Air

Hey everyone~

Hope you are doing well!!

So as you may have noticed, the last couple of weeks have been an absolute whirlwind of projects and craziness for me. I have been loving every minute~ 

But as I come up for air I wanted to share a few things!

First: The Never Ending Gratitude

Over the past year or so, I have been able to invest more into making projects that I feel really give more of a varied peek at Japan. From the lifestyle and quirks, to the beautiful side, the documentaries, and more.  None of this would be possible without the support you give, and you are quite literally making the channel and the adventures better and deeper. 

Certain projects like the Sakurajima Documentary or hikes, seem simple on the surface, but were actually constant battles with time, logistics, and even cost at times.

But having this crew does and has always pushed me to do and create more!

I have always wanted to make you feel like you are here with me, and that want has only grown stronger with the world in its current state.

Second: The Podcasts

I have been trying to bring the podcast, at least the Tokyo Lens Patreon Secret Podcast back for some time. There are so many things to talk about and I can't wait to get recording! Hold tight, and we will have some coming up in the near future

Third: The Schedule

So I have started working on more projects "in-advance"
For example, as I write this, I am on my way back from Oita where I have started a project that could take up to a year to film. It's a scary one because I really cant see how it will turn out, but a lot more projects have started to play out like this. In fact, I have the next several weeks of projects already pre-decided and scheduled

The challenge inside of this is making the time for the edits

The SEGA documentary was somehow edited in 5 sleepless days in order to get it up as soon as I could after the closing of the shop. Documentaries typically take me up to 20 days to edit... so this was quite a challenge. I am glad it has been well-received. Thank you for all the support and love.

Fourth: The Adventure

I am already starting to plan out our next livestream adventure for Tokyo Lens Explore!

If I am being honest, the last one somewhat shocked me in terms of Just how much time and planning it required. But it was so much fun that I honestly can't wait to do it again.
It will probably take place in winter, so keep your eyes and ears open and ready!!

Fifth: Our Day

As my schedule has picked up and I have started to put out youtube channel more consistently on two channels while working with KiKi on their Learn Shamisen project, I find the balance I once had slipping away.

I often wake up, water, exercise, coffee, and edit until editing time is gone for the day.
Many days actually feel like a race against the clock from the start to the end.
I pop out of bed with my heart racing at the excitement of the day ahead, and toss myself into the edit(s) until I am out of time. I love it, but I  absolutely love the time we have together here on Patreon, and want to start allocating a consistent day of the week to enjoy the things I love (in addition to the random streams, and discord chats, videos, etc)

Sixth: The Announcement

If you have watched any of the recent streams, you will know I am working towards a bit of an announcement. It is something I have created that I have been working on for well over a year and is approaching it's final form. I have literally never been more excited to release anything in my entire life. It is something I am personally invested in, and so I hope that in turn, it will be something that people like and can enjoy.

I wish I could say more, but if I do... I won't stop lol

And finally, I am setting a 15% reduction for annual memberships for this month as a few people have DM'd me asking if this is possible. Yes! it is and I am more than happy to do it!

Finally

This community is a huge source of happiness, motivation, and inspiration for me. The whole concept still blows my mind to be honest. But I am glad we can all gather like this, and I am so excited for the time when the borders open and we can start hoping events, meetups, shoots, and more!

If you read this far, thank you so much! And I will talk to you again... Real Soon!

Norm