Life Lately.

“One final paragraph of advice: do not burn yourselves out. Be as I am - a reluctant enthusiast....a part-time crusader, a half-hearted fanatic. Save the other half of yourselves and your lives for pleasure and adventure. It is not enough to fight for the land; it is even more important to enjoy it. While you can. While it’s still here. So get out there... mess around with your friends, ramble out yonder and explore the forests, climb the mountains, bag the peaks, run the rivers, breathe deep of that yet sweet and lucid air, sit quietly for a while and contemplate the precious stillness, the lovely, mysterious, and awesome space. ”
— Edward Abbey

I’m five months into my “One Year to Live” social experiment. My death day is at the end of June. Knowing this has informed the decisions I’ve made regarding how I spend my time and who I spend it with.

I’ve said yes to projects that feel impactful. I’ve said yes to the people who makes me feel more curious, contemplative, embodied, expansive, and safe. I’ve said yes to any adventure that’s in nature, especially when it involves single-track and sunsets and special people.

With the clock ticking, what a waste it is to fret about things that won’t matter in a year. Limits and boundaries do that. They distill what matters.

For now, life lately has meant living in deep gratitude, forgiving and mending old debts, and doing my best to speak to every person as if it may be the last time I see them.

Being conscious and aware of my death helps me live better.

New Beginnings.

Every new beginning
comes from some other beginning’s end
So when it’s over, make a mark
to signify a brand new start
of something new-
Something that is meant for you

Turn your pain into your purpose
Transform fear into your friend
New beginnings only happen
because something had to end.

~Julianne Kanzaki

Created with gratitude for the people, experiences, and places in my life that have contributed to my journey as I begin a new chapter of growth, partnership, and creative opportunities.

Shine As Only You Can.

Photo: Anthony Lê

Music, Makers, and Mindfulness Workshop participants who came out to create mason jar leaf lanterns.

In college, my date took me to the top of Mt. Soledad where we could see the entire cityscape of San Diego. It was a beautiful metaphor for how each person, just going about their evening, was unknowingly contributing to the light show we witnessed from above. They were in their houses, driving their cars, turning on their porch lights- all without knowing they were part of the art.

In life, I’ve come to appreciate the different ways people shine. Sometimes we need a bright stadium light to excite us. And other times, we need a soft nightlight to help us feel less afraid. Both are beautiful.

At the end of this mason jar leaf lantern workshop, we opened up the floor for sharing. Each person had their own flame of joy and kindness and inspiration.

Even those who stayed seated, nodding in silence, contributed their own glow to the evening.

Whether you’re a chandelier or a tea light, shine as only you can. You are part of the art. ✨💫

A Potter and His Clay.

In 2017, I arrived at a client’s house. When she opened the door, she smiled sheepishly and asked, “This may be a weird question, but do you happen to know Hajime Kanzaki?” My eyes widened. “Yes- he’s my dad!” She led me into the living room, where his ceramics were displayed on the mantle. They were heavier and had a matte glaze, but the abstract brush strokes and signature at the bottom were my dad’s. “What a small world!” she exclaimed. “My mom loves his work and went to one of his sales in 1990.”

Wrapping each individual piece next to my dad and seeing what ceramics each person chose was special.

He’s spent 63 years perfecting his craft. It’s mind-boggling to imagine the hundreds of pots, cups, vases, and platters he created. All from a lump of clay that he breathed life into. Molding, shaping, and forming it into something with greater potential and possibility.

He never concerned himself with making good art that would sell. Rather, he was committed to being a good man who made art.

Seeing everyone who came out for his final sale was like a living memorial. We shared laughter, stories, and memories. He always told me, “Not everything you make will be for everyone, and that’s ok. Some things speak to others, and some things won’t. Make art that comes from your heart. Don’t worry about what sells.”

Perhaps that’s the beauty. We’re all unique. There is something out there for everyone. We merely have to listen to our hearts and create from that place.

After the sale, he donated 100% of his proceeds.

Every piece sold.

Shine Your Light: 10/23/24 Event

Despite the recent heatwave, fall is officially here! Join me at another Makers, Music, and Mindfulness event on October 23rd from 5-7pm at Creekside Socials. I’ll first guide you through a mindfulness exercise, and then teach you how to create your very own mason jar leaf lantern. This simple DIY craft adds autumn elegance and ambiance to your home, bringing warmth, light, and joy as days grow shorter and colder. This lantern is a reminder of how we can imbue warmth, light, and joy into the spaces we enter.

RSVP HERE. Can’t wait to see you there!

Carve Your Own Path.

Carve your own path.

All of my mentors have figured out a way to weave together their multiple passions. None of them permanently stayed in law or at a monastery. Instead, a few pivoted to ultra-running. Others began experimenting with recipe testing and food blogging. All of them were able to compile their stories and experiences into a larger art form that served the greater community, whether that was a book or podcast.

Each of them pursued their inner calling, which ultimately catapulted them down a path that was uniquely their own.

Making this today was a tangible reminder to carve my own path. It was a year ago that I started my 9-month Morning Altars Teacher Training program, and this piece represents my love of nutrition, Japan, friendship, and Morning Altars- a practice that has taught me the beauty of meaning-making through creativity and ritual.

May we all celebrate the unique ways we contribute to the world. May we be fearless in the expression of those gifts, courageously carving our own paths.

Made with brown rice, beech mushrooms, takuan, green onion, pickled cucumber, carrots, edamame, shredded nori, and perilla.