’re trying to write a new story idea from scratch, you could pick a word for something you’re interested in, like football. Write down all the words that come to your mind to describe the game of football and what it means to you.
Can you create a character that wants to play football but can’t, or they only focus on becoming the best player in the world and neglects other essential parts of life?
Like Tanuki stated in the comic above, combining random ideas is fun, but a story is only interesting as long as there’s conflict.
This leads me to my next point.
Add opposites for conflict and contrast.
Anywhere you can put a character with an opposite personality to another, something that feels opposed to everything in the world you create, or an opposing view to the points in an article you write is compelling and will create even more ideas.
I’m still working on getting better at this, but whenever I’m stuck on an idea, whether writing or drawing, I go back to opposites.
Take two things you’re interested in and add something opposite.
Why? Putting two things together is easy but doesn’t make a story. Adding an opposite element to your idea gives natural conflict and possibilities to electrify your new project.
I made this comic by using the brainstorming technique with Tanuki above. © Khalid Birdsong
For example, say you’re interested in writing a fantasy short story. You think firefighters are incredible, and you love magic. Firefighters put out fires. The opposite could be a firefighter who starts fires. Or one who can start fires with magic. Is he doing it to give firefighters something to do? Is he crazy? Does he want to watch the world burn? In what kind of world are they living?
You see, just these three elements have me exploring questions and figuring out a world. Coming up with ideas isn’t as difficult as you might think. I bet you can create impressive new concepts with the above methods. The challenge is deciding which ideas are the best for you to take seriously and then start working on them regularly.
Choosing ideas to commit to long-term is a challenge we can discuss in a future post.
Stay tuned.
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A couple admiring all the gachapon choices. Photo- Rittis/Shutterstock.com
Gachapon or gacha gacha capsule toy machines have exploded in Japan.
They’ve been popular for years, but I kept seeing them everywhere in Osaka during my latest trip—entire store sections of them in malls and even at revolving sushi restaurants.
I was only away for three years, and now almost any kind of toy is in a gachapon.
They’re like gumball machines where you put your coins in and turn the knob, it makes a gacha gacha sound, and a plastic ball falls out with a toy inside. You pop it open and see which character or object you’re lucky enough to collect this time.
Each machine has a different toy theme based on anime characters or just about anything imaginable. Yup, there are plenty of gacha toy collectors hoping to find that missing character from their collection. It’s not just for kids. Adults love discovering their favorite gachapon wherever they go.
Most gachapon toys cost around three hundred yen each or roughly three dollars, which might sound expensive, but it doesn’t feel like it because you’re using coins.
There’s a one hundred yen coin, and dropping three of them in a gachapon feels easy and fun. I couldn’t resist taking photos of some of the more interesting toys available for your gacha gacha purchase.
Here’s a Naruto gachapon toy in my hand for size reference.
Who wouldn’t want birds hugging bread?
Cute animals are everywhere doing strange things. Maybe some of these are associated with manga or anime, or they’re mainly there to make you smile and wonder about their meaning.
Cute bears wrapped in food? Should you hug them or eat them?
Panda bread looks delicious!
Cute kitty cat pancakes. They don’t look very happy to me.
Aaaaah! Scary cats!!
Sometimes, the animals are busy doing one of their hobbies. Or waiting for you to squeeze them.
This one looks like a cat’s dream.
Nothing’s more relaxing than squeezing the life out of a cute squishy bird.
If you’re a foodie, I guess these gachapon toys might be something you could collect.
Oooh! The sashimi looks so fresh!!
Stackable burgers are so hot right now.
Wait. Is this even food?
I didn’t know furniture was an option for gachapon toys. If you’re into miniature models, these are for you.
Airplane seats that recline. Buckle your seatbelts.
I love the sophistication of this Karimoku collection. So rich!
I purposely avoided the standard cartoon character toys based on anime and manga you see everywhere. It was fun looking for ones that were creative and different.
I couldn’t resist these, though.
Mini Squid Game murderers for your keys.
