The long winter is coming to an end. The cold weather has made me worry about the koi in the pond. I check in often, install a deicer to keep the pond water from freezing, and check the filter often, but I still think of the fish struggling to survive outside. The largest of them has come out of hibernation and is starting to lose its balance. The other two survived safely, but I am worried about the largest and strongest fish, Chito. I watched him for a few days, and fortunately, he regained his balance and started swimming again today. Seeing the koi swimming powerfully makes me think spring is just around the corner. Spring is always anticipated at the end of a long winter.

When I look around, I see that there are many changes politically, socially, and environmentally. When I was young, the Internet was not widespread. All information was conveyed through books, teachers, and verbally from people around me, and the information provided was very limited. It was not a time when we could choose from countless pieces of information and watch them without realizing the passage of time like we do now.

My childhood memories always started with me thinking about how to fill my free time with fun. So I imagined, made things to play with, went outside, and played all day. Maybe that’s why these habits and games helped me a lot when I tried to create something new. When I think about it, I think I was a happy little artist who wanted to create everything I could imagine.

However, now that technology is developing and information is overflowing, the fun I felt as a child seems to be fading away. And I see that things like social classes, laws, and systems that seem fixed and unchanging can change overnight. Sometimes, these changes feel dizzying enough to cause motion sickness. What I feel now is a world of uncertainty and revolution. That’s why I feel excited, but also anxious. Most people probably feel the same way. I hope that the world I strive and pursue will continue to flow steadily without change, but many changes are also taking place in this area.

​However, there is a belief that I always feel when I draw. If I can capture the warm sunlight I saw today and the small sea reflected in that light, then that will be my mission for today. It is the only moment of rest in this world that is tired of rapid change.

The concentration, expressiveness, imagination, sense of accomplishment, and confidence that come from drawing are precious treasures that can be obtained through art. I often witness these benefits of art as I watch my students grow while drawing steadily. I want my students to live as lifelong artists who draw, express, and find happiness. If they create something for their entire lives, no matter what they do, it will be the path of a true artist.