I have to work hard. I have to study well. I have to go to college. After going to college, I need to get a qualification and then go to work. I have to work hard at the company, and I have to get married and have kids, and so on. I've always hated this kind of passive mindset since I was young. So, because our eyes were literally opened to those who have such thoughts, now even the people who opposed us back then are contacting us to exhibit together. 

Hello everyone, I am the planner of the popular author Kenan Chur. In fact, this is my script, but it seems I won't stick to it. I will put it aside and speak a bit more freely. Honestly, following the script might be a bit boring. Our Kenan Chur is a team that works together as a couple, but the reason I came here alone today is that my daughter was born last week. Her name is Jin, and if I may...

Do you know the meaning of My Utopia, which I mentioned in my greeting? My Utopia is an abbreviation of My Ideal World. So, our ideal world is represented by our characters: the cat named Pako, who is a central character in our Kenan Churu world, along with my wife's character, the cat butler Jjugu, and my daughter's character, Wanpan. In this world, various objects coexist harmoniously and freely, living peacefully. This is the ideal world we envision. We live with 14 stray cats, two rescue dogs, and one Jindo dog, a total of 17 animals. While spending time with these animals, I often feel compassion for them because they are unfortunate. At the same time, I find comfort in their presence and draw inspiration for my work.

I am creating a piece of work. My dogs and cats live together in the same space, but they don’t fight or bother each other. There are some that are a bit less social, but they respect each other's space and coexist well without interfering with one another. Is there anyone here who has cats? Cat owners, oh, these cats are truly charming creatures. Even though I've raised them for a long time, I still don’t fully understand them. They can be quite temperamental, yet they are very cute and independent. Surprisingly, they adapt to living in groups much better than dogs do. And humans, we train them as their caretakers. They are remarkable and very mysterious beings. Our characters have this personality; they exist in a state of freedom, coming to us when they want to play or sleep.

There is no such thing as bullying; on the contrary, we do not bully or harm those weaker than ourselves. All beings that appear in Myto PE are equal and free. Regardless of whether they are large or small, strong or weak, each being has its own identity and is recognized and lives on. We do not deny or evaluate other beings. Cats, birds, fish, mice, and humans all appear in our work. In the real world, there are predator-prey relationships, but in Myto, everyone is respected as part of the world and lives as friends. Here, you can see the statue guarding the entrance of the tomb of King Muryeong from the Silla Dynasty. When I first saw it, I thought about how this statue had stood alone in the dark for thousands of years before being excavated. It was both a bit sad and admirable. So, we also brought this statue into Myto.

I live freely and happily. This is the ideal of mytopia in Kenen Chur. It is a world where we reach out to the weak, do not harm each other, protect one another, acknowledge and respect different beings, and live freely, each doing what we want while achieving harmony. I hope my daughter can create and live in such a world, which I express through the character of Wanpan in my work. This is the essence of Kenen Chur's mytopia. Now, I will explain my personal mytopia. Is there anyone here who has ever rejected something someone else asked them to do and tried to break away from it? Since I was young, I have often felt that rather than diligently following what was imposed on me, I...

I came here to not do anything and to try not to do anything, just like a green frog. It's a bit foolish, isn't it? In fact, I think most of us here have lived according to the will of our parents, schools, society, and others, rather than our own will. We've been told what we shouldn't do, what we must do, that we can't jump, that we must do our homework diligently, that we have to study hard, that we need to go to college, that we should get a certificate and build our resume to get into a big company. Even at work, we have to work hard, save money, get married, have children, and live our lives, among other obligations and missions that have been imposed on us. I believe I've been living like this. I've hated this passive lifestyle since I was young. So, honestly, as an excuse, I hardly ever studied, and I've never really achieved anything. I've never even written a resume. That's the truth.

I am purely unqualified, that's all. I've only worked for a few years at my family's company. When I started to dislike that job, I simply quit and stayed unemployed until I ran out of money, then went back to work to earn some more. I've lived like that. You might be curious about the reason, but it's simple: I just didn't want that. However, during that time, I loved traveling and impulsively went on trips about one to three times a year whenever I felt like it. Let me ask you something: has anyone here ever been on a bicycle trip, especially in Japan or abroad? Oh, I see some hands. My first bicycle trip was around the age of 22 when I came across someone's bicycle travel blog, and it struck me like a bolt of lightning. I thought, This is it! and just set off without any second thoughts.

I had a bicycle accident, a tent accident, and a cooking pot accident. I bought items that you can commonly use for camping or sleeping outdoors without any plans, and I didn't even tell my parents. I just said I was going on a bike trip without mentioning the details and left. At that time, there were no mobile phone SIM cards, and I didn't have a map either. I didn't know any Japanese at all; I just had a rough idea of the route. For example, I knew that if I took National Route 2, I would come across big cities. I ended up asking locals for directions. For instance, if I was in Seoul and asked someone which way Daejeon was, they would give me a general direction, saying something like, It's that way towards Incheon. Then I would go, and inevitably, I would find a road. It was around mid-July at that time.

