If you’ve ever been to Japan, you’ve probably encountered the mysterious Daruma Dolls, a traditional Japanese talisman intended to help you actualize a goal in your life. These round, paper mache dolls are everywhere. Legless and armless, they also begin life eyeless - the eyes intentionally left unpainted so the owner can begin - and with focus complete, the ‘Daruma Process’.

Daruma remind us there is too much in the world for our eyes to grasp. We walk around, essentially blind to everything except that which we focus upon - what we aim our eyes at. It’s a clever coping mechanism built into our DNA, so we’re not overwhelmed. However, it comes at a cost.

In our lives, if we don’t aim for something, we cannot achieve it. Just as an archer who does not aim will likely miss their target. Too often, our goals remain blurry, unclear, unarticulated. Maybe we’re not disciplined enough to define them. Maybe we deliberately keep our goals obscure, so no one knows we’re failing to achieve them, or worse, to fool ourselves. When you are able to keep your goal in sharp, clear focus, you know exactly what to aim at. And life ceases to be something that simply ‘happens’ to you.

In the new year, each of us in our family got a Daruma. We voiced our goals for the year ahead out loud, in front of each other. This helped our goals feel solid, real, and made them crystal clear. It was also useful to voice them aloud, so we would know when one of us was falling short, and could call that out.

First we paint the left eye, with our clear goal in mind. Then we work towards that goal every day, with our Daruma placed somewhere it can act as a daily reminder - often it’s kept in an altar around the home. When our goal becomes a reality, we paint the right eye. I adore this incredibly simple process, and the everyday visual reminder the Daruma represents.

To make our life work harder for us, let’s make our goals sharp and clear. Let’s aim single-mindedly at them. Together, let’s paint the first eye. Then focus on our goal daily, with the help of our Daruma. When we paint the second eye -just imagine who we have become.

White stoneware sculpture

H: 28 W: 20cm D: 20cm (approximately)