Special Announcement
I am Mimi Takamizawa. Thank you so much for your hard work today. I have been truly looking forward to having this quiet, one-on-one time to talk with you.
Did you walk strongly today as the “protagonist” of your own life’s story? Are you feeling hurt by the uncertain future and constant stress that visits you every day?
“Isn’t art just a refined hobby for people with time and money to spare?” “What does it have to do with me when I’m so busy right now?”
You might be thinking that. I completely understand your question. Let me answer you sincerely.
Art is by no means an elevated, distant form of entertainment. It is a powerful prescription designed to truly save your heart when it has been wounded and worn down by the hectic pace of daily life.
The real masterpiece captivates your eyes and erases the noise of daily life in an instant. If, after facing a work over and over again and deepening your knowledge, nothing resonates in your heart… it is not because your sensibility is lacking. It is simply because the work itself lacks power and is a poorly made “failure.”
Only true, history-making masterpieces can grant you a special time and a clear sense of reality. Today, please let me tell you about a lifelong masterpiece that will surely heal your heart and dramatically elevate the quality of your life.
A Single Masterpiece That Elevates the Value of Your Life’s Story
There is a masterpiece I want you to know about right now.
It is a miracle of a painting titled Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?, created by the French artist Paul Gauguin between 1897 and 1898.
It is an eye-opening, enormous canvas measuring 139 centimeters tall by 375 centimeters wide. Today, it is housed in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, in the United States.
Imagine it. A lush, dark blue-green forest. People with golden skin standing there. A quiet stillness flowing from right to left.
When you stand before this painting, what do you feel? Do you feel, “It’s powerful, but a bit eerie and difficult to understand”?
Please rest assured. That intuition is entirely correct.
Gauguin painted this work as a testament—a final “will”—just before attempting to end his own life. The death of his beloved daughter, worsening chronic illness, and extreme poverty. At the absolute bottom of his life, he poured everything into this work.
Why can the crystal of his ultimate despair save your heart as you live in the present day?
Everyone seeks “meaning” in their life. I am deeply influenced by the philosophy of psychiatrist Viktor Frankl. Frankl said that no matter how harsh the environment, human beings can find “meaning” in their own lives.
Gauguin, too, kept questioning the meaning of life through his paintbrush. The questions he left behind are the very questions you hold today. When you stand before this work, you reunite with the purpose of your own life.
If you have a clear purpose and meaning in life, you will never feel bored from the moment you wake up in the morning until you fall asleep at night. Idle time disappears, and every day begins to shine.
The Laws of Life Taught by Extreme Hardship
When you learn about Gauguin’s life, the way you face your own problems will change remarkably.
He was not an artist from the beginning. Born in Paris in 1848, he was once a wealthy stockbroker working in the Paris stock market. Blessed with a loving wife and five children, he enjoyed a life of complete comfort.
However, the collapse of the Paris stock market in 1882 completely destroyed his peaceful daily existence. Having lost his income, he threw himself entirely into the world of painting, which he had previously pursued on the side.
Even after moving to Denmark, his wife’s homeland, with his family, life there did not go well, and poverty and loneliness devastated him. Separated from his family, he returned to France, living in Brittany, and eventually crossed the ocean to Tahiti in the South Pacific.
Don’t you wonder, “Why did he choose such a painful path?”
He was fighting to obtain a life of unique “value” for himself, rather than the “stability” dictated by society.
Have you noticed that you, who are always trying your best, are in need of rest?
Mimi Takamizawa’s art serves your life with complete sincerity.
That is because you, as the “protagonist” of your own story, have the right to claim a life of “value.”
The extreme hardships and failures Gauguin experienced will powerfully encourage you across time. Through his work, he speaks strongly to you: “Even at the rock bottom of life, you do not need to give up on your own story.”
The Battles of Rivals and Famous Quotes That Lead You to Success
The existence of his contemporaries and rivals also offers you many lessons.
Gauguin had a powerful rival in Vincent van Gogh, with whom he lived in Arles in Southern France. There was also Claude Monet, who opened the era of Impressionism with vibrant colors, and Paul Cézanne, who deconstructed traditional forms.
They all painted amidst poverty and isolation, misunderstood by the society of their time. What they sought was not mere money or status. It was the joy of giving to others.
Here, let me introduce the words that have influenced me most deeply. They are the famous words of Henry Ford, the American entrepreneur who built a society where everyone could ride in an automobile:
“Most people think of success as getting something. But the truth is, success is giving.”
What kind of benefit does this quote bring to your daily life?
Gauguin, Van Gogh, and Ford did not live solely for themselves. They unsparingly used their lives and passion to “give” wonderful works and products to the world.
You, too, must be doing your utmost for someone at work or at home. Living a life that serves others is the only thing that brings true worth and immense happiness to your own existence. Great works of art from all times and places are always ready to recharge your “mental energy” so that you can give generously to others.
Overwhelming Benefits Granted to You by Great Artists of the Past
If you do not engage with art, what vital things do you actually lose?
They are the “peace of mind” and “meaning of life” that get worn away as you are chased by busy daily routines.
Days spent merely finishing work tasks. Hours spent only reading the reactions of those around you. If that continues, won’t your life’s story be filled with the intentions of others?
Masterpieces from all times and places exist to deeply comfort and heal your exhausted spirit. Art is not a difficult academic subject.
Are you familiar with the words of Tokuji Munetsugu, the founder of CoCo Ichibanya?
“Do not look aside; dedicate yourself entirely to management.”
“Nothing goes well from the start, so keep going without giving up. Business is an accumulation of every single day and gratitude. Work 5,640 hours a year (15.5 hours a day, 365 days a year).”
“During my active years, I had no hobbies and made no friends. I never went to bars either. I did nothing that would get in the way of work. There were times I worked 5,640 hours a year. I felt that if I didn’t lead by example, my subordinates wouldn’t work for me.”
This level of fierce focus and daily accumulation—the artists were exactly the same. They dedicated 100% of their lives to their work, leaving behind the highest perfection of beauty just for you.
When you touch this pinnacle of beauty, remarkable benefits will emerge in your daily life.
- You directly receive the wisdom of past greats who overcame adversity, allowing you to avoid unnecessary failures in your own life.
- By immersing yourself in overwhelming beauty, you are released from daily stress and gain the highest form of mental rest.
- Your unique sense of beauty is sharpened, allowing you to discern what is truly important to you without hesitation.
The First Step Toward Meeting a New You
Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?
The newborn baby painted on the far right represents the “past.”
The young person in the center reaching up to pick ripe fruit represents the “present.”
The old woman standing quietly on the far left represents the “future.”
This single canvas is your entire life itself.
Are you worried, thinking, “I don’t have time to open an art book”? Please rest assured. Just a few minutes a day of quiet dialogue with a single painting is more than enough.
First-rate works of art will always stay close to your life, supporting you with immense strength.
The wonderful artists of the past dedicated their lives to bringing you joy and warmly saving your heart. All you have to do is receive it and enjoy it.
Now, let us begin the journey to meet a new you right away. You are the protagonist of your own story. So that you can walk through today with pride and rich meaning, I am always here cheering you on.