You can get the whole bloody family!
If you visit Japan someday, make sure to get a few gachapon toys. They make great souvenirs and are fun to shop for while you’re sightseeing.
What creative capsule toys have you seen or bought?
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Coming up with creative ideas for topics or stories to write about consistently can be challenging. Even when you get them, how can your writing feel authentic and full of life?
In an interview with cartoonist Jef Mallett of the syndicated “Frazz” comic strip, he gave simple yet powerful advice on writing for his same cast of characters week after week.
“Get a life and steal from it.” -Jef Mallett
In his opinion, only taking from other books or TV shows isn’t as powerful as swiping from your life. To do that, you need to live a little. There’s a richness to personal experiences readers can feel.
Leave your house, take risks, and then write about them.
Photo by Sharon McCutcheon on Unsplash
Dear Crossing The Line Blogger,
You continually write "I love you" in the sign-off of your articles like you're my lover. When I read it, it makes my insides shudder. Not in a good way, mind you. In the way, that feels like someone is coming on too strong, and I want them to back off.
I appreciate your kindness and would like a little more space between us. How about you only share your life-changing information? I get my one takeaway and can then move on in peace.
Stop acting like we have something special together. I don't know you like that. You may say you love me, but I have a hunch you don't even know how true love feels.
Here’s a sample of the end of one of your articles:
“The life you choose is the life you get. If you want new experiences, it’s your job to go after them. Take a risk, and live the good life you’ve been dreaming about.
I love you,
Jack”
Stop coming on so strong. If you think I'm smiling and feeling special because you get to confess your love each week in your articles, you're wrong.
Have you thought about how this might make your readers feel? I mean, really feel? Maybe you think you're a wonderful person who genuinely cares for others and would never do them harm, but I don’t know you.
How do I know what kind of person you truly are when you log off of your computer? You could be treating your real loved ones like dirt while telling me I'm in your love circle.
Here's a frightening thought, you could be an abuser. Your love for everyone could be crossing so far over the line, you’re saying it to every person you meet at all times.
If you're finishing at the checkout at the grocery store, for example, and the clerk gives your change, then you whisper, "I love you." Wouldn’t that be crazy?
Control yourself.
What? Am I presuming too much? I don't know you after all. Maybe you're a good person with a kind heart. You want me to know someone out there loves me. Well, I'm getting plenty of love, buddy. I don't need your empty words.
I have no desire to get love from someone who probably gets off the bus, turns around slowly, focuses their dreamy eyes on the driver, and says, "I love you." The pride you feel for making the bus driver’s day gives you a pep in your step. So much so, you catch the eye of others on the street walking by, and they can't help but say "Good morning" in response to your positive energy.
What do you say in return? "I love you," of course, and scares the heck out of them.
Are you that person who goes out with their coworkers after hours, gets drunk, and yells, "I love you?" while falling all over them at the bar? They tolerate you until you barf on Tim from accounting’s shoes.
Consumed with shame, you look up at him, with those inebriated puppy dog eyes, and exclaim, "I love you, man!"
I think it might be time to hit the unsubscribe button.
Letting you know how uncomfortable your sign-off of love feels is pretty hard, but maybe it will help you make different decisions in the future. Think about it. Saying you love me and all of your readers takes away from the power of showing it through your advice and the value you provide.
Like the phrase, "show, don't tell.” And in this case, you should definitely stop telling. Your love should already be present in the type of articles you write.
Stop ruining the vibe.
If you're always saying it, I know readers will think you're not genuine and cancel you. Like I'm about to do.
My days of dealing with discomfort because of your poor choice of words are over. Even though I’ve never met you in person, I can tell you need help. I’m good at noticing these types of things. If you learned something, I hope you’ll change how you talk to your followers.
Goodbye.
Oh, and I love you (see how cringy it feels?),
A disgusted reader
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How this Hayao Miyazaki movie can help you pare down your expectations and have a more fulfilling life.
