Marketing

What Is Ikigai and How to Apply It to Your Creative Career

Discover the Japanese concept that can help you lead a purpose-driven life, and learn the five keys to finding your ikigai

From best-selling books to business conferences, you've probably heard the term ikigai crop up in recent years—it's the Japanese lifestyle concept that's, above all, related to finding your purpose, passion, and creativity.

Borrowing concepts from other cultures can be a way to open our minds and find a new way of addressing old problems, as well as connecting with our personal and spiritual growth. For this reason, creatives are often curious to discover new ways of thinking related to other traditions. So, what does ikigai mean? What’s the philosophy behind this approach to life and how can it be applied to your creativity? Find out all that and more in this article.

An exercise to help you find your ikigai.
An exercise to help you find your ikigai.

What does ikigai mean?

Ikigai is a Japanese word that loosely translates to “a reason to live" or "reason for being”. It’s a combination of the words iki (生き), meaning life and gai (甲斐), meaning worth.

According to Japanese culture, we all have an ikigai: something that makes us happy, that we’re good at, and that allows us to make a contribution to our community. Finding your ikigai involves setting out on a continuous journey of self-reflection and personal growth that leads to the ultimate reward: a happy life.

Ikigai is achieved through introspection and honesty, and plays a major role in our own physical and mental health, as well as our community’s well-being.

Still, experts in Japanese culture point out that—while this is a good starting point to summarize ikigai—the purpose-driven lifestyle philosophy actually goes far beyond this succinct definition. To get a fuller understanding of what ikigai encompasses, here are five of the philosophy's key principles.

According to Japanese culture, we all have an ikigai: something that makes us happy.
According to Japanese culture, we all have an ikigai: something that makes us happy.

Five principles of ikigai

1. The art of staying young while growing old

According to the authors of the best-selling book, Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life, Héctor García and Francesc Miralles, ikigai can be loosely translated to the happiness of always being busy. This has nothing to do with hyper-productivity, it’s about passion, motivation, and living an active, conscious life that maintains our vital energy.

According to the two specialists—who have lived in Japan for decades—this outlook may explain why the Asian country is home to the largest number of centenarians on the planet. Although a healthy diet, outdoor living, and the subtropical climate help, these authors (and other researchers) say that ikigai is key to the mental health of these hundred-year-olds and part of the secret of longevity. The art of staying young while growing old is a philosophy that younger generations all over the world can aspire to.

2. A call to action

Although ikigai may seem like a calm concept related to aging, it is in fact partly based on the concept of struggle. The philosophy welcomes challenges—the key is knowing why and when to fight and saving yourself for that purpose.

As García and Miralles quote: "human beings don’t need a quiet existence, but a challenge that gives them a reason to use their skills and to fight." Understanding which struggles you need to engage in and which are best to avoid will help you manage your energy correctly and avoid wasting resources your body needs to heal and regenerate from everyday wear and tear.

Having a clear and defined ikigai—like a great passion—is something that gives us satisfaction.
Having a clear and defined ikigai—like a great passion—is something that gives us satisfaction.

3. A way to make the world better

Having a clear and defined ikigai—such as something you're truly passionate about—can give you personal satisfaction, happiness, and life meaning. Yet, the authors believe ikigai goes a little further still, helping us to cope with the inherent spiritual anguish of being human: the feeling that everything might stop making sense at any time.

Ikigai relates spirituality through the collective: your purpose must always help your community, and in the long term, this becomes your contribution to the world. Such dedication provides a sense of transcendence, which means our journey isn’t in vain.

4. Continuous self-observation

How can you find your ikigai? García and Miralles say there’s no magic recipe, but two things can guide us: self-observation and a flow state of mind.

When observing yourself you need to ask:

- What do I enjoy most?
- What do I spend my happiest moments doing?
- When do I lose track of time?

Then use your answers to find what it is that makes you feel like you’re flowing through life, freely and with energy. Although every job or task requires effort to learn new things and overcome challenges, working through the process with enthusiasm can guide you towards your ikigai.

Continuous self-observation is necessary to find your ikigai.
Continuous self-observation is necessary to find your ikigai.

5. The art of living

The philosophy of ikigai isn’t just about finding a purpose and dedicating yourself to that purpose, it also involves harmonizing your purpose with a healthy lifestyle.

