I like to draw the inspiration for my shirts from my real world experiences. This shirt was designed with the Japanese cherry blossoms, (otherwise known as Sakura) in mind.
I recently returned home from my trip to Japan and was yearning for the beauty Japan offered. Don’t get me wrong, Vancouver is beautiful. It is home to one of the most scenic routes in Canada (the sea to sky highway), a short drive away from the mountains that feature blue skies and even bluer water and is only steps away from the crisp sea breeze on the beach. But Vancouver is where I grew up, and when you attach a place with so many different memories, both good and bad, the allure of the city can get lost.
While Vancouver also has cherry blossoms, they are not the Sakura in Japan. It may have been the fact that I was on vacation, all my responsibilities tucked away on my laptop that I purposely left uncharged. I could finally live again. It is often time when we get sucked into the whirlwind that is day to day life that we lose our meaning in life. Was my only purpose in life writing passive aggressive emails, the 9-5 rat race, and having the same meaningless small talk conversation with my colleagues every day?
At this point in my life, I felt that everything in my life was grey. There was no meaning to my life. I had no purpose and nothing to lose. So I booked a trip to Japan. I impulsively purchased the flight tickets because they had gone on sale. Without any semblance of planning in mind, I clicked the purchase button. I didn't know how many vacation days I had or whether my boss would even approve my vacation, but I couldn't keep living a life of grey. The impending trip helped colour my life slowly, and gradually. Until one day, I opened my eyes and my life was in colour again. I was in Japan.
When I was in Japan, rediscovering happiness, I felt relaxed for the first time in over 10 years. I walked along the unpaved path with soft pink petals falling by my side. The scent of Sakura wrapped me in a blanket of serenity, and I knew that I had to bring this feeling of tranquillity to those around me.
I hope that one day you will also be able to experience that same level of serenity in your life. In the meantime, you could check out the Sakura heart shirt and remind yourself that your level of tranquillity is out there somewhere too.
Sakura Heart Shirt