Photo by Tim Artherbury on Unsplash

[1] What did you like to do most when you were 10? They say that this hobby is likely what brings you the most joy in life — is this something you still do?

I was creative. When I was in the 3rd or 4th grade, we got homework to create small box forms from flat construction paper. As soon as I came home, I did it for hours—non-stop! I loved this project in making various forms “out of none,” thin flat paper. Asymmetrical, three-dimensional complicated architectures that I created. My box forms were just like museums, churches, or major cities’ convention centers that I’d never seen before, in which oblique lines and cylindrical shapes were all combined into one box. I made a half dozen of all different shapes without a break. To perfectly put them together, I even hid clear tape inside their structures so that nobody could see the tapes outside on the structures.

To date, I still love to engage in some practical yet creative activities, from woods, glass, metals, yarns, fabrics, paints, or even foods without any blueprints or recipes–experimental. I used to make draperies and on all the windows in our house by just imagining how they should look and be decorated. Also, I am a handywoman. I can fix irrigation pipe (!)  in the garden…

Oh, yes. We should never forget this! I am a semi-retiring pediatric dentist. Of course, restoring, (we don’t call it “drilling or fixing!!”) and creating, “full-mouth” makeovers and empowerment of children’s oral health, is what I did every day!

[2] What genres do you write? Why do you choose to write with these types of structures? What’s attractive about them?

I have lived multiple facets of life. I write in a form of memoir, essay, manuscript, and yes! I’ve recently begun writing some poems that I’d never learned before.

I am an advocate of DEI, love, hope, courage, compassion, and potentials.

I write most of the time in a combination with all the above. It’s because it’s natural for me to bring out who I am. Many parts of “who I am” come from what I’ve experienced and how they’ve become parts of me. I like to put a few stories together to work around “theme.”

I can be so logical (sometimes a bit critical!) to write on research subjects. As you may know, I used to be a researcher. That’s why it sometimes shows a bit more logical side of me in my writing. It’s hard to break logical matters into small bites, soft digestible pieces. And it’s true to be vice versa. Soft and raw emotions don’t want to be inside the logical boxes. It’s all depends on what subjects I choose. A subject matters the most.

[3] What’s your all-time favorite childhood TV show?

I was in Japan when I was a child. I can choose something you may know about… Animations! We had plenty of animation programs and magazines to enjoy back then. All the cartoons and animations popular around the times must’ve been restored and archived. They are now parts of the classic animation kingdom. Examples of these are: Astro Boy (in Japanese; Mighty Atom or 鉄腕アトム ), Ultraman (ウルトラマン), and Leo the Lion (ジャングル大帝)

Photo by Alison Wang on Unsplash

[4] Pick one sense and tell us about the most relaxing thing you do in relation to that sense.

Stillness. I am a Buddhist. Through many years of training and practice, I do enjoy meditation with or without forms. In daily life, I can create moments of stillness in various actions, right here and right now, in my life. I am so fortunate and grateful for that. Stillness is the gateway for something sacred, precious and unyieldingly peaceful.

[5] Who is someone you want to connect more with this month? How might you go about doing this?

More writers and readers communities. Not only like-minded, but diverse interesting people with different writing styles, but please, kind people.

This or that? Bold your choice!

  • olive oil and butter; hard to choose from. I love both
  • e-books or physical books
  • libraries or bookstores
  • noodles or rice: but I love bread, too!!
  • messy desk or organized desk; but you know, it tends to be the left

Articles to share

Your top viewed article on Medium

https://blog.usejournal.com/tidying-up-1c3b144759a0

https://kyomioconnor.medium.com/about-me-kyomi-oconnor-914d7af120c6

A poem

https://medium.com/the-brain-is-a-noodle/patrick-c812cf6794f0

https://medium.com/the-brain-is-a-noodle/strength-f2360b308c9

https://medium.com/the-brain-is-a-noodle/milk-tea-f7b4bf65cf27

A piece where you bare your heart; hard to choose because I am so bare as always.

https://kyomioconnor.medium.com/healing-94231b57e404

https://kyomioconnor.medium.com/acceptance-9002790d04ce

https://kyomioconnor.medium.com/the-gifts-58543a260cdc

A piece that is longer than 3 mins; almost all of them; 23 out of 30 articles that I’ve so far posted. One of the longest is “Out of Africa” and “Acceptance” for 6 minutes each.

An article from your favorite writer

https://donnarobertsphd.medium.com/hope-in-new-orleans-2486431a1167

https://donnarobertsphd.medium.com/and-ringo-was-his-name-o-3c0bac48483d

https://medium.com/illumination/i-flirted-with-death-now-i-am-in-love-with-writing-1246193895fa