It sucks when I get into a creative slump and lately that has been a constant. I think I've only done a handful of drawings all summer and I haven't been very productive in the store lately either. I have been trying out a new hobby of sorts in the form of an SL RolePlay called Little Yoshiwara. Such beautiful surroundings and not a meter in sight. I am attending the local Okiya to train as a geisha and am currently of the minarai level. I've learned a lot about different aspects of what geishas do to make themselves presentable, what skills they must learn to perform for their community and the history of the culture.
There are a lot of misconceptions about geishas and I hope maybe I can squash them. Geishas are not whores or prostitutes. The word geisha means performance artist and that is exactly what they are. They must move as seamless and flowing as water or air. Every aspect of a geisha must be pristine from the make up to the hair to the clothing to the quality of their performances. At the okiya I role play at you must undergo training for certain aspects of life at the okiya such as entertaining clientel at the ochaya. Communication skills are a must! Not only are you telling people stories on occasion but you are communicating with them like you would a normal person.
Little Yoshiwara holds performances on many occasions and you have the oppertunity to listen to authentic music and to hear folktales that each geisha must do research into before presenting. I have attended one performance already and have heard several stories that are sometimes presented during performances.
Anyway... thats about all I've been doing this week: RL, stuck in a creative slump, and learning new things. I look forward to my first performance at the okiya and I hope I can get some inspiration for clothes real soon so that my store doesnt stay empty forever. I'll be back in Freakheim again this weekend. Thursday is the usual mix of Metal, German Industrial and Jrock, and Fridays I have now officially made JRock Marathon night. This Friday I will be DJing a Cherry Blossom Viewing Event with Zak as my host and the theme of dress will be yukata, furosode, kimono etc. Lets see what you can come up with!
Mata ne!
Ishi 石
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