Be Proactive

 If you've been reading this blog for a while, you'll know that one thing that drags me down is this house.

I just see problems everywhere. 

The kitchen has no usable storage; the room is dark and feels neglected. No matter how much I clean up, it never feels done.

The tatami room has no purpose and has become the cat room; they have slowly destroyed the doors and screens. 

My bedroom, which is usually alright, is at the moment an absolute disaster. I've been sorting out things but haven't gotten very far, so everything is dumped on the floor.

I feel overwhelmed by the scale of things that need to be done. I'm living in a headspace of lack; I don't have any money to change things. The cost of a basic reform is about 15,000,000 yen, about £8,000; then if there are any problems, there would be additional charges. I just don't have that kind of money. I also feel that I just don't have the energy to deal with all of this, as I said, just overwhelmed.

The other day I was chatting with a friend about this; okay, I was moaning to her about the house. She sent me a picture of her living room that ChatGPT had created. It was a lovely, cosy room, the kind of space that you never want to leave.

I decided to try this. Hannah has ChatGPT; I'm still trying to decide which AI to subscribe to. I need one for my Etsy shop!

She took a couple of photos of the tatami room. Please, no bad comments; I already know how bad it is!

Disaster!

It looks worse than it is. The blanket on the floor is for the cats to sleep on. The boxes are from cat food and cat litter deliveries. As I said, this is the cat room.

I asked ChatGPT to change it into a living room. This is what it came up with.

Beautiful room

I love this! Of course, that would be impossible to do. But it's given me ideas.

When I first moved here, I thought that I would use this room as a teaching room; it's what I've done in every house I've had, one or two rooms put aside to use as a teaching room. I don't think I'll get any students here; it just isn't the place where there are many kids or young people. And if I do get one or two, then I could still use a living room to teach in.

In the picture, the sofa is facing the opposite way to how I thought to place it. I always thought to put it the opposite way, with the TV where the big cat tree is, behind the sofa. 

If I were to do this, I wouldn't be able to change the tatami mat to flooring, even though I want to, but I could cover it with something that looks like flooring until I have the money to change it. I would take out the bookshelf and move the TV down. Where the corner of the table is in front, I would put a table there. That way, I would have a workspace and a place to teach if  I get students.

This is doable. Not to that lovely picture, but something similar. It would have to be recycled furniture until I have money, but I think I could make use of that room.

The other room I asked about was my bedroom. It is an absolute disaster. As I said, I've pulled out a lot of things and am slowly sorting through them; also, because Hannah is staying, her things are in there. Again, please, no judgment; I feel very vulnerable putting these pictures out there.

Big sigh; it looks worse in the photos.

Again, AI did its magic.

Another lovely space.

I wouldn't have a cat tree in there. Also it changed the window with the curtains; it's a bay window with a wide windowsill. 

One problem is that there is very little storage space. I have a typical Japanese closet, which is deep and has one shelf in it. These closets are designed to store futons. I have a load of boxes and plastic bins in there, basically photos and my old journals. I need to find another place for them so I can put drawers in and use it for clothes. 

This feels more doable, but as always it's going to take work.

Just having these images as inspiration has helped me a lot. It will take work and money, but I think I can reclaim these two rooms and make them better.

I already have plans for the kitchen/dining/living space. It will take some time as I need help moving things, but I'm going to make a start.

I'm trying to get out of my lack thinking and start asking what can I do to make it better!