The habit of translating my emotion.

My line drawing is the purest and most direct translation of my emotion.
… Henri Matisse

My blog is the purest and most direct translation of my emotion.
… Hitomi Horiguchi

The lecture on “Symphony of Habits,” for which I have been preparing in the library for a month, has successfully concluded. I had intended to write a postscript on my blog, but due to a busy schedule with the Matisse exhibition, my niece and nephew’s sports festival, and health check-ups, I did not have the time to carefully translate my emotions. Therefore, I would like to reflect on it through this newsletter.

After the lecture, I immediately received a message from a client saying, “Thank you for today. My heart was deeply moved to listen to your talk thoroughly after a long time. Please continue to surprise the world.” It was a very delightful message.

And without letting the excitement cool down, I escorted the VIPs to the studio. While everyone was singing karaoke, I ordered home-delivered dinner, uploaded the recorded Zoom version of “Symphony of Habits” to YouTube, and quickly sent it to those who had participated.

As soon as we returned to my room, the pasta and pizza arrived, and I also made oven-baked prosciutto, eringi mushrooms, and tomatoes to serve. Flowers for table decoration also arrived from my coach, making my round table look as vibrant as a party table. For dessert, a client had brought a melon, so we topped it with ice cream and enjoyed it.

Before I knew it, it was 11 PM! At 10 Am the next morning, I went to the Matisse exhibition with the VIPs.

Six of us went into the exhibition, but we each viewed it separately and met up at the exit. We then had lunch at the museum’s restaurant, where we engaged in lively conversation, and finally decided to go with everyone to visit my grandparents’ graves, which is part of my routine when I visit Ueno. It is a symphony of habits.

I visit the grave at least once a season. With practiced hands, I scrubbed the grave with a brush, sprinkled water, arranged flowers, and set up incense sticks. Even though it was someone else’s family grave, everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. That’s because going to new places stimulates dopamine.

The next day, I decided to edit the videotaped video as soon as possible. This one captured the audio better than Zoom. I had trouble placing the camera, so the angle was slightly below. With a file in hand, and gesturing with my right hand, I looked like a conductor. Perhaps because I had just watched the movie “TAR,” that’s how it seemed to me.

I uploaded the recording to YouTube and also added an index for easier viewing by the audience. It starts with “Prologue,” “Chapter 1: Crisis at 35,” and includes subheadings from Step 0 to Step 8. The latter part concludes with “Chapter 2: Commentary on Symphony of Habits” and “Final Chapter: The Beginning of Symphony of Habits.” Wow! Does it resemble the structure of Bach’s Goldberg Variations?! I had just heard them at a piano concert last month.

Speaking of which, Matisse has a collection of sketches called “Themes and Variations.” Matisse, who also played the violin, is an artist who intertwines music and painting. In his later years, he transitioned to paper cut-outs, and there is also a collection of works titled “JAZZ.”

Matisse was aiming to be a lawyer, but he had an epiphany as a painter the moment he held a paintbrush. He studied painting and color, was inspired by his travels and the people he met, experimented with new ideas, and not only painted but also sculpted and played the violin. Despite ending up in a wheelchair, he continued his creative activities, leading to his development in cut-out art and his exploration of jazz. In the end, he created a rosary chapel before passing away. I was moved by Matisse’s way of life.

“Symphony of Habits” was a 15-hour journey over two days. It felt like an overseas trip for our 17th-anniversary celebration. I believe everyone was able to acquire the feeling of continuous healthy dopamine.
In order to continue to increase the number of fellow “dopaminers” in the world, the lecture videos of “Symphony of Habits” will be available for purchase anytime on our website as a permanent exhibit. To be able to relive the excitement.