00:00
Welcome back for another deep dive. Today, we're going to be exploring something kind of different.
Oh!
Yeah. So we're going to be looking at art, business, and how they connect with abstract and concrete thinking.
Kind of unexpected, right?
Yeah, sounds interesting.
And the source material we're looking at is also pretty unique for this one.
Okay.
Yeah, so we're going to be looking at this conversation between these two artists.
There's Hideki, a sculptor, and Mayumi, she's an inspiration artist.
And that's a fascinating idea in itself.
Really?
Yeah, and they host a live radio show together.
Okay.
And their guest for this episode is Aida, and he is a real estate consultant.
So you've got like three totally different perspectives.
Yeah.
That's cool.
I have to admit, when I first started looking into this, I was really struck by Mayumi and her art form.
It's called inspiration art, and she basically creates pieces based on her intuitive impressions of people during conversations.
Wow.
So she's like reading people's energy and turning it into art.
Yeah, and I think it's so fascinating how she focuses on capturing that real-time energy exchange.
It's like the total opposite of like so much of the media we consume these days, where everything's like pre-recorded and edited, you know?
Right, right.
It's all about that like raw, in-the-moment connection.
Yeah, it really makes you think about being present, doesn't it?
Definitely.
Being present in the moment.
And that leads into a much bigger theme that runs throughout this whole conversation.
What's that?
The interplay of abstract and concrete thinking.
Ooh, that's a good one.
That's a good one.
Yeah, and we see this theme like emerge when Hideki and Mayumi talk about their routines for starting the week.
So they both like mention writing in their notebooks.
Oh, interesting.
Reflecting on their experiences.
And Mayumi even talks about how like acknowledging those negative feelings can help her understand what she wants instead.
You know, that's something I've been thinking about a lot lately.
Really?
Yeah, like instead of pushing away those negative emotions, how can we learn from them?
Exactly.
Have you found that to be true in your experience?
Absolutely.
I think those uncomfortable feelings, they often hold clues about our deeper needs, our desires.
And when we can learn to decode those signals, it can be really powerful for personal growth.
It's like they're trying to tell us something.
Right.
But getting back to the conversation.
Yeah.
It's interesting how Mayumi connects this idea of reflection to numbers.
Oh, OK.
Like she's saying that people get stuck in this cause and effect thinking.
Like what?
Well, she uses this example of disliking math in school and then that leading to like an aversion to numbers later in life.
Oh, so it's almost like that initial negative experience created this like mental block.
Yeah, exactly.
And that takes us right into the heart of their conversation.
What's that?
It's like a whole debate about the very nature of numbers.
Oh, I'm intrigued.
Yeah.
And it's interesting how their initial perspectives, they kind of clash.
03:01
How so?
Kodeki finds numbers reassuring, helpful for things like scheduling and planning.
But Mayumi, at least at first, she describes them as abstract and anxiety inducing.
Probably because of those past experiences she talked about.
Right.
And then there's this twist.
A twist?
Yeah.
She's actually taking a number consulting course for her business.
Wow.
And she's starting to appreciate the insights that numbers can provide.
That's a pretty big shift.
Yeah.
It really highlights how our understanding of a concept can evolve as we learn and experience new things.
Definitely.
It's like she's realizing that numbers can be a tool to empower her.
And something to be afraid of.
Exactly.
And to illustrate this shift, they use this analogy.
Oh, I love analogies.
Of zooming in and out on Google Maps.
OK.
So like zooming out, it gives you this broad abstract view.
But as you zoom in, you start to see the specific details, the concrete landmarks.
That make up the big picture.
Exactly.
And it makes me wonder, have you ever felt that kind of anxiety around numbers?
Or have you always found them to be helpful and reassuring?
It's interesting how we can relate so differently to something like numbers.
Right.
Something that seems so neutral.
Yeah.
Really speaks to the power of our individual experiences and how our past shapes our perceptions.
But as Mayumi continues on this number journey.
Yeah.
She starts to see numbers as a universal language.
