Give Yourself the Gift of Taking Yourself Seriously

Nurse your obsessions. Do your thing.

The Japanese welcome house at the St. Louis World Fair, 1904. My new obsession.

In a few days, I’m flying to Japan, on my own, for two weeks. Currently I feel a teeny bit overwhelmed.

Keep it simple

My mission is to do research for my next novel, tentatively called Under the Light of the Ghost Moon. It revolves around an old Japanese house (the replica of a Kyoto palace) built for the St. Louis World Fair in 1904 and moved to the Catskills.

I’m obsessed with the story of the house’s original owner, Jokichi Takamine (an entrepreneur who discovered adrenaline and married a woman from New Orleans). And I’m OBSESSED with the house itself - imagine all it has seen over the past 120 years!

Do you know of books written (at least partially) from the perspective of a house?

I’ve decided my mission in Japan will be to pursue one activity each day that brings me closer to understanding this man and his legacy. I also plan to work on the book in the quiet of my hotel room, or in a park - because when will I have the opportunity again to write about this topic in the very place where this man grew up?

So, the plan is simple. Go places where I will learn about Takamine. Write. Keep it simple.

Over the decades, Sho Fu Den has been used as a family home, a museum, a restaurant and then became derelict.

Accept the discomfort

We all do things that make us nervous. For this trip, I’m anxious about money transactions (cash is king), getting places (train rules - OMG so confusing) and communicating (I don’t speak Japanese).

But nerves aren’t necessarily bad. Nerves are a sign of excitement. Excitement is good!

I am beyond THRILLED to have three appointments with Japanese groups involved with the Takamine legacy: a museum, a chamber of commerce, and the Takamine family foundation. I’m bursting with gratitude for this adventure, and for the help I’m getting along the way from the people at Honkaku Spirits who have resurrected the Takamine whiskey brand.

Takamine produced whiskey in Chicago in the 1890s before his distillery burned to the ground. The mob? An accident? Can this story be real?? More info here.

Nurse your obsessions

My favorite writing mantras are 1) give yourself the gift of taking yourself seriously and 2) nurse your obsessions. I think these are applicable to life in general.

Being curious enriches our lives immeasurably (I’ve written about curiosity here). Having interests keeps us growing and learning, takes us on wild adventures and is just plain fun. And being weirdly obsessed with some idea - unable to even understand why - is part of the adventure of life.

The creative habit is like a drug. The particular obsession changes, but the excitement, the thrill of your creation lasts.

~ Henry Moore, sculptor

A Henry Moore sculpture, Mother & Child, 1944

A few spots left in “Summer Sprints”

I’m running a generative writing workshop in June and July (on Zoom) aimed at getting us all writing. I plan on creating a supportive community that gives us the momentum to make this our most productive summer ever. I’ll share stories and advice and answer questions, but mainly we will focus on producing good work.

We will meet on Thursdays for eight weeks from 5 - 7pm. We can accommodate a few more people - want to join us? Email me at katrinsschumann at gmail dot com to sign up or go here for more info.

See you on the other side of this epic adventure!