Just a quick note today as I’ve upgraded to WordPress 5! What does this mean for you? Ideally, in a perfect world, you shouldn’t notice anything, aside from maybe some quicker loading times. However, there’s always the chance some of my older posts or plugins might not work quite right. If you happen to notice anything that looks off or outright broken, please use the contact form and let me know. I’d greatly appreciate it!
Things look a little different around here, don’t they?
As much as I loved the seasonal themes I’ve been rotating through the past few years, I felt like the lack of cohesion was getting distracting. There’s so much visual media on this blog that it was almost as if the themes and the actual content were competing with each other. Also, as I continue to expand my social media presence between Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and now Patreon, it was taking more and more time and effort to update the seasonal theme across them all.
So I decided to create a more streamlined, straightforward, and sleek theme that will stay up year-round for now. This will save me a lot of time and allow me to focus on nothing but content from here on in. The basic layout and content are the same, it’s just the visual aspect of things that has changed. Well, that and my beloved koi pond, which wasn’t displaying properly. I’ll probably figure out what went wrong eventually, but it’s not a huge priority for me at the moment.
Originally, I’d been planning to switch over on January first to start the year with a bang, but with the holidays coming up I wanted to get it done while I still had some free time. Also, I typically change the theme on the Sunday closest to the season change date but it seemed quite silly to keep waiting and then put up the winter theme only to change it again in a week and a half. So now it’s all done, across all platforms, and I can go back to focusing on the fun side of things.
I have caved in and set up an account on Patreon, where you can pledge anywhere from $1 to $20 a month to help support this blog financially. Kimono collecting can be quite an expensive hobby, and once you factor in the cost of reference texts and web hosting, things can add up quickly. Due to my health problems I can only work part-time, and while I’m lucky enough to not have to worry about things like food or rent, it’s reaching a point where I’m not above opening up requests for help.
I will never put advertising in the blog, nor will I ever make content exclusive to people who support me financially. There will just be small incentives, like little digital images and early access to some contents. There’s also still always the option of making a one-time donation via PayPal or purchasing an item off one of my wishlists. If you’re ever looking for a way to help out but don’t want to commit to a regular patronage, please check out the Contribute & Support page.
Thanks for reading, and this is the only time I will plead publicly like this!
I’m flying out to southern California today, and will be there for a month. ✈️ I’ve got some entries drafted up and will have access to the internet but my free time will be reduced and I won’t have access to my kimono or the mannequin. Entries will be sparse for a while, but I’ll be back soon!
Thanks for your patience 🙂
Ikigai (生き甲斐) is most accurately translated as a reason for being, but often referred to more colloquially as a reason for getting up in the morning. Each circle represents an ideal; that which you love, that which you are good at, that which the world needs, that which can support you. Where all four overlap, there is your ikigai, your purpose for living.
I will be honest with you all right now. I haven’t been in a great place mentally this month. While there’s no one thing seriously wrong, there have just been a lot of little frustrations and disappointments piling up, and it’s weighing heavily on me now. I miss being able to actually wear kimono, but my health is a constant challenge, as is my size. I’ve been trying to do more, to share more things with you lovely readers, but work exhausts me and eats my free time. Last week I ordered a garment rack to display kimono so I could update my catalogue, and that became a whole absurd saga in and of itself (which I will share with you soon!). My point is, sometimes this passion of mine feels more like a chore, and I found myself wondering why I do it.
That was when I was reminded of the concept of ikigai. While I may not be able to use this blog to support myself financially (in fact, rather the opposite – as many of you know, this hobby ain’t cheap!) collecting, coordinating, and displaying kimono fulfill me in a way not many things can. Sometimes the thing you love the most can be the thing that drives you the craziest, but in the end it’s always worth it. I just need to keep reminding myself that frustrations are temporary. So thank you all for reading, subscribing, and sticking with me. Sharing with you gives me purpose. You are the reason this blog exists. 💗
Bebe Taian
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