Genevieve Dumas aka Khyia is the main creator at Ikigai Atelier
Artist, musician, historian, activist
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It has always been really hard for me to talk about myself. The ikigai diagram is a perfect way to get to know someone. The first element is what you love to do. It stands between your passion and your mission in life. The second element is what you are good at. It stands between your passion and your profession. The third element is what you ca get paid for. It stands between your profession and your vocation. Lastly and for me it is the most important: what the world needs. It stands between your mission and your vocation.
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What I love to do
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The answer to that question is easy. I love to design, create and illustrate. Actually, it is more a need than a love. If I don't create for a period of time, I will start to feel depressed and sad. So creating is a way of life, a necessity to feel happy and serene. Furthermore, I strive when people are happy around me. I am a team and process person. I do like a result but it's the road to get there that interests me. I love to travel and have visited over 80 cities around the world. Looking around me and soaking it in gives me a lot of inspiration. I love it when there's a lot of people around, that gives me energy so I especially love intense cities likes London, New York, Paris. Yet, my favorite cities are Istanbul, Granada and Shanghaï.
What I am good at
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The second element of the Ikigai diagram is what you are good at, between passion and profession.
I am very technically oriented and feel comfortable with instruments and tools, especially digital tools. For me, everything that requires dexterity is fun. This is why I draw, play music, create clothing and love history. All those things represent puzzles for me, the thrill is to solve them. It is no surprise then that I play puzzle video games and quests.
What I can get paid to do
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Between profession and vocation lies what you can get paid for. I feel privileged and blessed that I was endowed with brains, talents and skils. I think that they merit that I get paid for what I do, create, produce and realise. Right now, I am paid to teach history, for my drawings and for the clothes that I design and hand-make myself and I am happy about that.
What the world needs
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Between mission and vocation is what the world needs. I think that the world needs less toxic waste, less stress, less race to unlimited growth. I think the world needs more care, more diversity, more compassion and more love. What I do at Ikigai Atelier places me at the forefront of these fondamental issues and it statisfies my own need for social, cultural and political engagement.
