On Belonging, Art, and the Hidden Power of Home | Part 2

Art, Loneliness, and the Push of New York

Moving to New York for university felt like another reset. “I didn’t know anyone. Everything was in fast English. I thought I spoke English – turns out I didn’t,” Hazuki laughs. The intensity, the isolation, and the cultural gap all hit hard. “I even thought about transferring to a Japanese university at one point.”

But she didn’t. Instead, she pivoted. From fashion design to illustration. From isolation to intentional connection.

“I told myself: just make one friend in every class. I didn’t understand the homework – I needed help. So I talked to people. That’s how I survived.”

What began as survival turned into community. And through her art school’s tight-knit illustration department, Hazuki finally felt understood. “The people were more aligned with me. We were all creating, thinking visually, expressing identity without needing to explain every detail.”