Listening to silence and empowering it

I wasn't late, but I arrived far too close to opening time for comfort. As soon as I unlocked the door, I found several people already waiting. Fortunately, a very kind colleague had arrived earlier and was already taking care of the customers.

I hurried to organise everything as quickly as possible. While sorting through a pile of important documents, I noticed a single sheet of paper that looked almost blank. It seemed out of place. I asked my colleagues if it belonged to any of them, but they all said no.

Nobody wanted it.

I looked at the abandoned sheet and decided to turn it into Momigami, as I often do with forgotten or disregarded pieces of paper. I slipped it into my pocket and thought nothing more about it.

Later that day, during one of my online lessons, I suddenly realised I needed a piece of paper. I searched my pockets, hoping to find something suitable, and there it was, the unwanted sheet of paper. The very paper that nobody wanted had suddenly become the most important item in my life at that moment.

I pulled it out and used it for my homework. Luckily for me, my homework involved making art.

This is what emerged from that discarded piece of paper.

Photo by Yoneko

What was once considered useless became useful. What was overlooked became valuable. What nobody wanted became something worth keeping.

It is no longer just a scrap of paper. It has become a work of art. It has become part of my story.

Perhaps, like people, objects sometimes need only the right moment, the right purpose, and someone willing to see their potential.

"Listen to Silence" began as an unwanted piece of paper. Today, it reminds me that value is not something we possess from the beginning; sometimes, value emerges through attention, transformation, and care.

What was discarded found a voice. Found a purpose. And became alive.