366 Days

Lauren Oujiri, a writer, photographer, and coach, picked up haiku in 2017 for the first time since childhood, began writing it daily, and hasn't stopped since. She uniquely pairs her haiku with photography from the spectacular Oregon Coast to the most delicate inner fractals of a sunflower, touching on the human condition, paradox, and beauty of life. Her first collection, "For Your Truth & Light," was a simple and solid introduction to her work with 78 poems and photos. By comparison, this daily compilation - with a nod to the oft forgotten Leap Day - of 366 pairs is a robust and more full expression and exploration of her standard themes around love, pain, confusion, wonder, joy, comfort, dreams, despair, beauty, solitude, inner contemplation, connection, compassion, and peace. 

"I am often asked if the haiku or the image comes first, and the answer is yes (wink). It goes in both directions. It comes in the moment when I am in nature, and it comes in the wee quiet hours of the morning, sending me diving into my archive for the image I know is there ready, waiting patiently to pair up, sayng, "finally" with a smile." 



Lauren developed her haiku practice and craft while writing and editing her uncle's first-person autobiography. She likes to laugh that it became her oasis in an intense and wonderful time working with her uncle, a captiviating storyteller. One of her favorite lines in his book ("Tenacity & Resolve: A Sales & Marketing Titan's Story of Tribulations, Victories, and Love" w Daniel E. Reed) is "I can say anything in forty minutes that most people can say in five." She found that she could manage seventeen syllables daily, that she came to cherish those few minutes creating them every day, moments that were hers alone. "They became my mindfulness and gratitude and creativity practice all rolled into one."



Lauren also writes long form poetry, blogs, and writes weekly musings to her coaching clients and others around the globe. For her next publication, she has her sights on a compilation of her coaching and other inspirational writings in 2019.



Lauren began the hobby and enjoyment of photography in early childhood, and has sold and displayed her work in galleries and online.



You can find Lauren's daily photos and haiku on Instagram and other social media.