Moving to a new town, as a mere 13-year-old, to set up life as the local witch is Kiki’s goal in the charming animated film Kiki’s Delivery Service, directed by Hayao Miyazaki.
The only problem, she has very little money and only one magical power—flying on her broomstick.
How can she expect to make a successful life for herself, starting with so little? It’s easy at first. Do you know why?
She was open to meeting people and having new experiences. Not to mention living simply and using her unique gift to start a business.
I love animated movies by Studio Ghibli, but even after two years living in Japan, watching most of their animated films, I never viewed this one. It looked cute but didn’t pull me in like Princess Mononoke or Spirited Away.
My wife and daughter wanted to watch it for our “Family Movie Night,” and I tried not to groan. I slumped into my recliner, ready for the injection of sweetness into my veins.
To my surprise, it wasn’t as sweet as, say, Ponyo, but quite pleasant and full of adventure. In fact, the climactic final act was thrilling and expertly directed. I won’t give it away here, but if you’ve seen it, I bet you were on the edge of your seat.
Kiki’s life was one I admired. Not only because she had magical powers, believe it or not—but because she had confidence, freedom and wasn’t afraid to live a simple life while working towards her goals.
These four takeaways from Kiki’s Delivery Service could help you enjoy a more fulfilling life.
Kiki befriends the owner of a bakery and is offered a room out behind the store. It’s old, dusty and only has a rickety bed and one table. She takes it with gratitude, cleans it up, and recognizes all she needs is a place to sleep and eat.
When Kiki goes shopping with her black cat Jiji, she prepares him because they have very little money and will have to live on eating pancakes until she can earn more.
Pancakes, y’all.
I would have at least chosen salad. Either way, let’s appreciate that she has the confidence to know her situation will change in the future. There’s nothing wrong with living on very little when you start.
Is it just me, or is this idea losing favor in modern times? Are we turning away from meager beginnings with young people leaving college and just moving home with their parents?
Look, I know everyone expects to be poor when they’re in college, but what’s wrong with getting any job you can afterward and moving in with roommates? You learn a ton about life and what truly makes you happy.
We can take that into any season of life and look to remove the unnecessary.
From what I’ve seen from living over forty years of life, people keep acquiring more and building up taller mountains of stress.
Taking on the idea of living only with what you need applies to material possessions as well as your mental baggage. What beliefs about people and life can you discard from your thinking?
Do you need therapy to lighten your mental load? Have the courage to find a professional to talk with and let some of that go.
When I moved to Osaka, Japan, to teach English in Junior High Schools in my late twenties, I could only bring two suitcases with me even though I had a whole one-bedroom apartment full of stuff.
It was a pain to give away and sell all of that, but boy, did it help me feel lighter physically and emotionally. When I arrived in Osaka, in an old empty apartment, I felt like Kiki. Excited to be in a new place but scared of the unknown.
Fortunately, I had a job, but that was about it. Life was fresh, new, and very foreign.
I chose not to fill my apartment with furniture and kept it pretty bare-bones. It helped me think clearly and feel less stress from the culture shock of adjusting to a new country.
One thing you’ll notice is with all that space, you can think about the positives and negatives in your life. It might lead you down the road to depression.
If you end up down in the dumps emotionally, my next tip might help.
Doing work that helps others is incredibly rewarding. What you do doesn't have to be complicated either. Take an honest look at yourself and find what makes you special or unique. You could also ask your friends or family members to tell you what they think you do well.
Pursue work that utilizes your talents and can add value to someone's life.
Kiki did this in the film. When she first moves to the little European town inspired by Visby, Sweden, she had no idea how to make money.
She was a witch but hadn’t learned spells or any other magic besides flying on her broom. Kind of like when you’re young and have only a small amount of life experience. She discovered that people could use help delivering packages around town.
So, she did just that. Of course, not without her challenges, or it wouldn’t be much of a story, but she found work.
Work that helped make life easier for others.
We all want to make money doing what we love but remember to make a difference. When you help others, it helps you feel better about yourself and lead to amazing life experiences.
If you stay open to them.
