March 1, 2024
Welcome to The Story Portal!
Hello! I’m so excited you’ve stumbled into my little corner of the internet. I had mixed feelings about starting a blog. Why now Saki? What on earth for? I have three main reasons:
To tell the tales behind the stories I put out into the world:
Partly for my own record keeping as my memory gets shottier, but also so that it might help you navigate your own journey — whether in your creative endeavors or in life, especially if you identify as an outsider/introvert/dreamer/feely human like myself. For over two decades now, I’ve learned how to live and tell my own stories thanks to a rich (and often, generously free) repository of wisdom (like blogs!). The least I can do is add some of my learnings to this pool.
To share inspiration:
While I love writing and illustrating, I think my biggest strength as a creator (and what I find the most FUN) is my ability to come up with unique story premises and ideas. I credit this to my transient childhood and multi-ethnic upbringing that exposed me to a true melting cauldron of very diverse cultural influences. I’ll share my fave sources (enchanting picture books from all over the world, fantastical graphic novels /manga /anime /films that are beloved by children and adults alike, music and art and foods that make me weep, weep, weep.) that lit me up as a kid and continue to fill my cup today. I hope that they might inspire you as well, and entice you to share yours with me.
To get to know you:
As an introvert, I find that “OMG I LOVE THAT TOO” moments are the magic sauce of connection. Nothing excites me more than kindred good eggs (doesn’t that sound like a snack?) coming together, finding overlaps in venn diagrams of obsessions, and celebrating each other’s stories of how they were influenced by these loves. I envision these posts as my dispatch reaching out to similar souls, swimming in similar wavelengths. I can’t wait to hear about what lights you up!
There are 7.888 billion people in the world (and counting) and out of ALL these souls, YOURS happened to be the one to land here. I consider this a small miracle and can’t wait to share the chaotic kaleidoscope that is my brain with you and hear about your journey.
Maybe we can start here: What fills your cup? What are your favorite things?
OMG I am SO excited for this blog and to follow along with all of your dreams, explorations, and musings! Aside from bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens, my favorite things include: drawring with friends, watching ink or paint swirl and make its own path in a glass of water, the lost scent of rain, holding hands with Honey, and impromptu dance parties. Plus millions of other things that I can’t go into right now 😉
I’m going to add SOUND OF MUSIC to that list (for both of us)!! And lyrical blog post comments! What a beautifully written list… Honey reminded me of another fave: mochi cake like dog (and cat) paws. And HELL YES to IDPs!
Congratulations for your beautiful blog, Saki-chan!
I feel so honored to get to know you, to be a kick-ass (oops, am I allow to use such language in your blog?) critique pal. You truly inspire me, always.
Here are some of my favorite things:
the sound of rain, the smell after the rain, the smell and touch of my kitty’s pads 肉球 (I love how they call them in Japanese, ‘meatballs’!) I love Earl Grey tea. I love art films. Love baroque music. And lastly but not least, here in México, they have THE best potato chips! ¡Me encantan bocadillos aquí!
Yukosan!!!
I love that we both love kitty 肉球!! 🤣 Can’t wait to hear what your fave art films are?? And I’ll have to ask you for a baroque music playlist <3
Yay!!! Love this blog— so excited to journey with you!!!
Here are a few of my favorite things: walking in the park and catching up with friends, creating and being inspired with friends, watching the seasons change, andsnowy days. anything and everything rainbow or glittery, watching my kid make new discoveries of her own!
SNOWY DAYS ARE THE BEEEST. As are rainbows and discoveries that we get to relive with our kiddos!! Thank you for sharing these Elisa <3
I am SO excited about this blog!!!! As an impulsive ADHD extrovert who is CONSTANTLY trying to innovate ways to make the most important introverts in my life (cough, Saki Tanaka) feel safe enough to to PLEASE TELL ME MORE about everything they are thinking, I can’t have dreamed up a better plan than to have you voluntarily write regular dispatches from your heart and soul for me to read!
I CANNOT wait to learn so much from you 💚
Some of my favorite things are the smell of dirt, hot summer days playing in a creek, searching for salamanders under rotten logs in the woods, oat milk steamers, reading out loud in funny voices, singing, painting, connecting like you describe with other hoomans, walks in a quiet snowy wood, having my assumptions busted wide open again and again in life so ideas can flow!
GAAAAH. Love these faves and love YOU Bear!! I’m lucky to have such a wonderful, world-shifting, life-changing (quite literally) extrovert to call on to create, think, laugh, cry and journey with. ✨✨✨