One month in.

It’s been a little over a month since we launched Pleasant Shimo. I thought I’d be able to catch my breath after the website went live, but the truth is, things have only gotten busier — in a good way, mostly.

The Vancouver Dragon Boat Festival was our first real public test. We sold dozens of prints and even a few originals. But more than the numbers, it was the conversations that stayed with me. People would stop, stare, and then start talking about the places they recognized — not just landmarks, but the feeling of a neighbourhood. That was the validation I didn’t know I needed.

Since then, it’s felt like a sprint in slow motion. We’ve been sending out packages — small ones, carefully packed — to embassies, media, artists, airlines, restaurants. I’ve probably hand-wrapped more envelopes than I ever thought I would. Some have responded quickly. Some haven’t. And that’s okay.

This pace is unfamiliar. I’ve spent most of my professional life in newsrooms, where urgency is built in. Here, everything is relationship-driven. Emails go unanswered for weeks, then suddenly, a door opens. The trick is staying present, even when it feels like nothing’s moving.

We’ve made progress, but it’s not linear. Some days feel like a breakthrough. Others are just quiet — long hours of packaging, editing, posting, planning. There’s no blueprint. But there is a rhythm. I’ve learned to trust it.

We’re building from the ground up, and sometimes that means investing more than we’re making. But the interest, the invitations, the momentum — it’s all pointing in the right direction.

Our strategy has been simple: consistent effort, deliberate storytelling, and patience. I know that might not sound exciting, but it’s what’s working. People are starting to notice. Slowly. Genuinely.

The Vancouver Home Show is next. We’re preparing for it now, and I’m also figuring out how to get back to Japan — to reconnect with people, share Pleasant Shimo in person, and keep growing what we started.

There’s still a lot to do. But I believe in this. And I just wanted to say thank you — for reading, for sharing, for caring.

More soon,
— Brett