It was around that time when it was really hot and humid, and on top of that, I encountered a typhoon. The typhoon followed my route perfectly. Normally, typhoons in Japan go through the Kansai region, and it matched my route exactly. Throughout the trip, it kept raining, and I was riding my bicycle in the rain while setting up my tent to keep dry. One night, I happened to be near a McDonald's, so I went there to sleep. However, I was kicked out because they told me to leave around 4 AM. So, I ended up getting wet while trying to sleep in my tent. I really struggled through all of that, thinking about a hundred or two hundred times each day, Why did I come here? Why did I come? I even thought about just abandoning my bicycle and taking the train instead. I couldn't find any fun in it; all I could think about was regret and questioning my decision to come. Still, I wanted to go home.

To do that, I had to go all the way to the boarding point, so I just went without any plan. But people around me kept telling me not to do it, saying there was nothing to gain and that it was foolish to go through such hardship. Many asked why I did such reckless things. However, the reason is simple: I wanted to do it. I hardly took any photos, and I don't have any left because I wasn't traveling to show someone or to gain recognition. Now, 20 years have passed, but it still remains a vivid page of memories in my heart, and if I can share this story with you, then that is a lot. I believe it was a truly valuable experience. It wasn't anyone else's choice but mine, and even if my actions were met with opposition or criticism from those around me, I did what I wanted to do. I could have studied hard, found a job, made money, got married, and had kids.

Living is life, and living just like everyone else, in a normal way, is what life is all about. Even if I tell people around me that this is the right way, it just sounds like a bunch of nonsense to me. I simply didn't want to do it. If I want to do something, I do it; if I don't want to do it, I don't. That is the worldview of my utopia. Instead of looking for approval from others or conforming to their standards, I clearly distinguish between my own criteria and what I want or don't want, and I practice that. However, as I lived this way, I constantly faced opposing thoughts and critical gazes. This started from the moment I began my marriage, where I encountered many opposing doubts and critical views. First of all, art is about grappling with the philosophy and struggles of the artist alone.

It should include various elements, but what are we supposed to do together? I am also a non-art major, so there was criticism and suspicious glances directed at me. They would say things like it was childish or looked like a cartoon. They questioned how long I would continue this arduous process and insisted that it was too commercial. They said things like we shouldn't do things like 'goose' based on their standards, judging us, denying us, and trying to change us according to their criteria. However, I ignored all of that. I just did things my way. In fact, I did even more of what they told me not to do. Because if you think about it from the opposite perspective, something that is unfamiliar and strange to them is actually new, and this newness could appeal to a new market. I thought that this could lead to improvement and differentiation, so the two of us stubbornly researched, implemented, and experienced things while confronting those challenges.

저희는 다움을 만들었습니다. 이제는 그때 반대하던 사람들이 저희 앞에서 아무도 그런 말을 못 하고요, 오히려 인정하고 같이 전시하자고 연락까지 옵니다. 그리고 하고 싶은 것만 하고, 하기 싫은 건 안 하고, 일도 안 하고 멋대로 살던 저의 삶의 방식을 반대하던 가족들이나 주변 사람들도 저한테 이제 아무 말도 그렇게 못 합니다. 오히려 지금은 제가 좀 더 돈도 벌고, 무엇보다 세바시에 나와서 여러분들한테 이런 강연을 하는 게 제가 훨씬 더 그분들보다 잘 나고 앞으로도 잘 나지 않겠습니까? 자, 이제 저는 여러분들의 마이 토피아가 무엇인지 궁금합니다. 이제 다 같이 잘 사는 세상, 모두가 자유롭고 각각의 존재 그 자체로 인정받고, 나의 꿈이 무시당하거나 비난받지 않는 그런 세상이라고 하면 사실 너무 허무하고 말 그대로 진부한 꿈일 거라고 생각합니다.

There will be many people, so the reason our eyes look like this is that we have been literally struck by those who hold such thoughts. This is the anger and determination that resist their indifference and continue to act. It shines with admiration. You too should not dismiss and ignore your dreams based on your own biases, but rather stand firmly against those who try to impose their standards on you. Respect the unique appearances and dreams of all beings around you, and if the hearts that wish to support and achieve those dreams come together, I believe that your utopia, our utopia, will become a reality, not just a dream. Everyone can be strong or weak, but if we create a world where we respect each other and extend a hand of encouragement to someone, you will also be able to hold onto someone else's hand of support and rise together to realize your own dreams.

I believe we can do it. Let's do what we want with enthusiasm and courage. Let's not do what we don't want to do. Isn't there nothing in life? We won't die. I support your dreams. Let's open our eyes together and draw our dreams. Once again, welcome to our dream event. Thank you. Hello, this is Ken from Ken Churu. This time, our Ken Churu and Seba have created t-shirts and hoodies featuring our characters. We hope for many purchases. Please take a look!

[책이벤트] 14마리 유기묘, 쭈구리 아내와 만든 나만의 세상 | 오성용 부부작가 '캔앤츄르' 기획자 캔 | #도전 #용기 #꿈 | 세바시 1879회

더 좋은 세상을 위한 지식과 경험, 그리고 아이디어를 15분 강연 스토리로 나눕니다. 
'구독'을 누르시면 새 강연 영상 소식을 가장 빠르게 받을 수 있습니다.
더 길고 깊은 강의 콘텐츠는 '세바시랜드'에서 만나보세요.
구글 플레이 스토어나 앱스토어에서 세바시랜드 다운로드 받으시고 회원가입하세요. 세바시 배움 모임에 참여해보세요. 인생의 변화가 시작됩니다. 