Being an art teacher for almost twenty years has been hugely rewarding. Is teaching a tough job at times? Heck, yeah! Being a part of helping young people grow and appreciate art is exciting. When I was in college studying art, I thought becoming a teacher would mean I failed as an artist.
I see now how it adds to my life with more than a paycheck and summers off. Making a difference with something I love.
I’m not saying working towards big dreams is wrong. Just stop putting so much into outcomes and results. The less you expect, the more you appreciate.
I’ve learned that a simple life is one to admire.
It’s true what Notorious B.I.G. said, “Mo’ money mo’ problems.”
Mainly because you have more responsibilities. Which is fine as long as you accept that fact. Living with more is a huge responsibility filled with difficult decisions and daily stress.
I noticed in the movie that Kiki continued living in her little room behind the bakery. She continued her delivery business and helped people in the city. Perhaps she could have afforded to move out and get her own apartment. Surely, it would have cost more and possibly pulled her away from close friends.
No need to move on to get more if you’re happy where you are.
Opening up to needing less can make space for more peace to pour into your life as long as you make a conscious decision not to expect too much. Finding your dream job will not solve all of your problems and suddenly make life perfect.
Even when you do all of this, you’re loving life and growing in your career; you may feel out of sorts and lose motivation all of a sudden.
I guess you could call this a **SPOILERS** ahead moment, so skip this paragraph if you haven’t seen the film. Kiki’s magic vanishes, and she’s not able to fly on her broom to make deliveries. This sets her back and wrecks her confidence. It’s not until a friend shares with her that most people lose interest in their work or go through creative slumps.
If this is you, take a break. Rest. Give yourself space from whatever it is you’ve lost that fire for so you can breathe a bit and recharge. If it’s something important, you’ll find the spark to ignite the flame again.
Kiki certainly gets her magical mojo back, but I won’t tell you what gets her there.
Some ways to re-ignite your fire:
Sleep more. I’m serious. Go to bed early for a few days in a row or sleep later on the weekends. Take naps. Sleep has been known to cure so many health issues.
Put a pause on whatever you’re working on that’s draining you, and learn something new. Watch something you wouldn’t normally. Read a new book in a genre you hate. This will force you to think differently and stay open to new ideas.
Meditate. You knew I would mention this one. Giving yourself quiet alone time to be mindful of your body and thoughts will help your mental wellness.
Talk with family and friends about what you’re going through. They might have experienced something similar and could give you advice. Even if they haven’t, taking time to express how you’re feeling with someone you care about is a great release of any negativity you’ve been holding onto.
One of the hardest things for me to accept in life was that good things take time. Patience has always been a challenge for me. Not that I want everything now, but I wish it all would get here quicker.
It seemed to me that Kiki was fine with slowly building her life in one place. I love that. Yes, she’s just an animated cartoon character, but I envied her spirit. Maybe it’s because I’m a middle-aged man dreaming about the early days out in the world. Or, I needed the reminders the film brought forth.
There’s no shame in starting small, using your talents to work towards a successful career, and having patience with the process. Life can be less stressful and pretty darn magical when you know your needs and limit your wants.
Photo by Jake Weirick on Unsplash
*This article is fictional and meant to be humorous. Enjoy!
Your writing skills ain’t got nothin’ on me. While you struggle to post your one article today, I already posted six.
How do I do it, you might ask?
I could boast about my ability to schedule hours devoted to writing articles back-to-back in bulk. Balancing life with two kids and a demanding wife.
I do write in bulk, but here’s the real key. I’m always writing. Bulk writing is my life. My entire life.
The wife and kids I mentioned earlier, I rarely ever speak to them in person.
They write me. In texts, via email, even on Facebook messenger. They know my goal is and must remain, being a top writer. This is what I live for, and they give me the space to pursue it all.
Sleep? Who needs it?!
I can survive on two hours a night. Even with that one day a month where my body gives out completely, and I crash into the bed, sleeping for 24 hours, I am still a consistent writing machine.
