We came to Earth to play.
On a quiet morning, I remembered that.

In this episode, I share reflections from day one of a 56-day challenge leading to my June 23rd popup—
a journey to deliver healthy, additive-free meals to rescue cats.
Through the daily rhythm of making, resting, and noticing, I rediscovered the spirit of play.

(Transcription)

Hello, Welcome to Whispers from the Kodama. 

This is nizuki Mai.

Today, I’ll be sharing story “Play” 

"Play"

We came to Earth to play.
…That’s what I remembered today. Hehe.

Starting yesterday, I’ve taken on a new challenge.
From now until the popup on June 23rd, 2025,
I’ll be sharing daily updates on Instagram Reels—
a journey of 56 days leading up to that day.

The goal?
To deliver additive-free meals to rescue cats using the proceeds from the event.

Yesterday was day one.
I started at 9AM,
tackled a lot of new things—
like making a video for the first time—
and by the end of the day, I was completely exhausted.

It’s spring.
If you’re starting something new,
or finding yourself in a new environment,
you might be feeling the same way—pushing forward with all your heart.

This morning,
I woke up still feeling tired.
And then, it hit me.

Ah, that’s right.
I had forgotten to play.

When I create something,
I always hold onto a sense of play.

Not “how it looks to others,”
but “is this fun for me?”
“Is it interesting to me?”

We often hear,
“It’s important to have a playful heart.”

And yes,

in the beginning, even forcing yourself to enjoy something
can be a kind of training.

But it can also be tiring.
I used to try hard to enjoy things too.
And sure—
even then, I grew,
and I discovered new things.

But now, when I create,
what I feel is something quieter.
Something softer.
A deeper sense of play.

It’s not the “I’m trying to enjoy this” kind of play
grown-ups often default to.
It’s the kind of joy
that comes from catching the tiny moment
when your soul genuinely feels delight.

And when that more serious side of me starts to show,
I try to gently return to the innocent part of myself.

In that state,
I just let myself laugh,
be curious,
and play with what’s right in front of me—
like a child with a toy.

And then, before I know it,
there it is—
a radiant piece of work,
a meaningful encounter,
a quiet success.

So,
today too—
let’s laugh a little,
and play.