I participated in the 100 Artists Exhibition

I have always been someone who struggles with speaking in public, drawing, or expressing myself, and I have lived my life like a lone wolf.

Despite that, I participated in the 100 Artists Exhibition as one of the artists.

The organizer, Atsushi Ishimaru, representative of the general incorporated association ART for Being, is an old friend of mine.

I went to see the second exhibition held last summer, and I was overwhelmed by the energy of so many people gathering to create something together.

When Mr. Ishimaru invited me, saying, 'Why don't you submit a piece next year?', my heart skipped a beat.

As I mentioned at the beginning, I am not good at drawing. However, this artist exhibition is a place where anyone can participate, where taking a step forward is encouraged, and where it is okay to fail.

As an adult working for myself, I rarely have the opportunity to challenge myself with things I am not good at, so since he went out of his way to invite me, I decided to take this opportunity and signed up.

There was about half a year until the submission deadline, and I am the type who likes to start with the gear, so I bought everything: canvases, paints, brushes, something like a butter knife, stuff that creates a glossy finish, stuff that creates a rough texture...

However, no matter how much I painted, I couldn't create what I had imagined... As the deadline approached, I felt depressed, thinking, 'I have nothing to express!!'

But when I calmly asked myself, 'What do I want to express?', I realized that I value living true to myself, and a heart suddenly popped into my mind.

Thinking that maybe I preferred coloring over drawing when I was a child, I dabbed the modeling paste to form a heart and painted it once it dried.

The heart represents not just a lovely heart, but also my own heart, the organ itself. I painted it red as if to let blood flow through it, and the surrounding area is a gradation from a gentle pink to a vibrant, passionate red.

At the 100 Artists Exhibition, you are given three heart stickers upon entry, which you can place on your favorite works.

Actually, until the very last moment, I was plagued by anxiety that among all the wonderful works, mine might not get a single sticker and I would feel miserable, which even gave me a headache.

But I knew that such a thing could never happen in the kind and wonderful world that Mr. Ishimaru creates. Even if I didn't get any stickers, the fact that I participated and the process of getting there was what mattered!! I kept telling myself, 'It's okay, it's okay.'

When I went to the venue on the final day, there were stickers on my work, and hearing people say, 'I put a sticker on your work, Misaki-chan!' made me so happy and felt so warm.

The world I live in is so kind. I have nothing but gratitude. Why don't you try the 100 Artists Exhibition next time?

You can find the Instagram account that shows Mr. Ishimaru's worldview here