I keep a notepad by my bed and it’s filled with notes I generated subconsciously in my sleep. My wife says when my hand is writing, she dare not wake me lest I lose the next Kubla Khan.
I might be a writing God.
I was once like you. Disappointed with my writing progress and wondering how to add more words to my documents each day.
While you stress over what time to squeeze in a little typing time, I’m writing like lightning. Striking my Macbook like pebbles in a tornado.
A storm that never lets up.
I was once like you. Disappointed with my writing progress and wondering how to add more words to my documents each day.
After reading several articles on productivity, it came to me.
I must go all in. So, writing is all I do. Taking time to shower is a luxury. Even after I get out, my laptop is waiting next to the sink. I only dry my hands as I begin writing again, letting my bare body air dry.
I bet you think my wife is jealous. She’s more envious of how much time I spend caressing my coffee mug. The number of coffee beans I need to fuel this obsession could fill a grain silo. Make that two. My wife knits constantly and shares this devotion to caffeine and productivity. We never buy clothes, thanks to her incredible knitting prowess.
Before you start getting worried about who takes care of our kids, let me calm your fears. We practice “Free-range Parenting.” That’s right; our children take care of themselves. We homeschool, and they fend for themselves. My kids learn more from the Disney Channel than they would in college.
I will admit we have groceries scheduled for delivery every Sunday, so food is provided. Every Saturday, we have cleaners come to wipe away a week's worth of our creative survival mode. We’ve thought of everything.
The harness with a desk attached makes it easy to go out for walks while writing. Writer friends talk about how they get inspiration during their walks. Well, I get to walk, get ideas, and write them immediately. In fact I send them to the cloud with Siri for when I get home. The cloud doesn’t care where I am. You shouldn’t either.
I’m a full-time writer, after all. This is the life I built and the one I choose to live. If I let up on the gas, I might lose it all. The only way to win is to keep adding and pushing harder.
Before you start getting worried about who takes care of our kids, let me calm your fears. We practice “Free-range Parenting.”
Everyone wants to be like me. They don’t have the fire to make it happen. These wannabe writers are lazy, unfocused. I know what it means to give your all for what you love.
Your passion.
If you can’t do what you love, every day, all day, then what’s the point of living? Those of you with weak wills full of fear know—you have what it takes to succeed. Put a razor-sharp focus on your goals and eliminate everything else. You will be rewarded with fame, fortune, and millions of words written a day.
With success comes more work and more hours of writing. You never know when someone will inch up behind you and take your spot.
Don’t let them pass.
My last and final goal is to discover how to write three 600 word articles every hour for 24 hours with original illustrations. Anyone can do Unsplash. I want people to link to my stories when they use my art. I will get there, mark my words.
Top that, losers.
Every time I sit down to write an article, I remember an amazing show I forgot to watch on Netflix or a video I needed to see on YouTube. Do you know what I do? That’s right, I get up and watch them both. They’re so good — and they help me write. A story idea could be in there or some exciting take on a concept to improve my writing. Other writers I know tell me to stop watching and start reading. Books are where you learn to write. Reading another writer’s words helps you grow. Who has time for that?
Read MoreSometimes you need to sleep. I’m talking about amongst the people, on a train or bus, or even in the park. Life can be exhausting. Why can’t we do some of our recharging in public?
Well, now you can, with this simple three-step method inspired by my years living in Japan. The word “inemuri” means being present while you sleep. It’s synonymous with sleeping on the job or in public places. The Japanese are so overworked that it’s become commonplace to see a large number of people sleeping just about anywhere.
Taking naps is said to be a good thing. Even though accepted in Japan, it’s not allowed at work—even though that rule is mostly ignored all the time. If you’re in a location where you can set an alarm to wake you, it’s relatively easy, but what if you’re on a train or the subway? Not waking up in time for your stop can be frightening.
Listen in as our Japanese raccoon, Tanuki, from Fried Chicken and Sushi comics explores how to nap on the subway in three steps.
Decide to give it a try with the intent to master inemuri with help from others.