Interesting.
Something that enables clear communication, decision making, analysis.
And that's where that analogy of zooming in and out comes back in.
Right.
Numbers might seem abstract and overwhelming at first.
Yeah.
But when you zoom in and see how they relate to concrete things in your life.
Right.
Like setting meeting times or analyzing business performance, like Mayumi mentions.
Yeah.
They become much more manageable.
It's about finding that balance.
Right.
Between the big picture view and the details, right?
Exactly.
And that's where Ida, the real estate consultant, jumps in.
OK.
He brings in this really interesting perspective.
I like that.
He introduces the concept of key performance indicators or KPIs.
Ooh, KPIs.
Now, I know they can sound a little intimidating.
Right.
But Ida explains it in a way that's actually really easy to understand.
Oh, good.
Would you mind breaking that down for us?
Yeah, sure.
So he defines KPIs as the essential metrics.
OK.
That you track consistently to measure progress and make decisions in your business.
So it's like having a roadmap.
Yeah.
You're not just like wandering around.
Right.
You've got these specific markers.
To guide you.
Exactly.
And what's so compelling about this whole discussion is the connection it reveals.
Between.
Art and business.
I mean, we often think of artists as being driven by intuition and emotion.
Right.
But even they can benefit from the clarity and objectivity that numbers can provide.
It's a great example of how like abstract concepts can have very real world applications.
Totally.
And this leads to a fascinating moment where Mayumi talks about her initial resistance to
using numbers in her art business.
06:01
Oh, really?
It was like she saw them as the enemy of creativity almost.
Yeah, like how can you be creative if you're stuck in a spreadsheet?
Exactly.
But then someone gave her this analogy and it really clicked for her.
What was it?
They said running a business without a plan is like driving without a license.
Oh, wow.
And that really resonated with her.
Yeah, that's a good one.
It makes you realize how important it is to know like where you're going and how you're
going to get there.
Exactly.
And Hideki actually adds to this by telling the story.
OK.
About his friend, Oki Oki, who spent a whole year.
A whole year.
Yeah.
What was he doing?
Just writing a business plan.
Wow.
Yeah.
That really shows you that this is like a process.
It takes time.
Yeah.
No matter what you do.
For sure.
And for Mayumi, a lot of her fear around numbers came from this lack of understanding.
You know, she admits that the unknown can be scary, especially when it comes to your
livelihood.
Right.
Of course.
And then you have this listener.
Yeah.
Called Navi Navi.
OK.
Who jumps into the chat and adds a whole new layer to this whole numbers debate.
Oh, interesting.
What do they say?
Well, they point out that the scale at which we view numbers can influence whether we
see them as concrete or abstract.
What do you mean by that?
So like sales figures for a shop.
Yeah.
They might seem pretty concrete.
But when you start thinking about things like customer satisfaction.
OK.
All those intangible aspects of a business.
Yeah.
It gets more abstract.
Right.
It's not always black and white.
Exactly.
And I don't know if you've heard this saying.
OK.
Not everything that can be counted counts and not everything that counts can be counted.
Oh, that's a good one.
That's a really good one.
I love how this conversation keeps making us think about numbers in these different
ways.
Right.
It's like challenging all those preconceived notions.
Totally.
They even joke at one point.
Oh, yeah.
About needing chat GPT.
To explain it.
Yeah.
To explain the role of numbers in business.
Well, sometimes you need a little help.
Right.
But they do touch on this really important point.
The importance of understanding your income and expenses.
Oh, totally.
That's like financial literacy 101.
Right.
Whether you're an artist or an entrepreneur.
Or just like.
Just trying to manage your money.
Yeah.
Yeah.
It's essential.
And this is where Mayumi has this like breakthrough.
OK.
She realizes that being able to talk about things in terms of numbers creates a shared
language.
Oh, interesting.
Which is so important for communication and analysis.
Yeah.
And she uses this example of setting a time to meet.
OK.
Like we can all agree on 12 p.m.
Right.
Because we share this understanding of what that number represents.