In their book, Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life, Miralles and García cite a traditional poem about longevity that summarizes the principles of ikigai living:

To keep healthy and have a long life,
eat just a little of everything with relish,
go to bed early, get up early, and then go out for a walk.
We live each day with serenity and we enjoy the journey.
To keep healthy and have a long life,
we get on well with all of our friends.
Spring, summer, fall, winter,
we happily enjoy all the seasons.
The secret is to not get distracted by how old the fingers are;
The secret is to not get distracted by how old the fingers are;
from the fingers to the head and back once again.
If you keep moving with your fingers working, 100 years
will come to you

10 tips to practice the ikigai art of living

Exploring concepts from another culture can be a useful way to open your mind and discover new perspectives from which to examine persistent paint points—but how can you adopt these concepts into your own life?

Adapting the principles of ikigai for contemporary lifestyles in the West, the authors share ten tips to apply to your creative routine to help you stay focused on the present and enter a state of flow (remember: these tips are designed for people used to Western workstyles):

1. Don’t look at a screen for the first hour you're awake or during the last hour before going to bed.

2. Work when you’re working, allow yourself to become absorbed by what you’re doing, exercise your focus.

3. Do a digital device detox one day a week.

4. Read and answer emails only once or twice a day, at specific times.

5. Use rational approaches like the Pomodoro Technique to successfully manage your time.

Learn how to adopt ikigai principles into your creative process to focus on the present and enter a state of flow.
Learn how to adopt ikigai principles into your creative process to focus on the present and enter a state of flow.

6. Start your daily routine with a ritual you like and finish with a reward.

7. Train your mind to return to the present when you notice yourself getting distracted.

8. Work in a space free from interruptions.

9. Divide each activity into groups of related tasks, and separate each group into distinct places and times. For example, answer your emails in the morning at your desk, work in the library in the afternoon and do admin in the evening from your sofa. Keep circulating and stay attentive.

10. Bundle routine tasks together, and do them at a specific time of day. For example, sending invoices, making calls, and doing other tedious things that sap your energy.

When you combine your passion with an ordered lifestyle, you can start down your path to ikigai and reach the balance you're looking for.

3 books to deepen your understanding of ikigai

Books are a great source of inspiration for creatives and artists (which is why we compiled a list of 120 essential books for creatives), and here are three more titles to add to your reading list about this Japanese art of living.


Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life, by Héctor García and Francesc Miralles

The book we've talked about through this article by Spanish authors Héctor García and Francesc Miralles, this international best-seller walks readers through the fundamentals of ikigai and how to apply those to your daily life.

Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life, by Héctor García and Francesc Miralles
Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life, by Héctor García and Francesc Miralles


Ikigai: Giving Every Day Meaning and Joy, by Yukari Mitsuhashi

Introducing the traditional concept of ikigai to unfamiliar audiences, Yukari Mitsuhashi's book helps readers examine the details of their life to identify their ikigai. It also features inspirational case studies from writers to entrepreneurs sharing their purpose.

Ikigai: Giving Every Day Meaning and Joy, by Yukari Mitsuhashi
Ikigai: Giving Every Day Meaning and Joy, by Yukari Mitsuhashi


How to Ikigai, by Tim Tamashiro

Exploring the lifestyle choices that have helped people discover their ikigai, Tim Tamashiro's how-to book offers "a simple but abstract map for living a meaningful life".

How to Ikigai: Lessons for Finding Happiness and Living Your Life's Purpose, by Tim Tamashiro
How to Ikigai: Lessons for Finding Happiness and Living Your Life's Purpose, by Tim Tamashiro

What do you think of ikigai and does it inspire you? Let us know in the comments below and tell us how you’re using ikigai in your daily routine.

If you’re interested in exploring more concepts and techniques to find new ways of thinking, check out the marketing and creativity sections of the Domestika blog, where you'll discover the tools, tips, and strategies to master any digital platform like a pro.

English version by @studiogaunt ; illustrations by @maja_dabek

You may also like:

- 9 Self-Help Books to Boost Your Creativity and Mental Health
- Recipes for Success: The Rituals of 10 Iconic Creatives
- 12 Online Courses to Learn How to Overcome Creative Block
- Creative Thinking 101: Generate Groundbreaking Ideas, course by Nick Eagleton

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