2. Pick a friend or family member who you know would never let their guard down.
3. Ride on a train with a loudspeaker that penetrates your soul.
Great job! If you follow these Tanuki steps, you too will be sleeping on the train in no time. Just imagine the freedom you’ll have to get the rest you need anywhere you have to wait.
Take these tips to the cafe, while waiting for your coffee, or to the DMV, waiting for your number to be called. There are so many uses, and you’ll feel well-rested and ready to tackle whatever life throws at you daily.
Now, get out there and nap.
I was tired of waiting. We planned to leave fifteen minutes ago, and I’m standing at the door with my shoes on, ready to go. My wife is looking for her mask and deciding which coat to put on. My ten-year-old daughter wants to wear shorts and a T-shirt in the cold and no mask—I have to keep sending her back to her room to change clothes. What can I do?
Read More
Photo by Jaclyn Moy on Unsplash
Dear God,
I know the world is going through a tough time right now, with the pandemic and everything, but I’m desperate for more time alone. Not alone forever, I enjoy being with my wife and two out-of-control kids, some of the time. Maybe an hour a day would be helpful? A few hours or even one week would be ideal. Magical even. I may be losing my mind, so a little solitude would help get me back on track.
There’s just no time to breathe or even think. To find time to get on my knees and talk to you means I’m on the floor in the bathroom right now, after crying in the shower. You see, I’m what they call an introvert. Too much social time with others drains me. I need time alone to recharge. Now that I can’t escape to the office and my wife never goes anywhere anymore, I’m drowning in needy family members and bickering children. When do I get a break?
That’s where you come in, God. I could use a miracle—the parting of the red sea kind. It’s been a hectic year of forced homeschooling for my two elementary school-aged kids. They could care less about distance learning or Zoom classes. They just want to watch YouTube, play video games, and eat candy. I don’t blame them. The schools expect my little children to get work done and make my wife and me, both working from home, keep them on task. Do you think they’re getting work done?
Hell, no!
Sorry, Lord. I meant, heck no. When I try to get them to complete their assignments, they run away from me screaming. All while I’m on a meeting with a stakeholder and making PB&J sandwiches so they won’t be “hangry.”
I’m so overwhelmed that I can’t even breathe well at night. When I try to sleep, I’m hyperventilating and doing my best to calm down—thinking about relaxing on some beach somewhere alone.
Alone. It sounds like such a romantic word now. No one asking me for anything or talking non-stop about some ridiculous animated TV show. Just peace and quiet. Doing what I want when I want. Not for forever, for just a little while. A few weeks, maybe?
My wife keeps telling me we can’t afford for one of us to quit our jobs and take care of everything at home, but I wonder. Is my sanity worth the salary I make? We have other friends whose wives have quit and have become at-home co-teachers for their children. Everything looks more manageable for them. It probably isn’t.
I don’t know of any Dads doing it. Should I be the first? Of course, that won’t get me the solitude I’m craving. I’ll have to take care of my kid’s schooling every minute of the day. I’m having trouble breathing just thinking about it.
What’s that you say? Take a sabbatical, God? Is that the answer? A few months off from work. I would need to go somewhere else for it to be effective, though. Rent an AirBnB and live alone for six months. Just reading, catching up on all the shows I’ve missed, and taking time to meditate. Paradise!
No, you’re right. That’s selfish. Don’t I deserve a whole year to myself? I would miss my family, but eventually, isn’t it ok if they know I’m coming back? I could visit them on the weekends. Wait, this sounds like a trial separation. No, thanks.
I’d better stick it out. It’s better to be a man and endure even if it costs me my sanity.
Thanks for listening, Lord. I know you’ve given me the strength to withstand anything. Even drowning in responsibilities with no acceptable way out. I can do this. Who cares that I’m hearing voices in my head and feeling dizzy from vertigo every evening.
This will all be over soon, right?
Right?
Fried Chicken and Sushi is a Blog and humorous comic strip about living in Japan and Japanese pop-culture.
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