[Mini Self-Introduction] On how the boundary between cooking and business was a gradient between private life and work time

When I opened the door to web production,
freedom was waiting

The first step into web production was making just a single banner. The person who asked, "If you can use Illustrator, can you help me out?" was an engineer friend. That friend belonged to a small production company that mainly handled web marketing for major matching sites. It was a company run by three people—a producer, an engineer, and a programmer—that turned clients' services and projects into reality on the web.

At the time, I was a designer at a small recruitment advertising agency. There was a lot of routine work, the hours were irregular, and I was barely catching the last train at night. I felt fatigue and boredom gradually piling up in a life where I just went home to sleep. Is this okay? Will I be at this pace forever? While holding onto those thoughts, I was chased by daily tasks and didn't even have the luxury of time to think. That is precisely why, when I was told, "If you can use Illustrator, I'd like you to at least do the banners," I felt as if those words had opened a new door for me.

***

Results visible in data,
my first joy

For the first banner I worked on at that company, we conducted thorough A/B testing and made improvements while collecting data on which design led to better results. I still clearly remember the joy I felt when the banner I created produced results in numbers. In my previous environment, my job as a designer ended at production, and the world of results belonged to the sales team. So, the feeling of results coming back in a visible form was very fresh, and I think that was the first moment I realized the fun of web marketing.

***

The early days
of being a remote worker

The people at that web production company all had production environments at home, so they would leave the office early, finish dinner, and continue working at home. They were moving their work forward at their own pace, efficiently and without strain. I remember thinking honestly, "I see, that's nice," because that way of working was so natural. I imitated that style myself and gradually set up an environment where I could work from home. Long before the COVID-19 pandemic, that was an era when I didn't even hear the word "remote work" at all. Even so, looking back now, I think that was the beginning of being a remote worker for me.

***

A life of working like breathing
felt comfortable

As I set up my work environment at home, my way of living itself changed. I would hang out the laundry while backing up data, and prepare dinner during my break. After finishing dinner and taking a bath, I would continue working until it was time to sleep. Work blended into my life as naturally as breathing.

I often hear people say, "Working from home makes me distracted," "I can't concentrate," or "I can't manage my schedule," but it suited me.

There are also rewards if I finish my work early. I can watch a movie at an empty theater on a weekday morning. Since I don't like crowds, I work during the holidays and Golden Week, and in return, I enjoy my leisure time during the quiet seasons. Instead of following a calendar decided by someone else, I can live at my own rhythm. That was more comfortable than anything else.

***

Work and cooking,
what was born between them

This style, where the boundaries between work and life naturally blended, may have laid the foundation for my current way of being, which is "thinking by connecting work and cooking." There is work within life, and life within work. Cooking is also something that is naturally born within that. I can now believe that it is because of this way of working that ideas and perspectives go back and forth between work and food.

There is no single answer to what the correct way of working is or what an ideal life looks like. However, finding, choosing, and adjusting a rhythm that is comfortable for me and that I can continue—that was the important feeling I gained through trial and error back then. That banner creation I helped with just because I could use Illustrator has, before I knew it, become the origin of my current way of working. I am suddenly remembering things like that.

***

Actually, I also have an email newsletter.

I have an email newsletter where I share topics closer to my personal life, behind-the-scenes of my projects, and practical tips. To be honest, my note posts are a bit more formal. I talk in my newsletter as if I am inviting you into my home.

"I'm not good at sharing, but I want to reach people properly."
"I have thoughts I want to convey, but it's hard to put them into words."
I would be happy if this could be of quiet help to those who feel that way.