Kevin traded his life in Australia to build Jaiyen, a place for creatives like himself to get re-inspired, connect ideas, and start a ripple in the world.
He is the seed behind Artisia, a global network of future locations like Jaiyen.
Jaiyen is hosting the Dream Your Life, Live Your Dream workshop 19th-21st March 2020.
Experience a space facilitating personal and collective growth, community-mindedness, generosity, and openness........... from the heart of Jaiyen.
What inspired you to step away from “what you are supposed to do/ be or what's expected of you?
My parents actually. While they were traditional in some ways (Asian upbringing and all the stereotypes that entails...) they also encouraged me to explore my imagination and creativity. It was quite challenging finding my way growing up (I still haven’t!) because what I was supposed to do was "be successful" (whatever that meant) yet what was expected of me was to 'be happy” — which didn’t quite fit the real-world system or environment outside the safety of the family home. On paper I tried to do the "right thing”; pursuing academia, technology, business, knowledge, etc., yet on the side of "being happy”, I immersed myself in music, comics, video games, sports and anything creative that allowed me to think outside the box or draw outside the lines. I eventually came to the understanding that my parents simply wanted the best for me, and in turn they did their best to create a safe environment for me to have creative freedom to shape my own life. So in a way, I never really stepped away from what I was supposed to do or what was expected of me… I merely realised that I was already doing what I was supposed to do, and being what I expected of myself.
How did you find your dream?
Disney. Comics. Music. Books. Movies. People. Travel. Life… somewhere in that mix, my dream was formed by tasting the variety of life experiences available within my capacity or environment, spurred on by the positive messages in pop-culture and media that I escaped to when the chips were down in the real world. I wasn’t in search of a specific dream (though I had plenty of tangible goals I wanted / still want to achieve), my trajectory / calling / dream / core purpose is simply to ‘enjoy’ or be ‘in joy’. Easier said than done of course, but when one is in the mindset of being like water, then no matter how the waves crash or your 'dreams’ are battered with change, you simply ebb and flow with the tide — like floating on cloud in a dream-like state. :)
What have your biggest challenges been so far and how did you navigate them?
Life. Death. Money. Health. Systems of control and suppression. Relationships. Survival. Myself. They’re the same things that affect everyone on the planet; albeit everyone has their own version(s) of what a challenge can be, at the end of the day, they’re just narratives that we choose to either carry our story forward, or hold us back re-writing chapters. To some, I am extremely fortunate. To others, I am their epitome of unfortunate. To me it’s neither right or wrong, good or bad, but thinking that makes it so [cheers, Shakespeare!]. I suppose I navigated challenges by simply accepting, adapting, or extricating whatever was necessary for evolution to occur. Or as my 5-year-old self once wrote in my sister’s autograph book as my motto, “Try and try until you die” (it was meant to be "try and try until you succeed!”). Call it blissful ignorance, or wilful resilience — the result is the same: I’m still navigating life without a compass, facing daily challenges, and doing my best to enjoy it as it comes.
Did you/ Do you have support along the way?
Absolutely. Help and support is always around whether we see it or not. Even a scolding from a parent or stopping to watch an ant carry a crumb can be supportive in the lesson that it can teach us about our own power or capacity to achieve or overcome. My parents and family supported my upbringing regardless of our financial situation. My friends and peers supported me in several ways by providing a listening ear, encouragement, work opportunities, and lasting memories. Despite relationships not working out to ideal expectations, each of my previous partners have supported me in their own ways, resulting in emotional and personality ‘upgrades’ that have lead me to my current partner, who is the most selfless and supportive partner I have ever come across. And of course on the wider spectrum of business and community, I’ve been fortunate to have cultivated a group of generous individuals who have sown into my life with priceless wisdom and at times, financial support in order to keep living.
How has this changed your approach to daily life?
The support I have has changed my approach to daily life in that I’m constantly aware of the people / places / things / moments that I must be grateful for, or uphold resect for in terms of ensuring I don’t let the support go to waste or take opportunities for granted. Even if I didn’t recognise it in my earlier rebellious years, the support of external help / validation, and an internal mindset of self-development/resilience has kept me accountable to making the most out of my time on this planet, ensuring I’m not merely stealing oxygen from the earth and being of little use or support to others.
How has this influenced your journey towards accepting the awesomeness that is you?
Complete acceptance is a much longer journey! I’m not quite ‘there’ yet in terms of considering my ‘self’ awesome, however I can acknowledge that I can be or do some pretty awesome things. Having support to follow my dreams certainly does help instil the notion that others believe in me enough to support me, therefore I ought to respect that and believe in myself just as much — if not more — so as to honour their perception of me. Not to say that I live for other’s expectations, rather, that I respect their view, and if as a collective or majority, people see something in me, then there must be something there that I can’t see that deserves my own attention, belief, and maintenance as well.
Top 3 tips for someone working towards their dream?
1. Adapt as Water. Move as Wind. Prevail as Earth. Illuminate as Fire. Expand as Space. Function as You… and if all else fails, be like a Cockroach and survive the elements!
2. Try and try until you die… then try some more!
3. Remain teachable… you don’t know what you don’t know…. yet.
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