My philosophy is that there is beauty in everything even if it doesn’t seem that way at first
The reason why I make and sell kawaii stickers:
I’ve always loved Art. I draw, watercolor, decorate, calligraphy, write, dance, sing, and do DIY projects. As I grew older my disability progressed, making it more difficult to do these things. When drawing or writing, I scribble, tear the page, slam my fist onto the notebook, throw my pencil, break my pens, cramp my hand muscles and ruin what I work on.
I have a severe disability — what you call Tourette’s Syndrome. If you are unaware of what Tourette’s Syndrome is, it’s a neurological condition where one has involuntary outbursts or physical movements. Not everyone’s Tourette’s is severe. Actually many people have mild tics more than they do severe. Mine is very severe and happens every 30 seconds or so.
I’ve loved and collected stickers ever since I was a child. I love the sticker format and I particularly love what’s on them. It’s an aesthetic thing. And I especially LOVE stickers that happen to be kawaii. Let’s step back and talk about what “kawaii” means. Well, in Japanese it means cute or the quality of being cute, adorable, or lovable. It is also in the context of Japanese popular culture. The term kawaii “has grown from a national trend to a global phenomenon” according to Sarah Gottesman’s article (https://www.artsy.net/article/the-art-genome-project-what-is-kawaii).
My philosophy is that there is beauty in everything even if it doesn’t seem that way at first. Just like my relentless Tourette’s that sometimes incapacitates me, I still find beauty in life through the little things that are cute and lovely. My love for beauty and wonder is shown through my work. A while back I’ve been through depression and suicidal phases due to the severity of my Tourette’s. And for anyone who has gone through depression or have had suicidal thoughts, they know more than anyone how the littlest things life that could make them happy can make a huge difference. Even if it’s a smile from a stranger, or the love and compassion of a pet, or even good food. For me, it’s stickers. It’s the littlest things that get me through life, that helps me survive.
To learn more about my experience with Tourette’s, check out my blog at itstictime.wordpress.com
Check out my shop at http://www.MiGoKiKawaii.com