Psycho-therapist Valerie Johns writes:
Chibi manifested in a painting I created early in my career as a psychotherapist. The childlike image was a natural extension of the Buddhist principles I integrated into counseling. Chibi provided me a personal outlet to process the traumatic experiences my patients shared in our sessions.
I first saw Jizo years later while hiking to a hillside temple in Kyoto. There were dozens of old stone figures scattered along the roadside. Some of the round-faced figures wore bright red bibs. I was captivated – who or what did the image represent?
My answer came in a Hiroshima garden. I stood beside a tree that had survived the atomic blast. Nearby was a shrine holding a large statue – the same image, the same red bib I had seen on the road. The statue was Jizo Bodhisattava, the protector of all people, our host explained, “but most of all we think of him as the protector of children.” The story began 2500 years ago when Jizo promised Buddha he would remain on earth until every soul was finished suffering. Jizo is revered throughout Asia as the guardian of women, children, and travellers.
When I returned home I found an Edo Period Jizo statue, worn from 250 years of weather. I created a small shrine and found comfort as I meditated, embracing the tiny child inside me. I painted images of Jizo. One morning as I painted, the image of Chibi pushed through my consciousness to the canvas …and onto Jizo’s chest.
When my husband saw the painting, he said, “You should design these images into jewelry – they will help people.”
Sometimes we all feel small like infants longing to feel safe; to be seen, heard and understood. Now my Jizo holds Chibi to his chest, where he is often depicted carrying a pearl or precious stone to light the darkness. I hope you embrace Jizo and Chibi so they may comfort you and bring you light.
I talk to Valerie Johns Sept. 19.
Lev: “Tell me about your website jizoandchibi.com.”
Valerie: “‘Chibi’ is the Japanese word for ‘little one.’ I lived in Japan as a kid and we called each other that as a certain nickname. Twenty years ago, when I became a therapist, I started painting the little characters Chibi as debriefing the work I did with people.
“Then I put it aside and rode horses for 14 years or so.
“I was in Japan five years ago and I was hiking to this temple and I found these stone figures, these jizo characters.”
“While I’ve been meditating for years, I’ve never meditated while looking at anything. Just close your eyes and watch your crazy mind without judgment as best you can. I started meditating with this little jizo and I started painting him.
“One day, I painted him with the chibi, reborn after about 15 years. There was my logo.
“I showed it to my husband who’s a psychiatrist, and he said, ‘You should make it into jewelry.’”
“I wrote a children’s book about jizo and chibi. I showed it to my friend [Chris Albrecht] who used to run HBO but is now over at Starz. He said, my daughter Kate McKenzie makes jewelry. I should introduce you guys. And you should find out about the guy who fabricates her stuff.”
“She talked me through what it was like to make jewelry and to sell it online. I met with her fabricator. He started making molds out of my sketches. I had my designers build a website (jizoandchibi.com). I made my logo into baseball caps and a variety of other jizo and chibi things. It’s primarily the jewelry. It is like a talisman for feeling safe and protected. The chibi is for getting in touch with your inner child.”
Lev: “Who’s your target consumer?”
Valerie: “There are several — Buddhists, moms, kids. I did one of the Emmy gift lounges. The woman who produced a film about autism looked at my logo and got it right away. The kids get it. The child actors that came through said, ‘Mom, I need a chibi. Let’s get one for you.’
“There’s a huge cross-section of people with whom it connects. My friends wear them. My housekeeper wears one.
“I’ve often taken mine off my neck and handed it to a patient. Some of them carry it around. It takes them a long time to put it on because then there’s ownership of one’s own inner child experience.”
“We jokingly call the chibi the St. Christopher of Buddhism.”
Lev: “This seems very LA. I have a hard time picturing this coming out of New York.”
Valerie: “There’s not a whole lot of transpersonal-psychology going on in New York. There’s still doing Freudian stuff.”
“I love integrating Buddhist principles into my psycho-therapy. When I was in training, my supervisor had me listen to Tiknat Han. He did this talk on integrating psycho-therapy with Buddhism. That was grounding for me. I’m slightly Jungian. I believe in the integration of the collective unconscious.”
Lev: “What is your vision for this project?”
Valerie: “I want it to be like Hello Kitty for your soul. I want it to be on every kid going off to school.”