One of those things you don't even think about.
Right.
It's so basic, but so important.
Yeah.
And then another listener chimes in and says that the meaning we attach to numbers.
OK.
Is just as important as the numbers themselves.
Oh, interesting.
Which brings them back to KPIs.
Right.
Those key performance indicators.
And like choosing the right numbers to track.
09:00
The ones that actually matter for your goals.
It's pretty remarkable how this conversation has evolved.
You know.
They started with Mayumi being kind of scared of numbers.
And now they're both seeing how valuable they can be.
Yeah.
It really shows how learning can change our perspective.
But it's not just about the numbers themselves.
No.
It's about what we do with them.
Right.
Taking action.
Yeah.
And Ida really emphasizes that.
Bringing in his expertise as a real estate consultant.
OK.
He talks about the importance of analyzing data regularly and using it to make decisions.
You know, a lot of us, we analyze things once and then we just like move on.
Yeah.
But he's saying we need to be consistently tracking those key metrics.
Right.
And making adjustments.
Like always learning and adapting.
Exactly.
And Mayumi, she gets so excited about this.
She starts brainstorming all these different metrics she could track for her art business.
Like what?
Website traffic.
Social media followers.
Inquiries.
Wow.
She's seen all these possibilities.
But Ida cautions that it's important to be selective.
Choose the KPIs that really align with her goals.
So it's not just about collecting data.
No.
It's about using it strategically.
Right.
And I think that's a powerful takeaway for anyone.
Yeah.
For sure.
This whole deep dive has been about understanding numbers.
And using them effectively.
Finding that sweet spot between the abstract and the concrete.
The big picture and the details.
And they've done such a good job of making it feel approachable.
Yeah.
Even exciting.
And that brings us to the last part of their conversation where they talk about some practical tips.
Oh, I like practical tips.
For applying these ideas to our own lives.
Yeah.
I mean, it's amazing how they've turned this whole conversation about numbers into something so inspiring.
Right.
It's like they're challenging this idea of the starving artist.
Who's like totally clueless about business.
Yeah.
And Mayumi takes it even further.
What does she say?
She says this approach, this like consistent analysis and improvement.
Yeah.
It should apply to everything we do.
Not just business.
Not just business.
It's about having that growth mindset.
Exactly.
In every area of our lives.
Right.
Always room for improvement.
And Ida adds that it takes dedication.
And a willingness to experiment.
Try new things.
See what happens.
Track those results.
Adjust as you go.
It's like we're all scientists.
In our own lives.
Yeah.
Conducting experiments.
Gathering data.
Analyzing it.
Using those insights to make better decisions.
Exactly.
And just like a scientist wouldn't run an experiment just once.
Right.
We shouldn't expect to find the perfect solution right away.
It's a process.
Right.
Yeah.
Ongoing.
Always refining.
Always learning.
This whole conversation has really shown me the power of data-driven decision making.
Even in creative fields.
Yeah.
Like it's not just about intuition anymore.
Numbers can help us understand things better.
Ourselves.
The world around us.
So to wrap things up.
Okay.
Let's think about the key takeaways from this deep dive.
Into the world of art business.
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And abstract versus concrete thinking.
So we learned about Mayumi's art.
Inspiration art.
And her amazing journey from fearing numbers to realizing their power.
We talked about reflecting on our experiences.
Both good and bad.
To gain clarity and insight.
We explored KPIs.
How they help us measure progress and make better decisions.
In any field.
And we saw this unexpected connection between art and business.
That even creative endeavors can benefit from a strategic approach.
But maybe the most important thing we learned.
Is this idea of zooming in and out.
Shifting between abstract and concrete thinking.
To understand things on a deeper level.
So one final question for you.
How can you apply this idea of zooming in and out to your own life?
What new insights might you find by shifting your perspective?
Could you benefit from a more data-driven approach in any area?
Thanks for joining us on this deep dive.
We hope you learned something new today.
And we'll see you next time for another exploration of fascinating ideas and unexpected connections.
