The mantra is everywhere: Practice makes perfect.
We hear it in music conservatories, art studios, sports academies. It's the foundation of mastery, the path to excellence, the price of admission to greatness.
But what if it's also the thing that kills your dreams?
The Question I Couldn't Escape
In this video, I share the moment I realized that my dedication to practice had become my prison. The very thing that was supposed to make me excellent was making me miserable.
The Japanese have a word for this paradox: keiko, which means practice, but carries deeper implications. It literally translates to "thinking of old things"—a clue that traditional practice isn't about grinding harder.
It's about connecting deeper.
Video on Practice Not Making Perfect (and other Flow State Tips)
Things I found interesting this week-
The Osaka Paradox
At Expo 2025 in Osaka, something fascinating is unfolding. The theme—"Designing Future Society for Our Lives"—brings together 158 countries exploring AI, creativity, and diversity as pathways to learning and peacebuilding.
Media artist Ochiai Yoichi opened debates on how technology is reshaping learning, while Research Scientist Tarin Clanuwat warned: "When you rely only on AI, maybe you will get the wrong information. AI hallucinates all the time. Something AI creates is kind of normal, mediocre. But humans have creativity that AI cannot beat."
The irony? Japan—the nation that perfected practice through centuries of traditional arts—is now questioning whether rigid practice is the answer.
What the Expo Reveals About Learning
Musician and champion of STEAM education Nakajima Sachiko, Thematic Project Producer behind the Jellyfish Pavilion, sees AI as an ally: "I am not afraid at all because for me, AI is like a friend. We have to learn how to co-live together."
She also stressed something profound: "Everyone is different and we believe that everyone is a minority... We like to treasure those kind of diversified personalities or characteristics of everyone."
This is the opposite of "practice makes perfect."
This is: "Practice makes you."
The Flow State Difference
Western practice: Repeat until perfect. Japanese practice: Repeat until present.
One creates competence. The other creates mastery.
When you practice to eliminate mistakes, you create performers who are technically flawless and creatively dead.
When you practice to enter flow, you create artists who are technically imperfect and creatively alive.
The research backs this: Flow states—those moments of effortless performance—happen when challenge meets skill at the edge of comfort. Not in the zone of perfect execution.
The Practice That Liberates
The Three-Breath Reset
Here's what I learned in Japan:
The goal of practice isn't perfection. It's presence.
When you practice to be present, three things happen:
Mistakes become information, not failures
Progress becomes non-linear, not incremental
Performance becomes play, not pressure
This is the difference between Olympic-level misery and flow-state mastery.
Currently Reading
Things I Found Interesting This Week
The concept of ma—negative space in Japanese aesthetics—applies to practice too. The pauses matter as much as the notes. The rest matters as much as the motion.
Book Recommendation:
"Peak Performance" by Brad Stulberg and Steve Magness explores how the world's best performers alternate between stress and rest, practice and play. Their research on flow states and deliberate practice offers a scientifically-backed alternative to the "grind harder" mentality.
The authors studied everyone from Olympic athletes to classical musicians and found the same pattern: sustainable excellence comes from oscillation, not optimization.
In Case You Missed It
The Great Matcha Crisis: What Japan's Tea Shortage Means for Your Health & Longevity [Link to video]
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From My Studio
"Maple Leaves Over the Rapids" invites viewers to experience the captivating interplay of nature’s elements, showcasing the tranquil beauty of the maple leaves amidst the dramatic energy of the Niagara Rapids. This fine art piece is perfect for those who appreciate the delicate balance between serenity and intensity in nature’s landscape.
This is a favorite spot for me to photograph along the Niagara River. Discover the serene beauty of nature’s contrasting elements with "Maple Leaves Over the Rapids." This captivating photograph captures a tranquil moment where vibrant green maple leaves dangle gracefully over the powerful, swift-moving waters of the Niagara Rapids, just above the iconic falls. Check it out here
A Final Thought
At Expo 2025, nations gather to imagine futures worth building.
But the most important future you'll ever design is the one you practice into existence each day.
Make it beautiful. Make it yours. Make it flow.
Until next week,
The Shizen Style Team 🌸
P.S. If "practice makes perfect" nearly destroyed my dreams in Japan, what might it be destroying in yours? The answer might surprise you.